Dragon Kick Your Butt Across the Multiverse (Multiveeerse)
by OwTheEdge
Summary: A shadow looms over Mewni. Beings of cosmic and unnamable proportions threaten the very balance of the Multiverse. Worlds collide, lives are changed, and resolves are tested as Star and Marco are thrust into a war that goes beyond the physical realm of understanding. How will they deal with it? Go Berserk and unleash apocalyptic beatdowns with the GOD HAND. WITH A REVENGEANCE.
1. Up My Sleeves

The Underworld. Never will you find a more vile hive of scum and villainy. Is it a given because all who dwell within are pretty much monsters, ghouls and demons or are we just stereotyping because this is pretty much the Mewni equivalent to Hell? Hell if I know.

Anyways, while we aren't too sure who actually runs this place but have a fair idea, we do know is that the prince of this place is none other than the purple skinned, three-eyed, horned short fuse himself, Tom Lucitor, demon Ex-boyfriend of Star Butterfly, the princess of Mewni.

Things were tranquil within Castle Lucitor. The souls of the damned were shrieking, the flames of the Underworld were blazing, and Love Sentence's entire discography was blaring all throughout the Castle's speaker systems, much to the dismay of many of its demonic denizens. Indeed, life in Hell was truly...Heaven.

Tom was simply lounging around in his room, his body splayed lazily across the bed as he mindlessly flipped through channels as remote buttons clicked and the television screen flickered. 667 channels and nothing to watch. Typical.

A series of knocks on the door broke the momentum of TV noises. Tom ignored it. Absolutely enthralled by the simple act of pressing a button and peering at single frames of multiple channels than actually being drawn in by said frames then picking a channel to watch.

The knocks became bangs. Once again, the Demon Prince ignored the assaults on his door. His blank expression refusing to yield.

"Master Toooommm!" a loud voice boomed behind the door, the bangs per second becoming more frantic and rapid.

Tom finally relents, his face dropping into a scowl as he drags himself out of bed and approaches the door.

"You've gotta lotta nerve interrupting my-" the beginning of his complaint died upon his lips when his unwanted guest, a rather tall and lanky goat demon, fell upon his body. The demon prince was taken aback, but he managed to react to catch the body in time.

"G-get...off!" With almost no effort, the young demon shoved the mass of flesh and fur off of his person and the goat demon limply flopped onto the floor. A smoldering hole the size of a basketball was displayed on the center of his torso, with nothing but the black bricked floor of the castle visible through the opening.

Startled, Tom knelt before the fallen demon, worriedly inquiring as to who was responsible for this.

"H-h-he's... the go-...de-...hand..." The goat man fought hard to speak, the agony making it unbearable to even keep his eyes open. To even move. To even live.

The last of his strength must've been expelled just to run all the way to this part of the castle. To Tom's room. He remembered the dead demon as part of the Capra Demon Division that guarded the front door of Castle Lucitor. They were a fearsome and tenacious bunch. Their strength and great machetes cleaved through groups of armored knights in the past and their guard dogs were nothing short of aggressive and agile killers whose regular diets consisted of blood and the jugulars of their enemies. What could have possibly wiped them out? Tom pondered.

As if to answer his mental question, a green blast of energy flew swiftly towards the young prince, but his reflexes kept him unharmed as he summoned a shield made of fire right in front him.

"Tut tut, Tom. You know what they say about playing with fire," that smooth, insidious voice backed by a sinister charisma made the demon prince's blood go ironically cold.

Standing before Tom was the floating form of a bearded swamp green bird/kappa creature no taller than a few feet, named Ludo. His eyes were blank white, one of his arms was glowing and elongated and he wore a...potato chip bag? Regardless, it wasn't the body that alarmed Tom, it was the voice and the twisted soul behind it.

"What business do you have with House Lucitor, you damned snake?!" The prince coldly demanded, taking up a defensive fighting stance and cloaking his hands in flames.

The avian merely chuckled at his opponent's attempt at intimidation. He's lived for far too long and have seen far too much to be fazed by anything of the sort.

"The Hand," Toffee simply answered.

"What?" Tom was dumbfounded. As vague as his request sounded, he knew exactly what he wanted. He also knew that there is no way in Home he's going to give up one of two artifacts that has affected and can affect the very fabric of the Multiverse.

"The Devil Hand," the possessed bird clarified, wishing not to elaborate further or repeat himself once more. He knew the entire Lucitor family line was tasked with guarding this sacred Hand. Generations pass down the responsibility to future generations hoping to never reawaken the cataclysm that happened eons ago.

Yet the cataclysm was floating right before his very eyes. His power and size significantly diminished from his original self.

"But what about the God Hand? You can't come back without that, too y'know." Tom snapped back. He was beside himself with adrenaline and overwhelmed by the choices he's considering to make. He could try and fight back, but even in Toffee's current unfinished form, he was easily outmatched in magic experience and skill. He could make a break for the Devil Hand, but it was too risky as Tom wouldn't have time to jump through all the hoops necessary to get there. Anyways, Toffee would just catch up with him in a flash. Maybe he could-

No. No! His father and his father before him and so on made it crystal clear that the Devil Hand must not fall into anyone's hands. Especially not that abhorrent lizard. The power one would hold with such a relic would be unimaginable. Enough to topple societies, then planets, and then dimensions. In conjunction with the God Hand, both would rend the very existence of the Multiverse itself.

"Ah yes, I was getting to that right after our little exchange. I propose a deal, Prince Lucitor,"

A deal, he says! Right after he most likely left behind a bloody path of demon corpses leading up to his room? Home, no! But considering the circumstances and how unlikely the alternatives are to succeed, Tom had no choice but to cooperate for the time being.

"Oookaay..." Uncertainty and skepticism was blatant in the boy's voice. The flames were snuffed out as he dropped his hands to his side. Bargaining it is, then.

"You still have feelings for that Princess Butterfly don't you?" Toffee's voice softened, sounding more like a concerned father than the embodiment of evil.

Tom stiffened uncomfortably. He wanted to say no. He wanted to try to move on. But his heart said otherwise. All those harrowing months of anger management with Rob were all for her after all. He would love for Star to come back to him and make things work again. He wanted his bubbly, spunky, adorable, strong rebel princess back.

"That would be nice..." Tom said dreamily, losing himself in his fantastical delusions for a few moments.

"I need the help of your army to assault the Butterflies and claim that God Hand _and_ my finger,"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I don't think Star would approve of that at all! In fact, I'm sure she'll legit kill me if I made an attempt on her kingdom and her family."

"That's why I'm in the picture, am I not?" Toffee/Ludo slowly closed the distance between him and Tom. The young prince stiffened slightly, but relaxed when a hand gently fell upon his shoulder, offering reassurance.

"With my magic abilities and your Devil Hand, none can even come close to opposing us. Mewni and all of the Multiverse will bend to their knees under the might of Toffee and the Lucitor clan! And more importantly, the fair Star Butterfly will be in your arms once again."

"Star..." Tom wistfully uttered her name. It felt like smooth honey upon his tongue. Small green embers flickered in his pupils as Toffee/Ludo continued to rub his shoulder. He may be a formidable fighter and a feared prince, but Tom was still a teen, first and foremost. The lizard wizard's sugared speech rekindled Tom's passions like the spark of a match.

"This horrid form of mine is in no condition to use either of the Hands," Toffee explained, words laced with disappointment. "This body can barely hold together under my current power. One of the hands could cause this form to fall apart and my soul would become forever lost in the ether. However, the radiating glow of both hands present can bring me to my true form. That's why I need you, Thomas."

The demon prince remained silent. His thoughts swimming in response to all that he just heard.

"Indeed, but to reach the prized Princess, one must slay a certain...dragon." Toffee's grin deepened once more, his hand clenching Tom's shoulder a little harder. "What was his name again? Mars? Marcus? Mango?"

"Marrrrcoooo..." Tom's voice deepened. The green embers on his pupils became larger flames as his burning hatred for the Red hooded teenager reignited, swiftly disregarding the bro time they spent together in his carriage one previous day.

"Ah yes, that's it." Toffee/Ludo snapped his fingers, feigning realization. "He's been quite the obstacle to the pursuit of the object of your affections, hasn't he? Wouldn't it be a weight off everyone's shoulders if he just...disappeared? Possibly in a burning crater?"

"You have a deal!" The manipulated demon couldn't extend his hand fast enough. Toffee chuckled, extending a hand in return and the two shook on their newly established covenant.

"Exquisite. Now the Hand,"

Tom and Toffee/Ludo soon made their way towards the sacred relic. Since this is such a closely guarded secret to a select few, the Prince had to make his way deep into the furthest depths of the castle, traveling through countless doors with convoluted locking mechanisms, protective runes and barriers, and the strongest and most vile demons known to existence. The last one wasn't so hard though. With a quick "sup" Tom simply walked past some of the guards. While some objected to Tom's new friend, it wasn't anything the prince couldn't shoot down with naught but naught but a fearsome glare.

Finally, the two made it to a stone vault door that was ten times larger and taller than the both of them. Several indented lines spread throughout the door, creating a maze-like pattern that all led to the simply circular locking mechanism that lied at the very center. Tom took a hard bite of the tip of his thumb, drawing black red blood. He placed his thumb upon a small oval-shaped indent with the lines spreading away from it. The thumb-shaped crater began to glow, then the glow spread among every line at the door until it all converged at the very core. An inner circle emerged from the outer circle and the door gave way in a near deafening rumble, almost as if an earthquake was occurring all over the Underworld.

Both of them stepped into the vault. It was a very dark and desolate room, save for the blood-red spotlight that shone upon a stone pedestal. Upon the pedestal was a long, black severed left arm tattooed with spiraling lines that nearly resembled flames. At the back of the hand was a red circle.

"Alright what now?" This is the second time he's ever seen this creepy appendage. The first time was when his father was discussing his destiny and role and all that other boring stuff and brought him to this very room when he was but a mere lad. He only knew the severe ramifications of wielding such a fabled object but was never told how to utilize it. It'd be a lie if Tom said he didn't consider trying to take control of this thing, but considering how long it took him and Toffee to even get to this point, the trouble and the effort didn't seem worth it. How the Home was he supposed to use a severed-

"AAAARRRGH!" Tom's agonizing scream was so loud, Mewni above could have heard him. A sudden green flash severed his left arm, leaving behind a smoldering stump on his shoulder.

"That's what's now," the monster smiled from ear to ear, seeing his smugness and arrogance was almost as painful as having his arm being blasted off his body.

"Youuu...son of a...arrgghhh!" the one-armed boy cursed through his gritted teeth, cupping the smoking stump in his right hand.

"Oh hush, it's just a flesh wound," Toffee chided the boy for his childishness as he levitated the Hand towards the fallen, writhing demon prince.


	2. Get Back

"Star?"

The last remnants of magic blinked out of existence as what used to be a two story Mewni style tower reverted back to its original, normal state, its structure and furnishings not unlike the bedroom across the hall. Marco's bedroom.

The red hooded boy dropped to his knees, the emotional and information overload weighing on his mind and his body.

"Star..." he repeated, the utterance of her name like a stinging bitterness upon his tongue. His best friend was gone. Just like that. No warning. No reasoning. No goodbye. Simply...gone.

She had a crush on him? Why didn't she say anything sooner? What did she mean she might have to leave Earth forever? What is going on in Mewni right now? What's gonna happen to her?

These questions settled and simmered in Marco's mind as he continued staring into nothingness. So many questions devoid of any fitting answers. He didn't even bother trying to make any hypotheses. He was in a state of mental paralysis.

 _My scissors!_ His mind snapped as his legs sprang into action towards his room. What used to be the pinnacle of organization and cleanliness was quickly becoming a frantic, haphazard mess as Marco turned his room upside down, diagonal, and sideways searching for his hard-earned dimensional scissors.

"Looking for these?" a rather vexing female voice from behind felt like a sucker punch to his psyche. Marco's body made an almost instant 180 as he traced the voice to be none other than Janna, the long-time, beanie-bearing bane of his mental health.

She leaned against his door frame, casually snipping the otherworldly arts n' crafts tool while giving the worried kid the smuggest shit-eating grin.

Marco remained silent. Far too beside himself with anger and concern to even question how she got a hold of those scissors.

"Give them to me. I need them now," he demanded with firm determination and added emphasis on "now". It didn't go unnoticed by the wily girl standing before him. In fact, his distant demeanor chilled her just a tad bit.

"Geez, I don't think I've ever seen you like this, Diaz. You look like you're ready to murder a dude."

" _Now,_ " Marco repeated himself, the determined tone closely creeping towards irritation. Janna's expression softened a bit. The boy exuded a drive and pain that was evident in his body language and his speech. Such qualities were never expressed once during the time she's come to know him. She wasn't sure whether to pity or admire him.

After a few moments, Janna relented and approached him with the scissors. Marco's tight expression loosened a bit, as the object drew near his grasp. But before he could even touch the tip of a blade, Janna swiftly withdrew her hand, with which the boy responded with a look of shock as his jaw dropped slightly.

"Lemme come with you," Janna said, providing a catch to this seemingly simple exchange. Marco had so many choice words to consider in response to this, most of which involved calling her crazy and/or stupid.

"Why?" he eventually settled with after a long silence.

"'Cause Star's my friend, too," Janna answered, sincerity seeped in her speech. "And besides, _someone's_ gotta have your back when she's not around. I think I'm more than capable."

"Janna, you were on a tree cowering from all those rats when Ludo attacked us in the graveyard," Marco spoke flatly. "Jackie had to come to your rescue,"

"Hey, I was overwhelmed and unarmed!" Janna sharply rebutted, embarrassment etched on her face."Besides, I'm more stealth and thievery than combat and crowd control,"

Marco closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Something could be happening to Star or her family or her kingdom right at this very instant and he was wasting time arguing with this... he didn't even know what derogatory term to use at that instant. He just wanted to get the hell going.

Still, he had to begrudgingly admit that she was right. The dimension of Mewni wasn't exactly a stroll down Sunset Boulevard, what with dangerous locales like the blatantly named Forest of Certain Death. An extra body could help their chances of helping Star with whatever crisis she and her kingdom is enduring. Surely two first year high school students had the ability to help stem the tide of a dimension-wide conflict.

"Fine," Marco sighed, much to his dismay and Janna's joy. He took the pair of scissors from the girl's fingers and immediately prepared to open up a portal to Mewni.

"Uhh, aren't you forgetting something?" Janna vaguely inquired, raising an eyebrow. The guy simply blinked.

"Marco?" As if on cue, the distinct valley girl voice of Jackie Lynn Thomas, his chill skateboarder girlfriend, was like a bucket of cold water on the hooded teen's face. She stepped from behind Janna, her radiant aquamarine eyes affixed with worry for her neurotic and hasty boyfriend.

"J-Jackie?!" Marco's tanned skin went pale as he was blasted by the realization that he was about to take a long journey to another dimension while leaving behind his girlfriend, his parents, and the party full of kids downstairs.

"Everything okay?" Jackie asked, calm but concerned. "Your parents and everyone else got worried. We thought you might've gone after Star immediately and left."

Marco's face fell into a deep frown once again. He stared at the floor, too afraid to face Jackie in fear of what she'll say and think when he has to break it to her.

"Mijo? Is everything alright?" the deep, caring voice of his concerned father emerged from the door frame, accompanied by his mother, whose visage was drawn with an anxious frown. "Your mother and I have already sent everyone home. Those two girls that Star brought here had to return to their respective kingdoms. Something about them being in danger." Guilt was dog piling on the poor boy's conscience. Now he was trapped into bearing the news to his parents, too.

"Mom. Dad...Jackie. I-"

"Ah, ah, ah. Say no more," Much to Marco's surprise, his mother, Angie, held up a hand and interrupted the boy. "We're all worried about Star and we know how deeply you care about the poor girl."

"You two have been on many dangerous adventures before," Marco's father, Rafael, casually reminded his son."This shouldn't be any different, right?"

"Mom...Dad..." Marco had no idea what to say. Sure, his parents loved and supported him unconditionally, but the situation seems a lot more dire than the norm. They nor he had any idea how bad things really are.

"Marco..." Jackie began, her eyes glistening and her tone serene, yet serious. "I know how you two are. I've seen it every day in school. I can just feel the unbreakable vibes between you two whenever you're side by side, y'know? I don't think I can even come close to having what she has with you. I know I can't convince you to stay or choose or whatever, but just know that, the only thing that matters to me is that both of you come back safe and in one piece. Whatever changes or choices you make during this whole thing, I'll be fine with it no matter what."

Marco's merely stood there wide-eyed and slack-jawed. Absolutely no words whatsoever can even begin to describe his emotions and how grateful and blessed he is to have someone this understanding and this accepting of Marco's current ambitions. If there was ever a moment where he felt he absolutely didn't deserve someone like Jackie Lynn Thomas, this was definitely now.

The boy sniffled. His eyes clenched shut as tears slipped between the cracks and slid down his cheeks. Jackie took him in a tight, loving embrace, rubbing his back in an effort to calm him down. He put his arms around her, and continued to cry into her shoulder, her shirt getting dampened by the tears. Marco broke away from the hug and approached his parents. He threw himself into their arms, the combination of their loving warmth and tight embrace gradually easing the pain in his heart and the stress off his mind. Janna merely sat at Marco's bed, her heart softening at the heartfelt scene unfolding before her. She almost wanted to shed a tear herself. Almost.

"I can't thank all of you enough," Marco finally said, rubbing his eyes. With the support of his girlfriend and his parents, he was more motivated than ever to go to Mewni. To go to Star. To go back to the way things were.

With that, Marco took some time to make necessary preparations. Gathering some snacks, water, extra clothes, and above all, his first aid kit. All of it went into a rather large green backpack he used whenever he went camping with his family.

And finally, the moment was upon them. The determined teen sliced the air with his dimensional scissors, conjuring a blue, swirling vortex out of thin air. Before he and Janna stepped in, Marco turned towards his parents and Jackie.

"Mom. Dad. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but I know I'll be back home with Star." Hope and confidence glistened in his dark eyes. The couple nodded at him, with the same hope etched on their faces

"We love you, son. Stay safe." They both said simultaneously.

"I love you, too." the red hooded boy reciprocated wistfully. "Jackie, I-"

A pair of soft lips rested upon his own. The kiss was sweet and inflamed with passion, longing, and promise. And yet... he couldn't lose himself in the moment like he has in the past. His eyes remained open.

Their lips gently parted. Jackie gave him one of her beloved smiles. The smile that would always melt the coldest of hearts and calm the most furious of storms.

"Go get her. She needs you now more than ever." She declared with a firm certainty.

With a single nod, Marco stepped into the portal, his body fading into the blue spiral. Janna was following behind.

"Shouldn't we let your parents know you're going as well, dear?" Angie asked, concerned for the rash girl.

"Eh," Janna apathetically shrugged, before immersing herself in the rift.

Well this was... definitely not where they expected to be. Janna and Marco ended up in a very dense forest, as far off from any semblance of civilization as they could have been. Somewhat good news however, was that the topmost spire of Castle Butterfly was within view in the bright daylight. Just very...very...far away. Like, maybe several dozen miles over if they had to make an estimate on their distance.

From what Marco remembered from his last trip in the wilds of Mewni, this was thankfully not the Forest of Certain Death. However, they were still in monster territory, so caution and vigilance was still a must.

"Marco, I thought you knew how to use those things," Janna sharply rebuked, pointing at the scissors.

"I do, I just...haven't really gotten the hang of them yet." Marco sullenly stated, glaring at the magical blades. "Well, at least we're in Mewni, and not...elsewhere."

"Well, I guess no one said this would be easy," Janna's attitude loosened as she performed some stretches. "A little exercise never hurt nobody,"

The duo began to walk in the direction of the castle spire. Minutes passed with barely a word between them. Only the brisk breeze, the rustling of leaves, and the cries and chatters of fauna filled the empty silence. Marco simply stared forward, seemingly unblinking and unyielding. Janna marveled at the otherworldly wildlife, her head looking this way and that way like a tourist in an exotic country. Plants and flowers of alien shapes and colors lined the ground beneath them. The teen girl eyed a pair of blue, bug-eyed chipmunk looking things running up a tree, seemingly searching for whatever fruit or nut grew from its branches. Or to get laid. That's also a possibility.

"Hold up, I gotta take a leak," Janna declared after what seemed like an hour of trudging through the vast sea of towering trees. Marco simply nodded and sat at the base of the nearest tree. Janna disappeared behind some bushes to do her business.

Marco was just left alone with his thoughts. He couldn't help but think back to when Jackie kissed him before he embarked on this journey. It felt..different. It was a nice gesture and he absolutely appreciated it for sure, but the kiss didn't hold the same impact as it has multiple times in the past. But why? He's dedicated years and years of planning to get even one of those kisses, and getting multiple from his longtime target of affection should be like heaven to him. Was it because it felt like the last kiss he'll ever get for a long time? If that was the case, then it should have felt way more special and cathartic.

The contemplative boy vigorously shook his head, as if trying to physically get these unnecessary thoughts out of his mind. He was probably overthinking it, as always. It was most likely simply a matter of getting used to being kissed by his girlfriend. Nothing more. Nothing else.

His mind decided to leap into another train of thought. How is Star taking all of this? Leaving Earth behind, possibly forever and having the burden of being a princess facing a kingdom-wide crisis? Plus there was the fact that the destiny of Mewni would fall into her hands someday and she had to master her magic before that day came. Man, if Marco had a kingdom's worth of pressure on his back, Star had a universe's worth. But that's why he's here, isn't it? To be there for his friend and ease the burden off each other's backs. To fight as one against all odds. Against whatever forces the universe or fate decides to chuck at them.

"Marcoooooo!" the faint sound of his name being screamed dragged Marco back into reality. Before he knew it, he was running through the forest, pushing through branches and bushes and jumping over logs. How could he have been so stupid as to let her go as far as she did? What was she even doing this far away? Sweat raced down his face and his legs begged his body to stop, but adrenaline forced him to go even further beyond his limits. The shrieks were getting louder and clearer as he ran deeper and deeper into the forest.

He finally reached a wide clearing in the forest. Three bound and gagged mewman men sat bunched up against one another in one corner of the area. Janna was on the ground, clearly bruised and beaten with two monsters towering high above her. One was a lean goat man who stood on cloven hooves and brandished a large, blood-soaked machete with a wide blade that hooked at the tip. The other was a muscular, hunched over bull creature, with fat winding horns, and a large bronze nose ring.

"Ya got some nerve tryin' to steal our loot, flesh bag," The goat snarled, pointing his giant blade towards the captives. His voice scratchy and raspy. "Whaddya think, Troh? Think she's got the Hand? She doesn't smell mewman to me."

"Uhhh, maybe, Kas." The bull answered, his voice was deep, accompanied by a childlike dopiness. "I say we give it a chop!"

"Just what I'd like to hear," Kas held Janna's right arm in one hand as she feebly struggled against his might and raised his unwieldy blade with the other. The blade shone beneath the daylight sun as it was raised towards the sky.

Without thinking, Marco leaped from the bushes, charging the two burly brutes at full speed. He slammed into the bull monster with as much might as he could gather. The unexpected attack baffled the burly bovine, and he ended up stumbling into the cloven creature.

"What the Home, Troh!?" The goat loudly rasped, his grip upon Janna loosened enough for her to escape.

"Wasn't me!" the bull replied frantically.

"Janna, get those guys outta here!" Marco commanded, his voice booming with urgency. He held his ground in a karate stance. "I'll hold 'em off!"

The teen girl was hesitant at first, but her sense of justice quickly drove her to free the captives from their binds. After several moments of untying rope, all three were free and ran off, disappearing into the brush with Janna following behind.

"So, we got a tough guy huh? Who does he think he is? Alexander?" Kas snorted arrogantly.

"Huh, huh, huh. He's not Alexander!" Troh guffawed, enabling his buddy.

Having enough of their idiocy, Marco charged forward and unleashed a series of hard punches upon the bull monster's belly, much to his amusement. It felt more like an inept stomach massage if anything.

"Huh huh huh. Why don't... uhh, you. Talk to the, uhhh," The bull demon tapped a claw his chin, trying his hardest to fill in the blanks for his upcoming clever quip. Marco was still laying out a multitude of strikes upon the bull's torso, to no effect.

"Oh yeah, the HAND!" the bull yelled as he drove the palm of his hand into Marco's face, knocking him down to the dirt. The hoodied teen felt his nose bend and his teeth loosen. A pair of dark red streaks cascaded from his nostrils to his upper lip.

"Heh, I don't think that girl got the Hand, anyways. She didn't look the part," Kas smugly remarked, taking a few steps towards Marco, still reeling from the prior impact. He pulled the fallen teen by the right arm with almost enough force to dislocate it. "This one doesn't either, but juuuuust in case."

"No, No! Please! Anything but that! Stooop!" Marco begged profusely, his pleas falling on deaf ears. His eyes widened with fear as he vigorously struggled in futility. He feared for his own life far too much to wonder what kind of sick tradition they're partaking in where they need to sever right arms off of innocent lives.

"Kid, the sooner you accept your fate, the easier this is for all of us," The goat raised his machete into the air once more, the flat part of his blade reflecting the sunlight. "Ya don't hafta look, if that makes it better for ya."

The machete dropped at full strength, the red hooded teen's arm cleanly and instantaneously severed from his body. A stream of crimson sprayed from the severed appendage, his red sleeve still attached to the limb.

"RRRAAGGHHH!" Marco's blood curdling shriek seemingly echoed all throughout Mewni. Startled flocks of birds flew off their trees and into the skies. The one armed boy couldn't hear the laughs of the demons over his own tortured cries.

"Aww, it's just a regular ole' floppy meat stick," Troh childishly complained, swinging the still bleeding limb back and forth like a pendulum made of flesh, liquid crimson showering the ground below. "Could make a good snack I guess,"

"Gah, figures. Guess we gotta keep lookin'," Kas groaned, walking away from Marco. His body contorted uncontrollably, still holding onto his bloody stump in his only good hand and uselessly trying to keep more blood from escaping his body. His hearing was clouded and his vision drastically blurred. The two demons in his sight were reduced to amorphous blobs that seemed to shrink smaller and smaller until their forms blended into the mess of greens, browns, and grays in his deteriorating vision. Their vexing laughter was muffled and extremely low in pitch. It felt like his mouth was stuffed with cotton and metal was coating his tongue.

The pain. It was unbearable. It hurt. So much. Too much. Bleeding.

Marco's eyelids grew heavier and heavier as seconds went by. The intense blur was slowly fading into a black void. However, before his eyes closed indefinitely, a floating blue and white blob with a smaller pink blob within it slid into view. Just hovering there. Not doing a thing. Like it was just judging him. The boy struggled with all his might to keep his eyes open and focus on the mysterious entity, but the trauma was beyond what his body and mind could handle. All of his physical and mental functions teetered on the cusp of shutting down. His writhing body relaxed to a complete standstill, and the mess of colors in his vision gradually faded into darkness. However, the unshaped form made a sound that was crystal clear.

"Oh, grow up boy, it's just a flesh wound."


	3. The Proper Meaning of a Beatdown

Star Butterfly's ears perked up as she heard a faint, blood-curdling scream off in the distance. As she gazed upon the thick forest in the distance, birds shot out of the trees looking like they were getting away from something rather frightening.

Was it just her, or did the shrill shriek sound somewhat familiar? No, it couldn't be him. It _shouldn't_ be should still be on Earth, safe and sound. Away from all of this. He wouldn't put himself in danger like that unless she dragged him into it. He should just forget about her. He has Jackie Lynn Thomas, now. Why fret over someone who only brought him trouble when he clearly has everything he's ever wanted already?

Burdened by the looming threat of Toffee's reign and her recent departure from Earth, Star decided to just lose herself on her bedroom balcony and wistfully gaze upon her vast kingdom. Her body bathed beneath the daylight sun and the cool, brisk wind gently caressed her skin. The murmurs and mumbles of the castle denizens as well as the citizens below were a cacophony of chaos, each individual noise playing its own tune without regard for the others. It didn't really mix well in her ears, but it was better than dwelling on the negative thoughts that were swimming in her mind.

Several knocks on her bedroom door knocked Star out of her stupor. With an exasperated sigh, the princess removed herself from her balcony and approached the tall purple door.

The door gave way with an extended creak. Her mother, Queen Moon Butterfly, stood out into the hall, still in her armor and her hair still tied in a lengthy spiraling ponytail. Her expression was unreadable.

"Let's go," She simply stated, firm neutrality in her voice.

With a silent nod, Star obliged, pulling the knob behind her and replaying the piercing noise as the door moved back into place with a click. Silence filled the room once more.

* * *

Marco's eyes slowly peeled open, returning back to reality. His vision was still fuzzy, but it wasn't as bad as it-

Hold the phone, how long has he been out? Where was he? This clearly wasn't his bed nor was it his room. Or his house, for that matter. It was pitch black, save for the brightly lit candle that stood by the nightstand to his right. The light only reached up to the foot of his bed.

The incapacitated boy's pulse quickened as he noticed a familiar tall silhouette just out of the candlelight's reach. It merely stood there, holding what appears to be parchment in his right hand, with the other behind his back. Marco could barely make out that his hand was missing a finger.

"The target remains to be a destabilizing influence in the kingdom," the tall being recited, calmly walking forward into the light, revealing himself to be none other than the suit-clad lizard himself, Toffee. Marco's heart was aching to burst out of his chest.

"He serves as the forerunner of a rampant series of armed conflicts among Mewmans and Monsters spread across the nation, largely responsible for the sudden collapse of the Avarius Kingdom, as well acting as an accomplice to bringing the Multiverse on the brink of destruction. His classification as an Entropy Level Threat...is well earned."

He wanted to shout. He wanted to jump out of his bed and beat this reptile to a pulp and ruin his cheap suit. But he can't. He can't. He's paralyzed. Something was restraining him. But nothing was physically holding him down. All he could do was peer at this venomous creature. Simply staring at him was causing him distress.

"As decreed by the Butterfly Royal Family..." Toffee finalized, his voice deepened as he uttered the name with such heavy vitriol. "Orders. Are. To terminate."

The lizard rolled the parchment up and slipped it into his black suit jacket. He adjusted his red tie and cleared his throat.

"Moon was yet to be crowned Queen when they issued this decree. There hasn't been an Entropy Level Threat since... Lady Eclipsa," Toffee raised both arms to his shoulders."Oh, how they tried. And they tried. So much time, so many lives and resources tossed away like rubbish in their futile endeavors. And yet I draw breath to this day,"

Marco only heard the grinding of his teeth and the rapid, rhythmic beats of his heart. He thought back to when he was kidnapped by Toffee. It felt like seasons ago, but the stress and panic he felt then flooded back into his mind, fresh and anew.

"What the Monarchy fails to understand is that they can't kill me," Toffee reached behind his back and brandished a large sickle, seemingly out of nowhere. Marco's blood ran cold and sweat flooded his entire body. For the second time today, he thought, he was going to be put under a blade.

"You hear me? Nobody kills me. Nobody!" Toffee's voice reverberated as he slammed the tip of his sickle onto the nightstand. The prone teen squeezed his eyes shut, awaiting his seemingly imminent death.

"I'm the one who gets to decide who lives and who dies. Me." His reptilian gaze cut Marco's nerves like a knife. He wanted to make a beeline for the door and get away. Call for help. Call out to Star. His parents. Anybody within earshot. He unhinged his jaws, but words failed to come out. His mouth was open, but he could not scream.

"You know," Toffee commenced, his voice softened to a near whisper and his lips raised to a slight grin. "Marco, was it? You're a rather interesting specimen. I spectated your actions during that Mewnipendence Day reenactment with the Princess. I was pleasantly surprised to see how quickly you saw through all that bravado and propaganda. It gave me...hope. You're no narrow-minded Mewman. Hell, if you were, you wouldn't even be here wouldn't you? We wouldn't even be having this one-sided conversation, wouldn't we?"

Marco stiffened. His skin crawled beneath his red hoodie and his mouth was extremely dry. This can't be happening. It's not real. He's dreaming. Toffee should be dead, not alive and breathing and shooting the breeze with him while he's at his most vulnerable. He's anxiously awaiting the lizard lawyer to pick that sickle back up and drive it into his throat. To end it all. Make the nightmare stop.

"You know, I read a book from your Earth dimension once, if you could believe that," Toffee rubbed his chin with the back of his claw, contemplative. "The words remained fresh in my mind, as if I read it just moments ago. The book spoke of how living beings want everything to remain the same. No change. No moving forward, back, upwards or laterally. Not for all eternity. Just the same exact experiences and feelings that loop for multiple lifetimes. The concept was referred to as 'Eternal Recurrence'."

Why was he telling him all this? Why him? Why was he speaking to him like some sort of college professor? Marco was more unnerved by Toffee's amiable lecturing than if he was instead verbally threatening his life.

"It doesn't have have to be this way. You and I...can make the change this world so desperately needs. All it takes is just one push forward," Toffee raised his right hand to his face, pensively glaring at his sliced finger. His hand then balled into an incomplete fist. He made his way towards the door, his previously illuminated form fading into the darkness.

"See you around, Marco. Nice ink, by the way," The combination of stress and relief washed over the boy so intensely, his body slumped and the world around him faded into black nothingness once again.

* * *

Marco awakened again. For real this time. Maybe? He wasn't sure. He was somewhere else. He felt himself gently rocked as his body was being transported in a moving horse carriage. Janna sat by his side, her hands clasping one another as she worriedly tapped her thumbs together.

"J...Janna," Marco weakly called out. His throat felt scratchy and his lips were as dry as a desert.

"Marco, you're awake!" the worried teen girl exclaimed, dropping on all fours and bringing her face closer to the groggy boy.

"Waaateerr," the boy implored, reaching his right arm towards a canteen within his view.

An alarm rang loudly in Marco's head. Right arm? Wasn't it just sliced off some time ago? How is it still here?

No, it _was_ sliced off. This wasn't his right arm. Or at least, it didn't feel like it. There were a series of swirling blue tattoos that spiraled from the base of his shoulder to his wrist. A blue full circle was painted on the back of his hand. A slender, dark-silver metal brace clung to his forearm and a brace one-third of its size was adhered to his bicep.

"Wuh- what happened to my arm?" Marco's voice cracked as he swiftly sat up. His mind was more lucid now, trying desperately to rationalize everything he's seen and everything that happened prior to his awakening in the wooden wagon.

"I dunno, dude," Janna shrugged, at a loss for reasons like he was. "We found you like that when we went back for you. You were laying in a puddle of' blood, but didn't have a single scratch on you. It was weird,"

"What happened after you found me?" Marco asked, twisting and studying his sleeveless arm. He noticed that he lacked any stitching at the base of his shoulder. As if this was the same arm he had since birth. Moving it felt as natural as the original, that's for sure.

"Well, the guys I-er- we rescued took us back to their village. I told them about our situation, and one of them let us rest at their house for a little bit. You were out cold for awhile, so we decided to head to Star's castle as early as we could, hoping you'd wake up at some point along the way. And now, here you are. Alive, kickin' and rockin' some sick tats,"

"How long was I out?"

"Like, an entire day, give or take. It's the crack of dawn right now,"

And it shows. Marco peered at the wagon's rear open curtain. The sun was yet to be in view and the sky was a vibrant hue of soft amber. The hoodied boy reached out for the canteen. He took a deep swig of water, the cool liquid feeling like heaven as it filled his mouth and climbed down his throat. Marco was apprehended by a refreshing feeling. Something he hasn't felt for a long time. However, it still wasn't enough to ease his mind of the burden of all these harrowing questions. What did those demons want with right arms? Was that encounter with Toffee real? How and why did I get this arm?

Although one thing's for certain. This foreign appendage exuded a very faint, yet noticeable warmth throughout his body. He couldn't precisely describe what it was, but Marco felt a bit...invigorated? Like the arm felt more than good as new.

The wagon made an abrupt halt. Janna reeled forward slightly at the sudden stop. Both teens stiffened as they waited and listened for any trouble. Moments went by. Then minutes.

There was a piercing yell, followed by a series of pained grunts. Then followed after was gruff laughter. Janna crept over to the wagon's curtain, opening it just a crack.

"We got trouble," The beanie-bearing teen faced Marco with a pair of worried eyes. The boy stood up from his sitting position, delicately approaching Janna's spot.

Their escort was on the ground, clutching his stomach as his face was buried in the dirt. He was being assaulted by a trio of armed Mewman bandits. Two of them were lean men, one sporting a dark blue wrap on his head and medium-sized scabbard at his hip. The other man was bald, with one hand holding a small bag and the other grasping a dagger. The third was a rather portly man who was also bald, a war hammer affixed to his back. The one with the headwear had a boot on the poor victim's back, while the other two stood a few feet behind him.

"C'mon man, how's come your coin purse is so light?" The bald man chided, shaking the bag and making jingling noises.

"It ain't even enough for one of us," The headwrapped man sneered, shoving his foot deeper into the innocent man's back.

"We gotta put food on the table, yuh know?" The fat man grunted, patting his stomach with both of his chunky hands like a belly bongo.

Marco's teeth and fists clenched as he watched a heinous crime being unfolded before him. This guy was just captured by demons just yesterday. And now he's being assaulted by a different set of monsters. Was it just him or did they have a faint green glow to them?

"I'm going out there," Marco declared, his conviction surprising even himself.

"Look, I'm all for letting you play hero, but whatever happened with those two monsters back there, I don't want something even worse to happen." Janna argued, clenching Marco's shoulder in hopes of convincing him not to toss his life away.

"I guess you're better off dead to us, huh?" Head wrap guy unsheathed a shortsword and raised it to the air, replaying a familiar scene in Marco's head.

"STOP!" the bold adolescent shouted, pulling the attention of all three bandits. They merely chuckled at him. Head wrap guy put his sword down and pulled his boots off the carriage owner. The owner's head was turned to the side, mutely begging Marco to do something, but he couldn't tell what.

"Or what?" the bald guy challenged. "Whatchu got, tiny? You're not Alexander!"

"Heh heh, but he's small enough to eat, ain't he?" Fatty guffawed, licking his lips as he glared at their newest victim.

"Aw, ya nervous?" the head wrap guy instigated, shaking his blade from side to side to goad the boy even further.

Marco clearly didn't think this through. Ominously looming over his psyche was the possibility that his would end up being a repeat of his prior run-in with those two demons. His heart was going a million miles a minute and he felt his forehead dampen with sweat. Yet, for some reason, he was strangely self-assured about this. His heart may be running marathons, but it was also... clear, for lack of a better term. His body felt ready. His muscles tensed. After all, these were just a bunch of lowlife cutthroats. They likely didn't have proper martial arts training like he did.

The teen sauntered towards the marauders, closing the distance between himself and the head wrap guy. The thug wasted no time taking a swing at Marco's neck.

A deafening silence fell upon all who were present. The blade struck air as Marco swiftly bent backwards, his body nearly resembling a ninety degree angle. As Janna witnessed this spectacle, her mouth was a complete circle and her eyes were pinpricks. A whispered "whoa" slithered from between her lips.

With a scoff, the head wrap guy took another swing from a different angle. Marco's eyes and body followed the sword's direction and dodged accordingly. He swung again. He missed again. Another swing. Another miss. Swing again. Miss again. Swing. Miss. Swing. Miss. His buddies began to contract second hand embarrassment as well as intrigue by this strangely agile boy.

"That's it! I ain't messin' around no more!" the enraged thug growled and he swung again, aiming lower and targeting Marco's waist instead of his neck. At lightning speed, the would-be hero dropped low to the ground, his leg stretched forward with his body spinning clockwise into a reverse sweep kick, tripping the armed bandit and sending his body in mid-air. Using his spiraling momentum, Marco shot back up just as fast as he dropped down, his arm and body rising skywards into a spinning uppercut while the thug was still in mid-fall. Both were at least six feet in the air. As his fist hit the center of his back, the unfortunate robber's spine bent further than Mewman limits would allow. After a few seconds of air time, Marco deftly landed on his feet, while Head Wrap struck earth back-first with a resounding crack. The green haze surrounding his body dissipated as he fell into a coma.

The silence that followed was palpable. The two still-standing bandits looked to their fallen comrade, who was knocked out cold. Their gaze then shifted to Marco. He couldn't believe what he just did. The boy himself stared at his right hand in shock. His lips quivered and his eyes spread wide.

"YEAH, KICK THEIR ASSES, MARCO!" Janna cheered, her fists raised in the air in triumph.

The bald guy dropped the coin purse and began charging. The fat man following behind, war hammer in both hands. Both of them emitted a loud war cry as they sprinted forward.

Hearing their yells snapped him back to reality. In a knee-jerk reaction, Marco pulled his right arm back as far as he could, his mind diving deep into concentration. As if Father Time himself slowed his wheel to a crawl, so did the world that surrounded the hooded hero.

A series of dark brown rectangles appeared at the forefront of Marco's vision, each one with bold, gold letters arranged in a set of words that fused into names. Marco was taken aback for a moment, but his focus ended up being shifted to one of the names.

 **Dragon Kick** _._

As if driven by forces not from this plane of existence, Marco turned his body to the side, stepping back a few feet in a little two-step jig. As the two imbeciles drew near, Marco powerfully drove his foot into the bald guy's face. In an instant, he was no longer in the vicinity. In fact, he soared high into the orange sky, speeding towards the atmosphere until his dotted form blinked out of view in a white sparkle. Every part of Janna's face was cartoonishly wide. Her eyes were about to pop out of their sockets and her lower jaw was close to unhinging.

The tension was so thick, it was debilitating. The portly man stopped dead in his tracks, his face not unlike that of a deer in headlights. He wheezed heavily and sweat profusely. He slowly started backing up.

With a crooked, shit-eating grin, the cocky teenager took one stomp forward. The sharp movement startled Fatty with a yelp and he fell hard on his rear, dropping his hammer. His wheezing escalated into hyperventilating and every crevice in his body was flooding with perspiration. Something snapped in his feeble mind and he shot out of the ground away from the Karate kid, speeding down the road and grabbing the bag of coins on his way.

"Oh no you don't!" Marco dragged his arm back once again, time reduced to a slither as the menu of names flashed into existence once more. He was hoping to find something that sounded long-range. Taking a shot in the dark, his focus fell on another name.

 **Chain Yanker** _._

The adrenaline-filled teen outstretched his right palm forward, his fingers spread out and bent into claws. He felt a pull from an invisible rope for a second and he reflexively hooked his right arm back, the escapee's bloated body suddenly within several inches from Marco's face.

"Going somewhere?" Marco smugly asked before delivering a mean left hook at full force. The target was still in the same spot, but he was in a daze. Marco could swear he could see little yellow stars and canaries orbiting his head.

"Don't worry, you'll get there soon enough," With that cheesy one-liner, Marco unleashed a barrage of powerful punches. Both of his arms were moving so fast, it looked as if this sorry sack of flesh was being pelted with a hundred fists at once.

"AAAADIADIADIADIADIADIADIADIADIADIADI..." He had no idea what came over him and he couldn't pinpoint the exact source of this strange battle cry, but he energetically shouted it at the top of his lungs anyways. Each fist connected with soft flesh in breakneck succession, accompanied by a flurry of loud cracks. The rhythm and tempo was cathartic to his ears. Like a symphony of righteousness.

"ADIOS!" Marco finished as he let loose one final haymaker that sent the fat man rocketing down the road before him. Eventually, his body touched earth, but continued to slide against the dirt further, until what used to be a human body devolved into a squishy, tubby pile in Marco's vision. It wasn't as far as when he kicked that other dude into the Milky Way, but it would still give Olympic athletes a run for their money.

The hero in the red hoodie took one lengthy inhale. As he was about to exhale, all the exhilaration, the stress, and the fatigue caught up with him. Too much of it to process, Marco Diaz's body came crashing down. The dull cries of his name were the last thing he heard before everything went dark for the third time since he got here.


	4. In the Court of the Killer Queen

The possessed kappa awoke from his lengthy meditation with a sharp exhale. He rubbed his forehead in an attempt to ease the migraine that pulsed within his tiny avian skull. Even after absorbing the magical essence of every Magic High Commission Member and Queen Moon, his physical form still strained under all the stress and exertion. The time to shed this feeble vessel could not come soon enough.

"Oookayyy..." Tom remarked, arching an eyebrow. "What was that all about?"

Toffee leered at his accomplice, his beak curved into a devious grin. "Just sending a message to an old friend,"

Tom merely shrugged. Since the birth of their alliance, Toffee has been extremely reserved about his grand strategy to find the God Hand. Since then, they've been waiting in the Castle Meeting Room with the huge round table. The only thing of note was that the lizard asked his demonic companion to send some of his minions to the surface and search all around and, in his words,"Leave no stone unturned or arm attached". But why send them to search for it at all? Shouldn't the Hand be closely guarded by the Butterfly Family? Was it taken out of the Castle at some point? When Tom approached his partner with these inquiries, he was only met with a single cryptic response that made little sense nor was worth trying to piece together. "A certain book genie got frisky," What did he mean by this?

"I've found the other Hand by the way," Toffee said, his smile still affixed to his face.

"You have? Where is it?!" Tom asked, ecstatic. The green flames in his eyes burned brightly.

"Mmm, I don't suppose you'd be very amused by the answer. Would you like to hear it regardless?"

The demon prince was gripped by a feeling of uncertainty, but he couldn't figure out why. He gave his answer in the form of a slow nod.

"A certain Marco Diaz has it attached to his body,"

What followed could only be described as an eruption strong enough to shake the Underworld and the land above. A volatile Supernova of green and orange flames spewed from where Tom was standing. Toffee's face remained unflinching despite this tantrum of godly proportions.

"WHERE IS HE?! LET ME AT HIM! I'LL RIP THAT ARM OFF OF HIM WITH MY BARE HANDS AND REDUCE THE REST OF HIS BODY TO ASH!" Tom's eyes were blank white and his voice had a heavy distortion that would chill a normal person to the bone. Once again, Toffee stood unfazed.

"Tom! What are you doing?! Didn't our lessons mean anything to you?" Brian, his anger management coach, ran into the meeting room, foolishly trying to quell Tom's jealously-fueled explosion.

The inflamed boy noticed the pudgy form running towards his direction. Without even a second thought, he drew his left arm as far back as he could, time slowing to a crawl. A forward-rotating menu of names popped into view, and his focus shifted to one that was most appropriate for the moment.

 **Head Slicer.**

Tom drew his arm back further, it outstretched and radiated a very vibrant red-orange. After a few seconds, he swung forward, a wide blade made of pure energy flying towards the neck of the innocent counselor. With a loud pop, his head flew high into the air and his chubby, decapitated body fell limp. After several moments, his head fell back down onto the hot, hard stone floor with a resounding splat, bouncing once and then rolling a few feet from its drop point like a ball. Surprisingly, it remained intact.

Falling back to reality and realizing what he just did, Tom's overbearing flames were instantly extinguished and his visage shifted from deep hatred to that of absolute horror.

"Oh my gosh! Brian! Brian!" the concerned short fuse ran towards the severed head, his heart racing as he was coming to grips with what he just did. He lifted the head of Brian off the ground, tears welling up in all three eyes as he was apprehended by shame and regret. "I'm so sorrryyyy! Speak to me, pal! Speak to me-he-heee!"

"Do we hafta go back to lesson one again, Thomas?" the disembodied head tiredly chided the teen.

"Wha- Brian, you're still alive?!" Tom asked, incredulous and relieved.

"Yeah it was part of our deal, remember? I help with your temper and you kinda bound my life to yours. So as long as you're alive, then so am I."

"Oh yeaaahh, I totally forgot about that." Tom chuckled, a combination of embarrassment and ease washed over him. "Phew, I thought I lost you there for a sec."

"Alright, so we gonna start this whole anger management thing all over again or what?"

"Er, I'm kinda in the middle of a thing right now. How 'bout after all this is over?"

"Okie dokie then. Just don't die on me anytime soon or we won't be able to getcha back on track," They both shared a sensible chuckle, treating the prospect of getting beheaded like a humorous inconvenience. Toffee simply palmed his face at this moronic exchange.

The controlled avian turned away from Tom and his counselor. He concentrated deeply into the hand that held the other half of Star Butterfly's wand crystal upon his palm. A sizable green flame hovered above his palm and with it, the murky images of two members of a certain counsel of magical masters were imprisoned within.

* * *

Marco awakened with a startled yelp and a light jump as the wagon and earth roughly shook beneath him for a few seconds. Demons, forced amputations, Toffee, bandits, and now earthquakes. The stressed teen felt like the Universe suddenly turned on him for the last day and so hours. At this point, he wouldn't be surprised if anvils or pianos started raining down upon him, a la those old Merry Melody shorts he watched when he was in grade school.

"Hey, you got up quicker this time. Makin' progress, Diaz." Janna gave a wink and a thumbs up, her demeanor more chipper and relaxed compared to the last time Marco emerged from unconsciousness. "We're almost at the castle by the way,"

"Heh heh, yeah, I guess so," Marco propped himself up and leaned back against his arms. His body was still a bit sore from his recent scuffle. Upon recalling what he last did before he blacked out again, Marco slapped each cheek with each palm, his eyes widening and pupils shrinking.

"Janna...I think I just killed a guy..." The teen was absolutely mortified. Sure, they were criminals bent on murdering an innocent civilian and himself, but that fact did little to alleviate the weight of taking someone's life off of Marco's shoulders.

He felt something acidic rising up his throat. The memories of every event that occurred since he first stepped off the portal coalesced into bile and filled his mouth. He reflexively shut his jaws and held his lips in his hands to keep anything from escaping. His tanned face shifted to a dull shade of green. He frantically stood up and ran to the back of the wagon, expunging the greenish brown vomit off the edge of the wagon and onto the streets of the Butterfly Kingdom. He hoped he wouldn't be fined for this.

"Geez, you're taking losing your murder virginity pretty hard," Janna quipped, much to Marco's chagrin.

"What the heck, Janna, this isn't a joke!" The ill boy yelled, his hands shivering and lips quivering. "How can you be so chill about this?!"

The apathetic girl shrugged. "When you've seen that the dead can potentially be resurrected, ya kinda grow to disregard human life a little bit,"

"That...is seriously effed up," Marco coldly criticized, his voice dreadfully low. "So what you're saying is, that it wouldn't have mattered if I died, too?"

"What? No, I'm not saying that at all! It's just that-" Janna took a few moments to gather her thoughts, choose her words wisely, and rationalize everything that lead up to this point. "Look, all I'm saying is that you shouldn't condemn yourself over possibly murdering a guy. They were gonna kill you and the guy that helped us. They didn't give you a choice. And yes, it most definitely _would_ have mattered if you died. Because even if we manage to find a way to bring your body back to life, we wouldn't be able to bring _you_ back to life. Catch my drift, Diaz?"

The boy mulled over her words. He couldn't believe he had to admit for a second time that she was right. But he still didn't like it. This might stay with him for the rest of his life. He can only hope he doesn't have to resort to something like that ever again.

"Lemme give you a small lesson in necromancy, my boy," Janna began, exuding an air of scholarly smugness. "You can bring the dead back to life, sure. But its "life" is only limited to moving and acting out of its own accord under the control of whoever resurrected it. That which was alive is no longer itself because its soul has already left it. Once a soul has completely passed on, it's out of this mortal plane for good. Poof. Bye-bye. From what I've read, there are two options to legit bring the dead back to its full life, soul, mind, and all. One is to capture the soul as it's departing the dead body into some sort of vessel, usually in what's called a Soul Gem. The other is to give a part of your life force to said dead body, reinvigorating the soul and the body if said soul hasn't completely left the physical world yet. However, it comes at the cost of draining your own soul to the point of destroying your physical body. Only the most powerful of necromancers can pull that off. "

Marco just sat staring at his hands throughout Janna's lecture, but he hung on every word. Once again, he hoped that the action of toying with people's lives, whether taking them away or bringing them back would never, ever have to be brought up except in hypothetical scenarios. But even then, it bummed out the boy. Kinda makes you think about your own mortality and how fragile and brief it can be.

"Whatever big thing's goin on in Mewni, ya gotta make some tough choices, Marco. We can't keep everyone happy or alive. The sooner you accept that, the easier it'll get from here on out,"

"Here's your stop!" The carriage owner announced. The two teens leaned forward as the wagon came to a halt. Both of them jumped off the back, walking around the side to say their farewells to the driver.

"We can't thank you enough for getting us here," Marco politely thanked. He wished that he had something to give to the hard-working gentleman as payment. In his hurry to get here, he forgot his wallet full of 650 dollars.

"Ah, don't sweat it kid. It's the least I could do after you two saved my pals and me. And me again! If you need to get somewhere, don't hesitate to call on ole' Ulrich to get ya there. For you two, I'll take this wagon all across the Universe if ya ask. No charge,"

"Thanks man, we'll keep that in mind," Janna stated with a little salute. "You take care of yourself, now,"

"You, too! Stay safe!" And with that, Ulrich made a brisk U-turn with his horses and made his way back to his home.

The duo ended up at the base of the white stone steps that led to the Castle proper. They made their way up, passing by nobles, knights, and the occasional servant. Several of them made passing looks towards the two teens, specifically at Marco.

"You seem popular 'round here,"Janna commented, noticing the stares they were catching.

"Heh heh...yeah." Marco's chest felt heavy as he recalled the Song Day concert he attended with Star not too long ago. The event that made everything weird between them to begin with. It never really occurred to him what he'll do when he inevitably meets up with his best friend. Should he pretend none of the past days events ever even happened? No, that would be pretty insensitive to her feelings. Should he just sit her down and discuss everything that happened up to this point? Where will he find the time if the Kingdom is in turmoil right now? And how will he smoothly bring it up without making it super awkward? The closer he reached the Castle's main entrance, the more he felt like puking again. And considering where he is now, he doesn't think the staff or the guards would take too kindly to that.

When they finally reached the towering doors, two guards in full armor armed with halberds quickly shifted towards them, vigilance seeping through their helmeted faces.

"What business 'ave you with the Royal Family?" Demanded one guard in a heavy cockney accent.

"Uh..." Marco began to sweat and pull at his collar.

 _Stop being so nervous._ He internally chided himself. _This is your best friend. You've lived under the same roof for how long? And you've been here plenty of times before. Don't puke all over yourself again._

"Er, I've come to see St- _urf,_ " He choked a bit, feeling dry heaves rising up his throat. He gulped hard and eventually composed himself. With a deep breath, he tried again. "I've come to see Princess Star Butterfly. I am Marco Diaz of Earth and-"

"Oi, Marco Diaz, ya say?" the same guard curiously asked, lifting the visor of his helmet and peering at Marco with a pair of muddy brown eyes surrounded by noticeable wrinkles. "Future King of Mewni? Ha ha! Why 'idn't ya say so?"

A deep red blush was slashed across Marco's face upon hearing "Future King of Mewni". For a second, he felt a tinge of remorse coming here. Yeah, getting attacked by demons and bandits and being in close proximity to Toffee wasn't what made him regret coming here. It was being dubbed the "Future King of Mewni". Song Day was a mistake. It's been nothing but trouble. Wonder what happened to Ruberiot?

"'Ey, just so ya know, the Family's in a bit of a stink right now," The knight warned, urgency creeping in his voice. "They ordered that no one is to disturb 'em at this time 'less it's an emergency. But since it's you, I'll just let 'em know yer 'ere. C'mon, I'll escort ya to the Throne Room."

The two teens were about to make their way past the door when the guard stopped them in their tracks.

"'Ang on, who're you?" The guard asked eyeing Janna suspiciously.

"Oh, er, I'm with him," She answered, pointing a thumb at Marco. "I'm a friend of Star's, too,"

The guard's hard gaze fell upon Marco, wordlessly asking for confirmation.

"Yeah, she's with me,"

"Alright then. 'Ey, Ken," The guard addressed his partner who shifted his head towards him. "Keep this spot warm for me. Anyone asks, the Future King of Mewni's 'ere,"

The partner silently nodded, and faced forward once more. The three went passed the towering purple door and into the vast white and purple corridor that looks like giants were meant to walk these regal halls.

"Sooo..." Janna began, morbid curiosity smuggled in her tone. "'Future King of Mewni', huh?"

Marco remained silent. He wanted to retreat into his hoodie. He got sick of the phrase when he first heard it slither uncomfortably into his eardrums. Now it's just a festering plague vexing him every second of his existence as the words echoed in his mind. The closer he got to the Throne Room, the faster his heart rate became. He didn't know or not if he could suffer cardiac arrest at his age and he wasn't sure if he wanted to find out or not.

He instinctively raised his sleeveless tattooed arm to his face. Looking over every inch of it seemed to have eased his addled mind just a tad bit. Was it just him, or did his tattoos start to emit a faint, pulsing golden glow?

* * *

Queen Moon Butterfly was absolutely beside herself. She paced back and forth, holding and rubbing her temples. Her pupils were mere dots and a torrent of sweat rained down her seemingly flawless skin. You would think that it would be enough to smudge up the diamonds on her cheeks. She nervously repeated words to herself as her voice trailed off into whispers.

"Nononononono... This cannot be happening. How can this be happening? Why, why, why?" So much had happened that rattled the Queen's normally composed character. First, the recent Song Day has brought distrust and disorder to the kingdom after they found out the Spellbook was missing and the wand was damaged. Next, the Magic High Commission was wiped out in one fell swoop, with only two of their remains recovered. Toffee is currently at large and is most likely planning an all-out assault on the Butterfly Kingdom and most likely all of Mewni. House Lucitor has ignored many messages sent to the Underworld regarding the status of the Devil Hand. And now the God Hand was missing from the Castle with no evidence of who stole it or how it disappeared without a trace of evidence.

A combination of paranoia and strain was overtaking her as she still hasn't changed out of her armor or put away her swords since the day she and the MHC raided the Monster Temple. She hasn't even slept wink or eaten a nibble since then.

Star simply watched on as she witnessed her mother, usually the apex of order and rationality, freak out before her very eyes. It was jarring to watch. Her father, King River Butterfly, was getting rather uncomfortable himself.

"Dad, I'm worried," Star whispered to her father, "I've never seen mom like this before."

King Butterfly fidgeted a bit before turning to face his daughter. "I agree. Seeing your mother like this is putting me on edge. If even she cannot maintain her composure in this time of crisis, who can?" River turned back towards his wife, still pacing and her speech quickened to the brink of spouting gibberish.

Star replayed the recent events in her mind like a rewinding VCR. So, her mom announced that Toffee was back and took her away from Earth, possibly having to leave forever. She then took her to her room and told her to rest up so she can show her something "Pivotal to honing your magic and winning this coming war" later on. Then when she finally got around to getting her, she remained tight-lipped through the whole walk to the throne room. Then Mom opened some secret passage between the two thrones that went so far underground that it took half a day to descend, not to mention all the doors with all the confusing locks on them. Along the way, her mom went on to explain what the God Hand was, what it did, its history, and how it'll help turn the tide in this upcoming conflict. They reached their destination by the time the explanation was finished.

Then they came upon the biggest door out of all the other doors that only opened when Mom made a cut on her finger and put it on some hole on the door. Then after watching it light up all over and waiting forever for it to open, the room was massive and it was also dark, empty and smelled like dirty socks. There was a magical light that shined from the ceiling onto a pedestal in the center of the room which ended up being empty. Then Mom started freaking out, like hard. She calmed herself down, then they all made their way back up the super long passage, re-closing all the doors out of paranoia. And then they were in the Throne Room again, then Dad came in the room and here they were.

For a moment, all three Butterflies' hearts skipped a beat when the throne room door emitted a few loud bangs. All six eyes fell upon the towering door. Moon sucked all the air into every respiratory entrance she had and took the deepest exhale.. Her disposition straightened for the time being.

"Yes, what is it?" She said, as calmly as was possible from her at the moment, but there was a hint of irritation in her voice. "This better be an emergency,"

"Your highness," a muffled cockney voice resounded from behind the door. "We have a few very important visitors. They wish to see the Princess,"

Star's heart sunk. Who could have possibly wanted to see her right now? No. She knew. She wasn't sure whether she wanted to be right or wrong in her assumption. But the guy said "visitors" so who even knows?

Moon looked back to Star for a few moments. Star merely shrugged. Moon then looked back to the door and began walking forward. Her footsteps awkwardly broke the silence as each tap of her shoes bounced all around the room.

When the Queen unlocked the door, she was greeted by the warm, friendly smile of Marco Diaz. She couldn't help but give a halfhearted smile back

"Good day, Your Highness," Marco greeted out of respect and waved his right sleeveless arm at her.

"A pleasure to meet you my Queen," Janna pulled her skirt in a curtsy, as she's seen in movies that took place in the Middle Ages.

"A thousand pardons Your Highness, but they urgently needed to see the Princess," The guard apologized. Moon quickly forgave and dismissed him, leaving him to walk back to his post at the castle entrance. Her view returned to her daughter's best friend and apparent object of affection.

"Oh, it's good to see you Marco, but right. Now...we're...having..." Moon's voice veered off and her masked smile faded as she noticed the boy's right arm. The blue runes. The Deistic Braces. Something shattered within the Butterfly Matriarch. She could barely hold the pieces together as her composed facade utterly fell apart. All the insomnia, hunger, and pressure blended and boiled into rage. Her eyes became wild and her face twisted into a vortex of scorn.

"Um, is Star ava-aaahhhh!" Marco was forcibly dragged by the collar of his hoodie into the room, the door slamming shut on Janna's face.

Marco was tossed like a rag doll onto the solid, waxed floor. He rolled a few feet before he ended up on his back, facing the Queen of Mewni, who unsheathed one of her swords and directed it towards his face.

"I don't know how or why you have that Hand, but you are going to return it right, THIS. INSTANT!" Moon shouted as she raised a sword to the air and swung towards the base of Marco's arm. He rolled out of the way, the Queen's blade clanging noisily against solid stone. The hooded teen quickly brought himself from the ground, instinctively taking a defensive stance against his best friend's mom as he was gripped by self preservation. A green aura surrounded Moon's body, just like the three bandits from before.

"Mom! What are you doing!? Stop!" Star squeakily shrieked. Fear and anger at her mother's actions caused her to frantically sprint towards the two. This was the absolute worst time to leave her wand in her room. How could she have been so absentminded? Why was she so absentminded?

"My dear, control yourself, I beg of you!" River implored, following behind.

With a glow of her eyes and her cheeks, Moon pushed her free hand towards her family, emitting an unseen force that sent the two flying all the way to the thrones.

"Oh dear," River clenched his teeth, his mind grasping at air on what to do. There was just no way he could get close to his wife with her casting magic of this magnitude. If she's like this, getting between them could prove very fatal. Once a Butterfly was on the war path, they essentially become a force that cannot be held back by physical means. Star, however...

"Hold. Still." Her Majesty scornfully seethed, her voice and body language conveying a palpable intent to kill. She drew another blade, one not getting the job done well enough. She drew ever closer to Marco, with which he responded by skipping several feet back words. She managed to keep up with him, the distance being sufficient for a swing of her sword. However, the guarding teen moved his body out of its path, causing it to whiff. She swung her other weapon, hitting nothing but air once again as her target bent his body forwards.

She raised both blades and commenced swinging wildly at every angle she could possibly slash at, with no results as Marco's reflexes surpassed the speed of her swings. She wasn't even aiming for the arm anymore. She simply wanted this boy dead. After several more fruitless lashes, he ended up jumping a couple yards back, further away from her effective range.

"Your Highness, I don't want to fight you!" Marco beseeches as his feet touched down."Please, be reasonable!"

"Then why must you resist!?" He couldn't recognize her as Queen Moon anymore. Her voice and demeanor was miles away from how they normally were. Right now, she was a killer. Queen. Possessing a blood lust that could only be satiated by spilling this teen's insides all over the throne room. Then, something peculiar happened as she spoke her last line.

The murderous Matron's aura made a sudden shift from green to blue. Afterwards, she pushed one foot forward, her body then dashed swiftly towards Marco, her foot hovering just slightly above the floor. As soon as she was within range, she wound back both swords to one side, then they swung in the same direction, aiming for Marco's neck. Panicking, the boy raised his right arm, the blades clanging against the slender brace that hugged his forearm. The force of her swing caused him to fall over on his back. The last attempted strike flowed into an upward swing that would have split Marco's body up the middle had he not rolled to the side again.

Moon's movements were considerably faster than before since her aura shifted colors. Marco was no longer able to to keep away and dodge as efficiently as the tip of her blade began grazing his hoodie, but not quite cutting skin yet. Several close calls were had as every other swing of her blade began ripping his sweater up, revealing the white T-shirt that lay beneath.

This suddenly became a battle of attrition. Marco felt himself closing in on exhaustion as he tried desperately to avoid the sharp piece of steel that was rapidly thrown his way. As time went on, he felt his right arm physically pulsating, a severe heat repeatedly fading in and out.

He didn't know why, but Marco was compelled to raise his arm to the sky as he lengthened the distance between himself and the murderous mother. The two braces detached his arms and the tattoos on his arm went from a dull blue to a bright gold.

He now felt lighter than air, the speed of his dodges surpassing the enhanced speed of Moon's slashes. For a moment, he felt like he should take at least one swing at his attacker, but he stood by his word when he said he meant her no harm.

Star was at a loss as she just knelt on the ground, hopelessly and tearfully witnessing her own mother trying to execute her best friend for seemingly no reason.

This was all her fault. All her fault. If she'd have just left without a word, Marco wouldn't have chased after her. If she hadn't invested so much time with him, he wouldn't have been so inclined to go after her in the first place. If she hadn't misused her wand from the very beginning and ended up in his life, he would be living normal days, safe from all the turmoil her kingdom was under and safe from the hands of her murderous mother.

Speaking of which, she was now cloaked in a deep red aura.

"ENOUGH!" Her Highness was fed up. She tossed her blades away and her body emitted a sudden flash. She grew butterfly wings larger than her entire body and extra arms emerged from her torso, not unlike Star's Mewberty form from long ago. The altered queen hovered high above and conjured a great spiraling blade made of pure white energy.

In an ill-timed flash of golden light, the braces returned to their spots and the tattoos were back to their blue hue. The air became thick and heavy. Marco was apprehended by an overwhelming blend of awe and terror, completely frozen in place. Not by any magic cast in his direction, but the memories and the fear he felt from Star's Mewberty transformation amplified a thousandfold as it left him completely paralyzed.

Moon Butterfly raised her body and her enchanted blade high in the air as it radiated and vibrated intensely.

This was it. Marco was absolutely sure his life was at an end right here, right now. If the demons, Toffee, or the bandits weren't able to get the job done, surely the Queen of Mewni, especially in this form, was far beyond capable of doing so. His only regret was not making peace with himself and Star before his untimely demise.

The Butterfly's blade dropped like a guillotine.

Marco shut his eyes. Awaiting the end once again. He felt the enveloping heat of the blade closing in on him.

Seconds passed. The intensifying heat ceased and remained stagnant for a few more seconds. Hesitantly, the boy opened his eyes.

Moon was completely frozen in place, her insect body struggling to move any further as her body lightly buzzed. She was engulfed in a green aura once again, but it was different from the glow that enveloped her humanoid form. It was thicker and cloudier with a deep, dark purple outline.

The altered queen suddenly shot up to the ceiling, her body slamming against it. Bits of stone fell to the ground upon impact. The entire room, possibly the entire castle, shook violently.

Marco remembered where Star ended up when Moon magically pushed her and River away. He shifted his gaze to that spot, his heart fell when he saw that Star had "Dipped Down". No... more like she "Dipped Deep". Star's eyes and the hearts on her cheek illuminated in a bright purplish white as she seemed to have black-purple tears consistently stream down her face. She held an open, outstretched palm forward, her entire hand and body cloaked in the same purple-outlined, green energy that covered Moon. River could only look on in sheer wordless wonder witnessing the spectacle that unfolded before him

The queen darted downwards just as quickly as she shot up. She fell right in front of Marco, kicking up a considerable amount of dust that enveloped the hooded teen, who stood covering his face to prevent himself from choking on the thick cloud.

Once the dust cleared, Moon was suddenly back in her humanoid form, her body laying flat facing down. Apprehended by deep concern for the Monarch who just made an attempt on his life, he ran to her still body and checked to see if she was still breathing. Thankfully, she was.

His eyes darted back to Star, whose body laid limp against the cold hard ground after emerging from the deepest reaches of her heart.


	5. Fate in the Hands of Fools

Star's eyes slowly peeled open as she awakened in the large canopy bed of her bedroom. Her head was pounding like someone beat her over the head with a hammer. Her body ached as if she just had just been trampled by a stampede of Warnicorns. The many moons of Mewni blanketed her room in their encompassing white glow. She searched through the blurry gaps in her memory trying to piece together everything that had happened.

She began at the point where she stood in the throne room with her dad watching her mom panic over the crises befalling the kingdom. Then someone knocked on the door, saying some visitors were here for the princess. Her mom went to the door and-

Star went wide-eyed when she recalled seeing her best friend Marco being thrown into the ground, then was nearly sliced into pieces by her mom. Things escalated when the queen had a full meltdown and started swinging her swords at him, yelling at him about the "Hand".

That's right...there was something different about his arm wasn't there? There were blue patterns and metal plates all around it for some reason. Was that the God Hand? Why did he have that?

Star's expression dropped deeper into that of shock when she remembered her mom transforming into her Butterfly form bent on erasing Marco with her giant, shining sword. Her heart picked up in speed as she also remembered what she was forced to do to stop her mom.

She had no choice. Her wand wasn't around and the queen was too far gone to reason with. Marco would've been gone had she not desperately dipped down to save his life. Dipped down to depths she never knew she could reach.

It felt different though. Compared to the last time, where she just had to open a door, this one felt a lot more...dense and dark. Like she had to blacken her own heart for a moment to stop her mother.

Oh gosh, did she kill her? The thought struck her like lightning.

She didn't know whether or not she was ok. After seeing herself toss her mom up and down the room, everything went completely blank from then on.

"Intriguing. Very intriguing."

Star's body went dead still when she heard a venomous velvet voice coming from the other end of the bed. A voice she was all too acquainted with. A voice she'd never thought to hear ever again. She wanted to scream. Cry out to the guards for help in apprehending this lecherous reptile. Put him beneath the guillotine. Surely he can't regenerate after getting his head lopped off.

Try as she might to open her mouth and make a sound, but she simply couldn't. As if some spell was absorbing all the noise she was attempting to make. She couldn't even get up, either. It was like a giant, invisible hand was forcing her down. She wanted to pick up her wand and reduce him to a smoking pile of ash. He couldn't possibly regenerate from that either, right?

"Moon's running out of time." Toffee spoke grievously. "Both Hands are in use, and your dark powers are getting stronger. War is on the horizon and it suddenly became much more...interesting."

Star could only scowl and grind her teeth as she had no choice but to listen to him talk. She felt her blood simmer with every uttered word. She wanted to open her mouth to respond to his claims of war, but again, to no avail. This didn't go unnoticed.

"Ah, I know what you're thinking," The lizard smugly stated, squinting his reptilian eyes. "The Mewman/Monster Accord, right?"

Actually, her words were going to be a bit more on the vulgar and death threatening spectrum, but it seems she'll get a history lesson she never asked for instead.

"That so-called 'Peace agreement' is a joke. A farce. A useless piece of parchment with meaningless ink scribbles that might as well have been gibberish," Toffee was seething. His right hand clenched tightly into a three-clawed fist. "You think your fellow mewmans wanted peace? They wanted privacy is what that whole thing implied. They wanted the other kingdoms to stop looking in their direction so they could perpetuate their abuse and negligence. In peace, you see."

The suit-clad Septarian arose from his seat and walked towards Star's direction. The prone princess tried to sink herself deeper into her bed, hoping that it would absorb her body as well as it did tears.

"It's going to stop," Toffee declared, lost in his own belief. "I'm going to stop them, and they won't see it coming. When it happens, they'll be hopelessly gurgling my name as they choke on their own blood. Mark my words, _princess."_

Toffee's face softened, his scaly lips curving into a smile. "And you're actually going to help me make that a reality, whether you know it or not. You think I don't know what you are, what you're going through, and what you're doing? I've seen someone in your position. No, I _know_ someone in your position. And you're a result of her foolishness."

Star was puzzled. A result of whose foolishness? What is this crazy lizard man even talking about anymore?

"Look at this," Toffee brought the back of his right hand close to Star's face, just a hair short of touching. She winced hard, anticipating a slap to the face or something. "She made an abysmal deal in order to destroy me and didn't even finish the job. Instead she tainted herself, her daughter, and possibly the rest of your family line in the future. But fret not. Once you've outgrown your usefulness, you won't even have a future to speak of. Thanks to her, the world is about to change for the better. And neither you or your knight in the red sweater won't stop me. If anything, the more you try, the closer I'll get to succeeding. Isn't that quite the recurring theme?"

The girl's mind and her heart was racing. Never had she felt the urge to absolutely erase someone right then and there. Is that how her mom felt when she saw Marco?

Toffee began walking towards the door, his dress shoes quietly clapped in the palpable silence. _"_ Pleasant dreams, princess. Hopefully we'll see each other again when you and your lover have your...faculties in order."

Star's body slacked and the colors of her room began to melt into darkness.

* * *

Marco sat on the Flag Day hill behind Castle Butterfly isolated from the rest of civilization, kept company by Mewni's multiple moons, a gentle breeze, and the occasional yellow flicker of a firefly . He hugged his legs as his chin rested upon his knees. He couldn't sleep. He wanted to, but the day's events just nagged at his mind too much to give him any sort of reprieve. Funny how so far he hasn't gotten any sleep that he himself willed.

It was absolutely surreal how he experienced first hand the strongest and the lowest that the Butterfly women have reached. Sure, Queen Moon can be quite frigid at times, but she meant well for the most part and only acts that way out of genuine concern and love for her impulsive and developing daughter. But to see her normally calm demeanor crack and give way to murderous bloodlust was nightmare-inducing.

And Star... this bright ball of hyperactivity and quirkiness... cast what was unmistakably dark magic. To hurt her own mom. To save his life. He couldn't help but blame himself for causing such distress, even though none of it was technically his fault.

"Things are heating up 'round here aren't they?"

Marco jumped so hard, he nearly rolled down the hill. The floating diminutive figure of Glossaryck suddenly appeared before him, smiling as if everything was just plain dandy.

"Glossaryck!" the boy exclaimed, making exaggerated hand gestures. "Where have you been?! We've been looking all over for you!"

"Busy," the blue guru vaguely answered. "How's that arm treatin' ya?"

For a second, Marco wanted to grab him and shake the frustratingly evasive man around like a rattle and yell at him for all the trouble he caused. But what he just said pushed itself to the forefront of his thoughts.

"Wait...what exactly do you know about this?" Marco asked, raising his right arm.

"What don't I know? That Hand and the other one have been around for as long as I have, occasionally popping up and making a huge fracas every eon or so."

"Other one?" Marco was puzzled, but decided to save that question for later. "How did I even get this one?"

"You can thank me for that one." the teen gasped as he recalled what he heard and saw right before he blacked out from losing his original arm. Things went pretty downhill from there.

"Alright, so why did you give it to me?"

"Well..." Glossaryck spoke hesitantly, scratching the back of his neck. "Let me answer your question with my own. Did you perchance notice anything... different about Star recently?"

Other than how weird she's been acting since the Love Sentence Concert with Jackie and the fact she just suddenly left for Mewni after confessing her feelings, there wasn't anything Glossaryck might've wanted to know. At least, not until he got to the Castle and was nearly sliced to pieces by her mother.

"Well, she did recently cast what looked like dark magic when I got to the castle,"

The robed book genie shook his head and sighed. "Oh Moon, I knew nothing good would have come out of that whole sordid affair. Now it's come back around to bite you in the butt."

The more Glossaryck spoke, the more questions piled up in Marco's already towering hill of questions. He doubted all of them would be answered any time soon. He had to stick to one thread at a time, after all.

"Do you know what caused her to do something that drastic?" Glossaryck curiously inquired, recalling her casting the All-Seeing Eye twice as well as accidentally attacking Marco and Jackie on their date. He ultimately opted not to tell him about those.

The hooded boy's face dropped to a considerable frown. He didn't want to recall that whole debacle again, but if he wanted his answers, he had to provide some of his own.

"Her mom yelled at me about giving her this arm and started to attack me. "

"You didn't fight back, did you?"

"No, I couldn't bring myself to do so."

"Good," Glossaryck seemed relieved. "It would be unlike you if you did and I would hafta take that arm back from you,"

"So yeah, about why you gave this to me..."

"I was getting to that," The little blue man waved his hand, "Y'see, as we speak, Star is getting dangerously close to her full potential for dark magic. That, combined with the God Hand and her general recklessness, would be a disaster. I dunno if you realized, but Toffee's back.

"I can attest to that," Marco interjected, a shudder washing over him. "I might have met up with him. Maybe? I dunno, it felt real."

Confused by the boy's disjointed words but waving them off, Glossaryck continued. "Anyways... knowing Moon, I figured she wanted to expedite Star's magic training and develop her skills quicker by getting and giving her the God Hand, which the Butterfly line was tasked with guarding some ages ago. However, what she failed to realize was that, since Star has lately been delving considerably into dark magic, it would've reached her potential for it much, much sooner. Now, that kind of magic has been and can be controlled properly if someone has the aptitude, but I couldn't take any chances, especially since she can barely even use her own wand properly. The immense power of the Hand would've been too much to handle and she would've destroyed herself and others had I not grabbed it myself."

Marco's gaze glumly fell on the grassy ground. His best friend couldn't possibly be turning evil, right? He didn't want to believe it. He wanted to refuse. He trusted her too much to even consider the possibility that she'd ever succumb to darkness.

But he couldn't argue with what he saw with his own eyes earlier. It was a brief spur of the moment, but it happened. Who knows when she'll dip down deep enough to the point where she won't be able to get out of it?

"Now you, Marco," Glossaryck confidently pointed at the boy, "Since you've been living with her for close to a year, you've done a pretty good job balancing her out for the most part. You're the order to her chaos. The bucket of water that puts her fire out before it becomes an inferno. You see now why it makes sense that you have that arm instead of her, right?"

Marco glared at his right arm. Suddenly, so much pressure started weighing on him. It seemed too much for him, but he definitely didn't want Toffee to win nor Star to succumb to darkness. If he now holds the power to keep either from happening, then so be it.

"You really trust me that much?" Marco asked, perplexed by Glossaryck's sudden faith in him. He was just a mere Earth boy. Surely there were others who were far more worthy of being a part of saving the universe than him.

"More than the princess at the moment," the wizard flatly remarked. "Besides that little scuffle with Moon, which I assume you spent the whole time making use of your new heightened reflexes, was there anything else you did with the Hand?"

Marco regaled Glossaryck with the tale of having saved a man from three murderous and greedy bandits. That was when he awakened a fighting prowess within him that he didn't know he possessed even in his eight years of Karate. He brought up the weird menu of moves that popped up in his vision. They were apparently referred to as Roulette Moves. Glossaryck explained that the amount of uses they had were marked by five orbs next to the roulette menu. Certain moves use a certain amount of orbs. Yellow lettered moves used one orb, blue ones use two, and red ones use three. Orbs fully replenish the next time Marco goes to sleep. The boy then woefully spoke of how he killed a man by kicking him towards space. The move that he used was a blue-lettered one.

"Ah, **Dragon Kick.** Simple, but effective. Yeah, he dead, son. No coming back from that."

The boy groaned and put his face in his hands upon hearing that. The little man rolled his eyes in response.

"Look kid, as it stands now, you've got a lot of tough decisions and risks to make from here on out. That one guy is just the tip of this iceberg. You probably think you've tossed away that old moniker of "Safe Kid", but now you _really_ have to abandon it. Chuck it off a cliff and forget it was ever a thing. Anything else that you may have done or noticed?"

"Well," Marco tapped a finger to his chin, "I noticed people glowing all sorts of colors. But only when they engaged me in combat. When I was 'fighting' Her Highness, she changed colors as the fight went on and she gradually became more dangerous and aggressive. What's that about?"

"Ah yes. Kind of a universe-altering side effect. See, when you're out there on the battlefield, you'll notice that, depending on how well you're performing, your opponents will change color and in turn, become more adept, fast, strong, and sturdy. It's a way to balance out the strength of the God Hand."

"Why would they design a superweapon with those kinds of conditions?"

"I dunno, I didn't make them." Glossaryck shrugged. "And besides, what's the fun of having all that power if you're not being pushed to improve yourself with it? So there's four levels of difficulty you can experience. There's Level 1, which is green, Level 2 is blue, Level 3 is red, and Level Die is marked by a black-silver haze."

"L-level Die!?" Marco's voice cracked. He started feeling as though he was suddenly thrust into a weird and challenging video game. Except all of this was real and he could get seriously wounded or worse if he didn't tread carefully enough. "When the queen was trying to kill me, all I did was avoid her and she ended up glowing red and turned into her...Mewberty form. How did I get her to Level 3 when I didn't even throw a single punch?"

"Considering the high amount of dexterity and reflexes required, dodging can raise the difficulty level pretty quickly," Glossaryck informed. "Just be thankful you didn't get her to Level Die. Who knows what could've happened if you did? And to top it off, difficulty levels carry over to the next fight you get into, so if someone you beat was on Level 3, then so will the next mook that comes your way,"

Marco didn't want to think about that. He hopes he never causes anyone he fights to reach Level Die even once. If he could, he would just avoid fighting all together, but in regards to the state of Mewni right now, that didn't seem possible. He considered just purposely performing poorly should he get into another skirmish, but that would involve getting himself hurt.

"Relax kid, as you're fighting well enough, you also gather energy to unleash the full power of the God Hand where you enter a state called Tension Mode. You become even faster than you already are, your attacks are uninterruptible, and you're pretty much invincible. But it only lasts for several seconds, so use it sparingly. Alternatively, you can choose the Grovel command when you're picking out Roulette moves and set everything back to Level 1. But that one's more embarrassing and people are more likely to laugh at you when you do that."

That would've been great to know when fighting Moon. Just beg for his life as he was on the verge of disintegration.

"Another thing. Pack fruit. Like a lot of it,"

"That's kind of a weird rule," Marco pointed out, arching his eyebrow. "Why fruit?"

"For some reason I can't even imagine, the God Hand allows you to heal all your injuries and ailments instantly with fruit and fruit byproducts. The byproducts must be 100% fruit, so none of that stuff with various chemicals, preservatives, and sugars. Ya got an infected cut, just eat a banana. Broke a leg? Chow down an apple. However, if you lose a limb or something, fruit alone won't help with that. If you stitch it back, and then down a fruit cocktail or what have you, it'll be good as new. And no, this is not a hamfisted message about eating healthier, that's just how it works. Don't question it."

This was a lot to take in. A lot of rules and regulations to follow. All from this magic arm. He was going to question what he got himself into, but that was something he should've asked when Star first came into his life.

"Also, one more monumentally crucial thing. Listen. Very. Carefully," Glossaryck's tone became grave, which was jarringly unusual for the eccentric little man. "Whenever and however you get the other Hand, you must not let the temptation of having immeasurable power get the best of you. You have the choice to have both Hands give you the full power of a god or the full power of a devil. To change the universe for the better or the worse. To become ultimate good or ultimate evil. Trust me, I've seen even the most virtuous of heroes become morally bankrupt in the blink of an eye because of that immense power. I can't ask you enough to make the right choice. For the sake of Mewni, the Universe, and everyone you ever loved. Especially Star."

Electrified with a sudden burst of inspiration, Marco stood straight up from his seat on the grassy hill. His fists were clenched tight and his face was that of solemn determination. The same determination he had when he undertook his whole journey. His hazel eyes twinkled beneath the luminescent night sky. An overpowering warmth washed over the whole length of his right arm then spread throughout the rest of his body.

"I will," Marco promised, his fist closely clung to his heart."By my honor as a student of Karate, I vow that this Hand will be a tool of justice. To protect the weak and those I hold dear. Not to be used out of anger. Not out of malice. Nor out of vengeance."

"How very shounen of you. But I'm proud of ya, kid." Glossaryck cheerfully gave a thumbs up and a toothy smile. "Now then. Time is of the essence and I gotta get going. Say, did any of your Karate lessons teach you helpful tactics like dodge-canceling, air juggling, or proper combo mixing?"

"Uhhh..." Marco's eyes shifted away from Glossaryck. "That sounds like a fighting game thing. So no,"

"Ok well, you ever seriously played a fighting game before? Like competitively?"

"No, but I played Smash Bros. at a friends house before. Does that count?"

Glossaryck sighed in displeasure and placed a palm on his jeweled forehead. "Kid, don't make me regret putting some of my faith in you. Eh, I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually. Now g'night and don't tell anyone you saw me."

"Wait, where-"

And just like that, the miniature mentor vanished in a puff of pink smoke, leaving behind a still-confused Marco and a kingdom on the precipice of war.


	6. Assembly of Tyrants

The Lucitor Castle Meeting Room was the second largest room in the building, only being a few steps behind the throne room. It's a very simple, yet sizable hexagonal area, the perimeter lined with grisly stone gargoyles that held flames in their mouths. A luxurious, yet sinister-looking obsidian chandelier dangled over the center. Beneath that chandelier was the hexagonal meeting table that filled about a quarter of the room's total size. As typical of the setting and kingdom, the table had several markings, lines, and demonic imagery that make it resemble an over-sized pentagram that one would use to summon entities of hellish proportions. Except it's more of a hexagram since it's on a hexagonal table, in a hexagonal room. A meeting between four superpowers (featuring Brian) was in effect.

"Ugh, why must this diminutive form be such an nuisance?" Toffee pouted, his face in a deep scowl as he angrily sat on a stack of five pillows upon the opulent leader's seat. His frustration most likely stemmed from not looking and feeling as dignified and intimidating as he could be while on a chair that Tom's father regularly sits in during meetings. "I'm an adult, goddammit,"

"Aww, I think you look positively adorable. I could just eat. You. Up." Hekapoo cooed, her eyes fluttering with every word as she toyed with the curls of her long red locks. The Magic High Commission member that once forged the Dimensional Scissors and provided them to those who she deemed worthy of wielding them no longer exists. In her place is a sadistic seductress whose only desire is to torture and enslave those she deems beneath her, all while forging weapons for the army that Toffee's gearing up for the upcoming Mewni invasion. Hekapoo's original elegant and modest dress was replaced with a leather, skin-tight lingerie of the dominatrix variety, though the yellow and orange color scheme remained largely the same. It hugged all her curves and naughty bits tightly, the flesh gripping the seams of her outfit as the straps and strings painfully struggled to maintain her voluptuous figure and as a result, leaves very little to the imagination. And it does confirm that she is, indeed, thicc. Instead of the usual red flame that floated between her spiky yellow horns, there was instead a green flame. It practically acted as a dog collar, letting all who gaze upon it know who her master is.

"Who cares? I wanna break someone already! Lemme at 'em, Master Toffee!" The gruff voice of Rhombulus roared, banging his snake hands against the table in excitement, who both responded in sharp cries of pain. If the buff, crystal-faced brute wasn't impulsively freeze-happy before, he now possesses a mighty need to not only encase his victims in crystals, but to subsequently shatter them as well. His temper almost rivals that of Tom's, except it isn't as destructive. A flowing green flame rests within his translucent, crystalline cranium, displaying himself as another slave under Toffee's influence. He is beyond time-outs at this point.

"Yeah Toff, I wanna get my hands on that delicious looking Marco boy already," Hekapoo was placing her entire upper body on the table, squishing her ample bust against the smooth surface. She made an attempt to suggestively convince the powerful lizard to give in to her thirsty demand. His beak merely frowned in disgust. "When can I force him to be my straight shota slave?"

"No way, I wanna rip the Hand off that little whelp and shatter the rest of his body!" Rhombulus interjected, slamming his snakes on the table again, this time in rapid succession. "I'm gonna break him apart so hard, he'll wish I didn't break him apart so hard!"

"Back off, Rock-head, he's mine!" Hekapoo angrily smacked her palms on the table in defiance. "If anyone's breaking him, it'll be me and if any part of him's gonna break, it'll be his mind!"

"Ok, ok. How about this?" Rhombulus banged the table again, just because. "We split him in half! I'll take the Hand and shatter his upper body and you get to keep his lower body and do all the weird stuff you want with it. Deal?"

"That's not how it works, pebble-for-brains!" Hekapoo smacked the table again in anger towards his stupidity. "I need _all_ of his body to do all the weird stuff with it!"

"She's right, y'know," The right snake hand agreed, much to Rhombulus' displeasure. "Disgusting, but she's right,"

"And will ya stop smashing us against the table? You're being kind of a dick right now," The left snake hand complained.

"I'll show you a dick!" Rhombulus began repeatedly striking the table with his snakes to punish them for their insolence.

"That sounds good right about now!" the scorching seductress hit the table once again for no reason. "Preferably belonging to that fourteen-year-old boy."

Toffee could only shamefully shake his head in response to this comical nonsense. He almost felt remorse for resurrecting the two Commission members and turning the dial of their vices up to eleven in order to motivate them enough to collude with him.

"That's enough, we're in a meeting here!" The possessed avian rapidly hammered his elongated hand on the table, it acting as a gavel to bring order to the assembly.

"Would you all stop. Banging. The TABLE!? " Tom shouted, his voice shakily reverberated and the green flames in his eyes brightened with his rising annoyance. The two arguers froze and peered at the irritated prince. "Do you have any idea much my dad had to pay to have this made? Of course not, because such an amount is unfathomable to your one-track pea-brains!"

"And that was _with_ the royal discount, too!" Brian added, sitting closest to Tom to ensure he doesn't blow himself and everyone up again. "Trust me, if you thought Tom's temper was bad, you guys haven't seen anything till you've seen Angra casually disintegrate one of the maids just for leaving a molecule of dust on the table. Whew. Makes me wonder if I should work with _him_ instead."

All three of Tom's eyes widened as he was reminded of his father. Until now, it didn't occur to him that maybe he should inform the actual King of the Underworld that he was about to wage war on the surface again. He needed his approval in order to gather the demon military and utilize his vast resources. Failure to do so will incur a wrath that even the size of the entirety of the known universe would not begin to fill if one would attempt to calculate how hard he'll lose it.

"Dad!" Tom gasped, slapping his cheeks in realization. "I gotta let him know we're doing this. Oh man, if he came back from his vacation in Far Beelzelif and saw that I used funds and assets without his permission, he would kill me! Literally! For several eternities!"

"Ah yes, that sort of slipped my mind as well," Toffee said, rubbing his bottom beak. "Go on, let him know. Give him my regards,"

Tom stood up from his seat and walked over to the Magic Mirror in the room. In an attempt to look presentable, he fixed his hair and dusted his shirt. He placed his entire left arm behind his back and cleared his throat.

"Call. Dad." The demon prince commanded, as clearly as he could. The Mirror went from reflecting the room to displaying static as it attempts to pick up Father's mirror signal.

After a few seconds, the static blinked out and the mirror displayed the displeased, other-worldly countenance of a silver-skinned, muscular demon. His face was adorned with four slanted yellow eyes, white sharp fangs that slipped went down to the tip of his pointed chin, and two slender horns that curved upwards from his forehead. His face was scarred all over with bright orange fissures that look like they would bleed lava. Lengthy, flaming flowing red locks rested upon his head and shoulders. Such is the ghastly form of Angra Lucitor, Emperor of All Demons and the Underworld.

"Speak, boy," his bottomless voice thundered, irritation apparent in his tone. The room and the mirror vibrated ever so slightly with each word. "The entirety of the Underworld better be caving in if you're calling me during such an inopportune time,"

Even with four eyes, Angra couldn't see that Tom's legs were faintly shuddering and his sharp teeth were grinding among one another. The demon prince was visibly falling apart at the seams, just short of soiling his trousers.

"I, ehh, errrr... Y-s-ss...f-f-faa..." Tom wanted to shrink into nonextistance so bad right then and there. He was embarrassingly stumbling on his words and his voice trailed off into silent babbling. His father became a little more than upset.

"FOR HOME'S SAKE. WORDS CHILD, CAN YOU SPEAK THEM?" The entire room, and possibly the Underworld was assailed by a heavy tremor. "DID YOU ABRUPTLY REQUEST MY ATTENTION JUST FOR YOU TO SHAMEFULLY SPILL YOUR SPAGHETTI IN FRONT OF YOUR FATHER AND VENERABLE RULER OF THE LAND OF FIRE AND DAMNATION?!"

After the quake ceased, the prince puffed up his chest, took in as much hot air as he could muster, and deeply exhaled. He roughly cleared his throat and tried again. This time he presented himself as an heir befitting of the great Angra.

"Father." Tom calmed himself. As calm as he'll ever be in front of his dad at least. "I, er, we have made the conscious decision to enact military action upon Mewni. I humbly request permission to make use of our Underworld Military as well as all the additional utilities that accompany them."

The Demon King's eyes squinted in suspicion, his gaze cutting deep into Tom's soul. Silence filled the room for several seconds. The rest of the room's attendants spectated the conversation from their seats with bated breath, holding the armrests of their chairs tightly in case of another violent shake.

"Oh. Well, why didn't ya say so?" Angra's mood significantly brightened, his once leering visage now raised to that of beaming jolliness and his voice no longer physically affected the environment. "Y'know, I was meaning to attack that place after you cried to me about that Star girl dumping you. Sounded kinda petty now that I think about it. Seems like you don't have all of your father's temper, huh? So what changed your mind? Drastic measures to get her back or what?"

A wide line of crimson was slashed across the demon prince's purple face. His green-flamed eyes shined and he fidgeted uncomfortably where he stood.

"I would be the one responsible for that, Lord Angra." The tiny floating form of Toffee/Ludo was suddenly hovering next to Tom, much to the boy's shock. "Pleasure to see you again,"

The demon patriarch eyed the avian form skeptically before recognizing that familiar infantile face.

"Say, isn't that one of Brudo's kids?" Angra asked curiously, gliding a claw across a lava line on his cheek. "What's this runt doing here? And why is he wearing a bag of chips?"

"Uh, actually father, this is, uhh..."

And without uttering another word, the possessed bird raised his right hand, brandishing the green radiating half-crystal on his palm and his lack of a "middle" finger towards the magic mirror. For a few moments, Angra thought over what he was looking at.

"Err, you have nice taste in jewelry I guess?" The infernal monarch shrugged, still not getting the hint.

"Angra..." Toffee became morose."How could you not remember your fellow Septarian-in-arms?"

"Ay diablos mio!" the Demon King squeezed his cheeks between his hands, finally recognizing. "Toffee, is that actually you!? You absolute mad-lizard! How are you still alive? I thought Moon completely annihilated you! No one has seen you since that fateful battle!"

"Her attempts were valiant, but fruitless. I took some time off... to prepare. With this..." Toffee responded, pulling Tom's red-tattooed left arm out of his back. Sweat came pouring out of the prince's forehead. "... I can move further towards success."

The Demon King's flaming eyebrows furrowed. "Huh, I almost forgot we even had that. It's so far underground, behind so many doors and obstacles, it's always a pleasant surprise when you remember you're in possession of an artifact that can bring a world to its knees. You do know you need the other one right? You still trying to pull off that Monster Revolution?"

"Yes, among other things of a personal nature,"

"Hmm. Well, alright then. You have my blessing, or should I say damning, to deploy my military as well as my abundant assets of warfare as you see fit," The Demon King permitted, with surprising encouragement. "Honestly, those Mewni bastards have had it coming for millennia, the way they treat your fellow monsters and drove us demons underground. Come to think of it, I've been meaning to invade the surface in the near future anyways. One of them broke my son's heart and she has to pay dearly. More importantly, the Underworld isn't getting any bigger, and retaking our place in the lands above could be of great benefit to us."

"I've been wanting to end the perpetual string of injustices up above for a very, very long time," Toffee grievously stated, repeatedly opening and closing his right hand. He then bowed his tiny body in respect. "I cannot be any more grateful to you, Lord Angra,"

"Yeah, sure," Angra waved off, "Just make sure you get the God Hand and don't let the opposition have the Devil Hand as well. That's a power I definitely can't stop once it's unleashed. And stop calling me 'Lord', you condescending reptile. We both know you can kick my ass any day of the week. You ironically referring to me by title makes me feel more patronized than respected,"

Tom rapidly looked at Toffee/Ludo, then back at his dad. His mouth was agape and his eyes were wide with shock. This didn't go unperceived by his father.

"Yes son, your old man was once bested by a damned Septarian," Angra sighed, rubbing his forehead with two fingers. "But I'm not ashamed of it. Ok, maybe a little. But I'm not afraid to admit I was bested by a worthy fighter such as he."

"Oh stop, you're making me blush," Toffee playfully remarked, holding a cheek in each hand as he feigned bashfulness. "What did we even fight over, again?"

"I dunno," Angra shrugged. "Probably a dick measuring contest. At the very least, in a literal sense, I have you beat in that regard, heh heh."

"Still, you fought well regardless. I wouldn't have had to use my family's secret techniques had you not driven me to a corner with all the powers of the Underworld." they both shared a hearty laugh of reminiscence and mutual admiration.

The King of Demons looked past Toffee and his son and noticed the other inhabitants of the room. He saw Brian and wanted to warmly greet him and ask about his progress with Tom, but his vision was pulled towards the other two sitting by his meeting table.

"Er, Miss Hekapoo and...Time-out guy?" Angra asked, perplexed as to why two Magic High Commission members are seemingly in on Toffee's campaign of conquest. Upon being acknowledged, the two former members waved amiably at the Demon King. He noticed their bodies were imbued with green magical energy. As a demon who is well acquainted with the inner workings of the soul, he can sense, even from his current location, that these beings were resurrected and reborn into something new. Something more sinister than they once were. The normally threatening Lord of Demons visibly shook in sheer disbelief. "No way...You did _not_ use her magic to overthrow the MHC and use half of them as pawns for your personal gain."

"Mmm...maybe I did," the insidious reptile said, facetiously coy. "Twas nothing, honestly,"

"Ay diablos mio..."Angra's body slumped, contemplatively looking below. "You do realize what this means for the state of Magic in the Universe, right?"

Toffee simply shrugged, his visage apathetic. "I'm in the process of making an omelet worthy of gods, Angra. You should know as well as I do the futility of fretting over every egg. Once I've done what I must, the magic will assuredly return to its proper place, its power and capacity far exceeding what it once was. Sacrifice and leave a few in the past to save countless for the future."

The Demon king wanted to trust his Septarian comrade, but still glared pensively at the ground. "I suppose if the Leader of the Commission as well as the embodiment of space-time himself couldn't stop you, I couldn't even dream of doing so myself, huh?"

"I won't fault you for making the attempt, but rest assured it wouldn't end as peacefully as the last bout we had, old friend,"

"Heh heh, that I'm aware, you son of a slithering snake." The brawny demon chuckled, his demeanor loosened a bit. "Just promise me you'll try to keep my son safe. He may be a formidable up-and-coming warrior, but he's my only child. I wouldn't be able to bear the thought of losing him."

"You have my word as a Septarian Royalty," Toffee bowed once again.

"And you, Thomas." All four eyes fell on Tom now, who has been standing there closely and anxiously listening the whole time. He was assailed by bubbling feelings of fear and uncertainty. "You _will_ spill enough blood to fill the oceans and you _will_ crush every kingdom that dares to oppose us. All in the name of House Lucitor. However, I'm acutely aware that anything could happen on the battlefield. Should you so happen to be incompetent enough to be... slain, I want you to perish with the utmost of honor and dignity befitting the Lucitor name. If you are worthy of my blood and the blood of your demonic ancestors, that would not even gaze in the direction of the realm of possibility. Do I make myself clear?"

"C-crystal clear, father," the prince assured, whose voice and body wavered slightly under dread for the demon king and even greater dread for the possessed avian that floated next to him. Never would he dream of being more frightened by an entity other than his own father. For home's sake, he couldn't even imagine anyone engaging his father in a duel and living to not only tell the tale, but earn bragging rights about reigning victorious over him, too.

"Alright then," Angra clapped his hands together, "I've spent too much time away from the Chaos Succubi of Beelzelif. They've been playing a very lopsided game of Volcano Volleyball and my team most likely lost because of my absence. You know Tom, a couple of the girls are around your age. If things don't end up working out with the Mewman Princess, I could set you up with one of them. Just ignore the fact that their lower bodies are giant spider demons. Beauty is internal and subjective, after all,"

"Ehh... I'll keep that in mind, dad. Thanks." Tom replied nervously. His three pupils shifted away and his hand scratched the back of his neck.

"Very well, then. Toffee, I wish you my wholehearted best in your endeavors. Tom, I have high hopes that you will help usher in a new age of change and that you bring back some spoils of war and some souvenirs for your dad. Stay safe. Love you. See ya Brian!" Once the demon father waved goodbye, the magic mirror blinked back to its original reflective state in a flashing sliver.

Tom deeply exhaled in relief, then fell backwards onto the firm stone floor.

"Get up boy, we have work to do," Toffee scolded, then floated back to the meeting room table. He returned to his stack of five pillows, regretfully sitting upon its peak. "I don't know how Ludo ever tolerated sitting on these. I feel pathetic. How did any of his lackeys take him seriously like this? They all deserved what came to them. And so will the rest."


	7. See You at the Crossroads

Morning in Castle Butterfly was strangely... peaceful. Almost all of its inhabitants seemed blissfully unaware that a major conflict was on the horizon and that Queen Moon caused quite a stir in the throne room the previous day. One would assume that security within the premises would have tightened drastically in response.

Everyone seemed to disregard or greet Marco as normally as they did before. The worst thing about it though was occasionally being referred to as "Future King Butterfly" by a few of the guards and staff.

Even though King River thoroughly and truthfully explained the whole debacle (while omitting the part about Star's dark magic) to them when they responded to the ruckus in the throne room, the boy couldn't help but feel at unease anyways. Heck, he was surprised they didn't outright banish him from the castle or keep a constant close eye on him every second. In order to make up for that, Marco decided to sleep outside on the Flag Day hill.

"Marco old chap, how goes thee?" King River greeted, with his usual upbeat jolliness. "Fancied yourself an early morning stroll, I assume? You weren't in the room we gave you, so your breakfast was left on the desk."

"Oh. Good morning, Your Majesty," Marco responded, giving a small bow. He didn't want to insult him by saying he didn't sleep in the room they so graciously provided. However, he felt even worse about lying to the King."And thank you very much. I wasn't in the room because I kinda, uh, slept outside last night,"

The King scanned the boy with a neutral, reflective stare as he rubbed his long golden beard. As soon as he finished analyzing him, his lips curved into a warm smile.

"Ah, I see!" River said, clapping his hands once."You must have been contemplating and meditating beneath the many moons and stars and dozed off. That's fine, I've done that myself on a few occasions. Such tranquility is what all true warriors strive for."

"Heh heh, yeeaahhh..." Marco's eyes conspicuously darted back and forth. Luckily lost in his own optimism, River didn't quite catch that.

"Anyways my boy, there's going to be a meeting in the throne room regarding the situation with Toffee. It'll commence six hours from now." The King spoke seriously for a few moments, but his jolliness switched back in a flash. "In the meantime, why don't you go see Star? She isn't in particularly high spirits at the moment and my fatherly instincts tell me that it would mean the world to her if you stopped by."

"Actually, I was about to do just that," Marco suddenly remembered the other girl that's part of this whole journey. "Say, I had someone with me when I first came here. You wouldn't happen to have seen a black haired girl who's a little shorter than me and wears a hat all the time, have you?"

"Oh, that Janna girl. Yes, I believe she is in Star's room as well." River thoughtfully rubbed his long blonde beard some more. "You remain vigilant around her, though. I've been in enough impoverished villages to know a snaking pickpocket when I smell one. One minute you're walking by a seemingly downtrodden beggar, and the next, your house keys are suddenly missing."

"Oh boy, you have no idea," the boy chuckled slightly. His mood lightened upon talking behind Janna's back.

"Well, I'll be off then. Her room is all the way up to the tenth floor. Same floor as yours. You can't miss it. Oh and do eat your breakfast before it gets cold. Someone gave their best efforts to cook it for you."

"I will. Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Oh enough of that formality rubbish. You're a fellow brother-in-arms, not a servant," River chided, his arms crossed. "Please, just call me River, son."

"Oh...ok, Your H- er, I mean... River." Marco nervously corrected himself.

"Excellent. Now go to her, Marco. Make things right again." And with that, the two men were off to their separate ways. The teen was somewhat taken aback by that last sentence, which implied that the King knew more about their issues than he let on. He decided not to dwell on it too much and just head on over to Star's room.

See, this is one of those moments when the invention of the elevator could have made the entire trek easier. Instead, the boy received a very healthy workout by climbing several flights of stairs all the way up to the tenth floor. One might think that dimensional scissors could have trivialized this whole thing, but Marco had to know where the location was first. Still, at the very least he was tempering his body for the events to come.

Once Marco finally reached the tenth floor, fatigue had a tight hold on his body as his breathing became labored and a layer of sweat cloaked his olive skin. Thankfully, the hallway wasn't too vast or overly complex, so he managed to find Star's room rather quickly. It stood behind a tall purple door with a sign adhered to its surface that read "Star's Room" in crayon. The words were surrounded by numerous stars, clouds, and rainbows accompanied by cute little warnicorns in each corner.

After a series of breathing exercises and a few minutes of telling himself that she's just his friend and there's nothing to stress over, Marco took the back of his index finger and gently knocked the door.

"Come in, Marco. Door's open." Star called out, her voice muffled. She must've been listening to the little pep talk he was having with himself.

With another deep breath, the worrisome teen gently pushed the door open. Its hinges cried out in a loud, extended creak that echoed all throughout the corridor. As he let himself in, he was greeted by the silent stares of Star, Janna, and Queen Moon. Janna was sitting on one end of the bed while Star sat up on the other. Her mother sat on a stool right next to her daughter. He reflexively looked away when his eyes locked with the queen's. This didn't go unnoticed by her.

She was no longer clad in her armor and was instead wearing the usual sky blue royal attire with her hair primped up to its heart shape. Or butt shape if you're immature enough to see that instead. She didn't seem as injured as she should be. She only had a bandage on one cheek. Either all Mewmans were extremely durable or the Queen herself was a certified badass that can survive being ping-ponged at high velocities between solid stone surfaces.

"Er, how is everything, Your Majesty?" Marco started, still unnerved. "Are you doing ok?"

"Yes, everything's fine." Moon assured, warmly. The boy gave a soft sigh of relief, one of many weights lifting from his shoulders. "I've merely suffered a few bruises and cuts and my body is sore all over, but nothing that won't heal rather soon. My er, altered form took the brunt of the damage."

"That's good," He simply stated. "Queen Moon, I'm really-"

"No." Moon firmly interrupted. She stood up and began walking towards the boy. Marco visibly recoiled when she stopped right in front of him. "I'm the one who should apologize. Actually, I don't even think an apology would even begin to atone for what I did to you. Or at least what I tried to do. I should have given you a chance to explain yourself instead of making a thoughtless attempt on your life right from the start. Despite all that happened up to that point, I had no excuse for my actions. I don't believe I deserve it, but I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me."

A few moments of silence were shared between the two. Janna and Star wordlessly glared at each other, then back at Moon and Marco. Both of their expressions were nigh unreadable.

The queen took the silence as a definite no. "Right then. I completely understand. Even if you can't bring yourself to tolerate me, much less forgive me, I do humbly implore that you lend your assistance to the kingdom in our time of utmost need. With that Hand, I think you could do a lot of good for us as well as the rest of Mewni. If not for me, nor the kingdom, then at least do it for-"

Moon abruptly stopped herself. Instead, she pensively looked back towards Star, who simply shot back a puzzled face. Her attention returned to her daughter's best friend and flashed him a faint smile. She may not have finished that last thought, but in his heart of hearts, he knew exactly how that sentence would have ended.

The queen began walking past Marco and towards the exit. The sharp clacking of her shoes rhythmically filled in for the awkward silence.

"Your Highness," The queen turned back around upon being addressed, only to be met with the outstretched right arm of Marco Diaz. His face held a genuine smile that beamed with adamant resolve.

She hesitantly took his right hand, surprised by a trust that she felt was unwarranted. The red-hooded teen took a knee as his delicate grasp remained on her white-gloved palm, not unlike that of a knight of the castle.

"You have my sincerest forgiveness," The queens lips curved in a deeper smile. "I would also be honored to give body and soul for the protection of the Butterfly royal family as well as the lands and citizens they preside over. You have my word."

The queen's composure wavered as she couldn't resist chuckling in response to the boy's surprisingly chivalrous attitude. "You know, I wish I still had my sword with me so I could properly induct you into knighthood. Perhaps I will once the meeting goes underway."

"I look forward to it." Marco stated as he stood back up and released his hold.

"Well then, I will see you all later." And with that, the queen departed the room, leaving the teens alone.

Marco turned back around to be greeted by the ear-to-ear grinning faces belonging to Janna and Star. The boy's heart began racing as he roughly rubbed sweat off his face with both hands. Then he stared at his right hand for the millionth time. He wasn't sure what he just did or why, but he felt somewhat moved by it.

"How absolutely heroic of you, Diaz," Janna sarcastically remarked, a palm over her smile. "Maybe you should fight for _my_ honor whenever I'm getting threatened."

Star quietly giggled at that remark. Marco merely rolled his eyes.

Janna leaped off of Star's bed. "Anyways, I know you guys have a lotta 'tension' to release between you two. I'll just leave you to it,"

"What? No, it's not like that at all!" Marco yelled back, apprehensive.

"I wasn't making an innuendo, but if that's how you wanna deal with it, be my guest. Just lemme know so I can watch and maybe join in,"

"Oh my gosh, you're so- W-we're not gonna... J-just get out already!" Marco was fumbling on his words, his face reddening with each passing second.

"Kay. See you two later. Don't do anything I'd want to catch on camera." With that humorous farewell, the slimy scoundrel vacated the room. And then there were two.

Marco took Moon's former seat next to Star. The Mewni princess stared off to the distance and fidgeted in her bed, rustling the sheets. The earth boy scratched his cheek, looking to the side. The silence was deafening and the tension was tangible. The only things that were audible was the bustle of castle staff below the room, the chirping of birds outside, the rhythmic ticking of a nearby clock, and the quickening heartbeats of two stressed out teenagers.

Their faces shot towards one another. "Look, I-" They both said simultaneously.

Each person hid their mouth behind their palms, both recalling a familiar scene on a familiar night beneath a familiar moon that seemed like ages ago.

"What I'm trying to say is-" Their voices overlapped once again.

"Can you just let me-"

"Stop that!"

"No, you stop that!"

"UUGHHH!" They both groaned the same exact noise and threw their hands to the ceiling at the same exact time. Their thoughts and actions seemed to be in sync to the point of inconvenience. At this rate, they wouldn't be able to have the conversation they wanted to have without a lack of communication from either party.

The two besties pondered for a moment on how to best approach this. Star stared reflectively at the ceiling while Marco glared at the floor.

After a few more grueling moments of uneasy silence, the two coincidentally, or fatefully, reached a solution.

"So I was thinking," Their words synced once more.

"I'm gonna blurt out something that I know you're not gonna say,"

"Hey, that's a good idea!"

"Thanks, I'm glad I thought of it,"

"Ok, we'll go on the count of three."

"One,"

"Two,"

"Three,"

"I LIKE YOU! / I HAVE CONFLICTING FEELINGS ABOUT YOU!"

Their eyes and jaws stretched far wider than their face muscles intended. Each of their complexions shifted to a dull shade of crimson.

"Hold on." Star held her chin, analyzing what he just said. They were no longer bound by each other's speech. "Conflicting feelings?"

"Err, I..."Marco scratched the back of his neck, uneasiness slithering up his spine. "...guess this is as good of a time as any to bring this up."

"Bring what up?" Star asked, her head tilting to the side like a perplexed puppy.

"Ehh, something I probably should've brought up a long time ago. Guess you weren't the only one to do that, huh?" Marco tried to lighten the mood, to very little effect.

Star remained silent. She simply wanted to hear exactly what her crush had to say that might explain everything and hopefully lighten the burdens that bore against their backs. She gave him an urging looke that read, "Go on,"

"Well," He had to meticulously gather and precisely order his thoughts in order to be as accurate and as articulate as possible. "Yeah... Umm... Do you...remember the night of the Blood Moon Ball? Y'know, the last time we talked... like this? At the same time?"

Star quietly nodded slowly. The words "conflicting feelings" were still settling in her befuddled, young mind.

"Sooo..." The hooded teen began, trying to make a satisfactory train of thought to smoothly convey his line of thinking. "When you... went with Tom to the Ball. I was honestly a bit bummed. I dunno why. Something or someone, I dunno what, told me the Blood Moon was like, the Moon of Lovers or something. And then, something in my gut pushed me to follow you two. Whether it was out of worry for your well-being or...something else, I wasn't sure. Heck, I'm not even sure to this day. In the end, I guess I was glad I did it, because we ended up dancing under the red moonlight shined and it was wonderful and I felt like I was alive and..."

Marco wistfully trailed off. He recollected the monumental bliss he felt when his hands took in Star's as they gracefully spun around in an entrancing dance, their bodies moving as one as they captivated the entire demon crowd.

Star also recalled the moment with an elated, fluttering heart when she was swept off her feet by the mysterious masked man who turned out to be her best friend. Even so, she was completely immersed in the tender moment, the light of the red moon following their every majestic step as they glided across the dance floor.

The boy caught himself in his momentary stupor, and continued. "But after that, you got angry with me for interfering with your night. I'll never forget the exact words you said that night."

"'I need a friend, not a hero." They both recited at once.

"I still stand by what I said, Marco," Star finally spoke up. "I need someone to fight _with_ me, not _for_ me. Yeah, I can take care of myself, but if I go in over my head, I need someone there with me to ease the burden and help me solve the problem, not hold my hand the rest of the way. Can't really learn or improve as a person that way, can I?"

"Heh, I suppose not. At least one of us knows what they really want. Or need, for that matter." Marco deeply sighed, his tone gravitating towards somber self-pity.

"Whaddya mean?" Star tilted her head to the side again, peering at the boy's brooding face in curiosity.

"I mean..." The boy took more time to gather his thoughts. "After all was said and done, I felt kinda... pushed away in a sense. I know you probably didn't mean anything other than you just asking me not to constantly hover over you, but it really got to me. That's why afterwards I decided to raise my efforts in getting with Jackie. To be with the girl I invested a huge chunk of my time and feelings with for so long, instead of taking my chances with the one person who I've... spent the most time with since she stumbled her way into my life."

"Marco..." Star's blue eyes shimmered as she was at a loss for words. She felt so touched by his words, that she felt the approach of tears welling up from within her. Despite standing by her philosophy of independence and individuality, she mentally punched herself for not realizing sooner. Even though it was very subtle indication, things probably could have gone better had she possessed the foresight to perceive it. They wouldn't even be having this awkward heart-to-heart. Or maybe it would've played out differently.

"And from there, it seemed you were nothing but supportive and pushy towards me dating Jackie. Regardless of how long you've had this crush on me, did you do all that in spite of your own feelings?"

She gingerly nodded again, her eyes shifted downwards. "I just thought... they would go away, y'know? That's why I dedicated myself to pushing you towards the girl that could make you happy. That was all that mattered to me, honestly. But instead of making my own feelings disappear, they kinda stayed. And became stronger when I saw you two... together. So I ended up hurting myself because of it."

"Hmm. I- don't know what to say." He rubbed his chin in thought. "I wanna commend you for caring so much and being the best person that I've ever known, but you're aware this can't be good for you right? It's almost as if you were a- no, never mind. Let's derail that train of thought before it gets off the station."

"As if I was a what?" Star asked, her curiosity on the brink of figuratively killing her.

"Look, let's not get into this right now. It has a lot of inappropriate and negative connotations. Maybe I'll explain some other day, but for now, let's stick to one thread at a time, shall we?"

"Mmm...fine." the princess begrudgingly relented. She'll have to remember to bring it up later. "Soo, how're ya feelin' now?

"Well, since you kinda... confessed. In like the most dramatic way possible. In front of all our friends. And classmates... And my parents. And Jackie..." Marco's words and voice began going off course again, be he quickly regained his place on the track. "I'm at a bit of a crossroads now."

Star wanted to erupt out of her bed in elation. He's _considering_! Sure, he hasn't outright rejected her yet, but she had a chance! She decided to throw a little mental party for herself, complete with fireworks, balloons, confetti, and even cake! Although, beneath her celebrating mind, she couldn't help but have her conscience pooping up the party.

"Wait, is Jackie OK with all of this?"

"Surprisingly, she _was_ OK with it. Supportive even. But even if she thought otherwise, I'd have still gone after you anyways."

"Awww, Marco," Star took him in a warm embrace, her arms wound tightly around his torso as if she was holding on for dear life. He reciprocated with a hug that was almost as tight.

After about a minute, their bodies slowly parted. Star's vibrant blue eyes shimmered with want as she locked with Marco's glimmering hazel eyes for several more seconds. Silence formed a solid wall between them, but they have yet to be pulled apart. She held onto his forearms as he cupped her bare elbows in his palms. For a physically active warrior princess, her arms were silky smooth to the touch, almost to the point of soothing. His were lean with a noticeable bulk to them, which was to be expected for a guy who did Karate for close to a decade.

Losing herself in the moment, Star's face gradually drew ever closer to Marco's, her eyes shut. All of her emotions and desires culminated into this one moment. There was seemingly nothing stopping her from consummating her love for her best friend. In her world, nothing else mattered to her. Nothing else existed to her. At this moment, Marco was hers and hers alone. They each felt one another's ragged breaths lightly caressing their lips. His masculine scent assaulted her nostrils, overwhelming and intoxicating her. She could swear she could feel and hear his heart beating rapidly in tune with hers.

"Star..." Marco's voice was barely above a whisper. He swiftly held her shoulders in place, keeping her from overstepping any boundaries. Had she moved just a hair's length further, that would have been it. "Please, I... some time... is all I need,"

The longing girl's blue eyes opened halfway for a few seconds, then snapped open in horror upon realizing what she almost did.

"Ohmygoshohmygosh! I am sooo sorryyy!" Star frantically apologized as she clasped her heart-drawn cheeks in her hands. She began driving a fist to her forehead. "I am such a jerk! How could I just take advantage of you like that? Ugh, what is wrong with me?"

"It's ok, it's ok," Marco assured, giggling just a tad. He felt somewhat guilty for making her feel this way. "I'm pretty tolerant of your spontaneous tendencies at this point. Seems like it runs in the family."

"Heh heh. Yeaaahh..." Star nervously agreed, playing with her flowing blond locks.

"Honestly I'd rather you impulsively kiss me than have your mom try to cut my body into pieces again,"

Star simply glared at Marco. Their faces were a deep shade of crimson and their mouths were nearly shrunk into dots.

"Oh geez, I mean- No I- what I was trying to-" The boy's train of thought was falling apart. He cut himself off before he could dig his grave any deeper.

They both stared at one another for several moments once again. Their mouths simultaneously scrunched up into crooked smiles. Snickers slithered from between their lips. Then the little snickers evolved into full blown laughing fits. After several minutes, their laughter ceased, letting the lightened mood linger on for a bit. Seems like things were finally resolved between the two.

From then on, the two spent several more hours just aimlessly speaking about whatever came to mind. The atmosphere became just like how it used to be. Shockingly, the subject of what Marco was about to refer Star as never came up. They simply wanted to keep their thoughts away from the turmoil Mewni was under as well as the feelings of discomfort that still loomed over the both of them. At some point, Marco absentmindedly got off his chair and ended up laying in bed with Star. Still doing nothing but chatting and mindlessly staring at the ceiling.

Marco noticed how almost identical Star's room in castle was to her room at his house, sans the color scheme. It was the exact same down to the layout of the various furnishings, the weapons on the same spot on the wall, and her discarded, scattered clothes strewn about the floor.

Their long string of random discussion was interrupted by Marco's stomach roaring in hunger. He had just remembered that there was breakfast in his room.

"I uh, heh heh, gotta take this," Marco quipped, pointing at his stomach. He was about to hop off the bed when he felt fingers dig into his sleeve.

"Marco..." Star called out, gloomily. The boy stopped dead in his tracks and turned himself around to see what she needed.

"Yeah?"

"Erm..." She shyly started, her finger drawing circles on her bed sheet. "Are you...gonna come back soon? I mean...Not trying to sound clingy or anything. You don't have to if you don't want to. I get it if you don't, I-"

"Star." He cut her off before she went off the rails again. He spoke sincerely, his tone gleaming with assurance. "I'll be back. My breakfast was in my room, which isn't very far from this one. I'll just bring it here and we can keep talking as I eat. Ok?"

"Ok!" the princess became more chipper upon hearing his answer. If she had a tail it would wag so hard right now. With a wave of a temporary farewell, Marco walked towards his assigned room, which was actually right across from Star's. Just like back home, he thought.

Upon entering the room, Marco noticed a few peculiar objects sitting on the bed. Something he didn't remember packing at all when he came to Mewni. One was thin and black. The other two were identical in shape and color, as well as their button layouts. They were his main source of entertainment besides his bestie.

His game controllers had their cords wrapped around the middle as usual. His laptop was closed and shut off just the way he left it. However, there was a note placed upon its smooth plastic surface

 _Marco, I've taken the liberty of enlightening you on some actual fighting games. I've downloaded a handful of them on your laptop, one of which is Third Strike. This game is objectively the best fighting game in existence. It possesses unparalleled depth in its mechanics that would do immensely to help you learn the tactics you must utilize in order to use the Hand in more practical and efficient combat situations. In addition, I've also downloaded Mugen, accompanied by a vast array of character packs, Heritage for the Future, and MvC2. The latter three games are merely for funsies, but are complex enough in their own ways that they may act as additional study material should you be so inclined to use them as such. Never again will you utter such blasphemies as the Smash Bros. Franchise being a legitimate series of fighting games. I don't care if it's prominently featured in Evo every year, I refuse to recognize them as such. For goodness's sake, they allowed Catherine in the event lineup once. 'Catherine' of all games. A freaking puzzle tower game that's also kind of a dating sim._

 _Anyways, have fun. And remember, the universe is hanging in the balance. It's up to you two to tip the scales in our favor._

 _-G_

 _P.S. Whenever you have a better grasp on the mechanics in Third Strike, I implore you to look up a video online called Evo Moment #37. I was there, getting hype with all the other nerds as we witnessed history being unraveled before our very eyes._

With a scoff, Marco turned towards the desk in the room. A silver platter concealed beneath a dome lid was present, just as River foretold. He uncovered the platter to find a wooden bowl of bones and corn shucks that were meticulously picked clean. The bowl itself, however, was surrounded by four types of fruits, which were a pile of cherries, a bushel of three bananas, an orange, and a bunch of strawberries.

Marco caught sight of a corner of a piece of paper out of the platter. He slipped it out from underneath the silver plate. When he gave it read, a bright smile was drawn across his face. The message was very brief, but memorable.

 _She made this for you, so I saved you the stomachache. Have some fruit instead. You'd be better off. Trust me._

 _-G_


	8. Welcome Reality

The sleeping chambers of Star Butterfly was abuzz with the repetitive taps and clacks of fingers slamming on buttons and the labored grunts and hit sparks emanating from Marco's laptop. Both teens were in the middle of a rather vigorous play session of _Third Strike_. At some point, Marco became relaxed enough to remove his hoodie, jeans, and shoes, leaving him only in his white t-shirt and boxer shorts. It almost felt like a normal weekend and a comfy start to a long summer vacation.

"Marcooo, how come you never told me you had these awesome fighting games on the computer?" Star said as she carelessly mashed the buttons on her controller. Such is the way fighting games are meant to be played by the uninitiated. "I don't think they have any of these in the Amethyst Arcade Dimension."

"I er, never found the time to play them," Marco answered, his face glued to the screen. He was trying to focus on learning the mechanics of the game to put them to practice. It proved quite difficult when his "sparring partner" did nothing but jump all over the two-dimensional arena and haphazardly throw normals and specials with reckless abandon, while occasionally executing an accidental super. Since Marco set the timer to infinity, all of their matches thus far have lasted far longer than what was standard for these kinds of games.

At first, the boy wanted to main Ryu since he was the "main character", but instead he very quickly gravitated towards Makoto, since Karate was her main fighting style and her spunky and tomboyish personality captivated him. Perhaps Glossaryck was onto something. Marco could probably learn a thing or two from this game and apply them in real life. Though he wasn't sure if taunting opponents could actually apply a buff to himself like it could in the game. He wondered what specific buff he would get if he tried.

 **K.O.**

 **AKUMA WINS**

"Ha! In your face karate girl, um, I mean boy!" Star pointed and gloated, smugly drinking in her victory.

"Dang it. Maybe I shouldn't have spent so much time trying to perfect the parry system,"

"Oh Marco. I know you're the kinda guy who experiments before he executes, but you should really just approach things the way I do. Act now and think about the consequences later!"

"And how's that working out for you?" he sharply remarked. Every negative outcome that Marco experienced as a result of this line of thinking came flooding into his mind.

"Err..." the impulsive princess took a moment to reflect and rubbed her chin. "They've had... results. Though most of the time people end up getting hurt. Me included."

"Ah it's fine. You're young, you've got a long ways to improve." Marco assured, trying not to further dampen the vibrant mood they were in. "Hey, you wanna switch games? I think I've got enough study time clocked in with this one already."

"Study time?" Understandably, Star couldn't grasp the idea of using video games, inherent mindless distractions from life and responsibilities, as any form of learning material.

"Yeah, Glossaryck said I had to play some 'real' fighting games if I wanted to use this Hand effectively," Marco attempted to assuage his friend's confusion. Instead, her confusion only escalated.

"Glossaryck?!" Star nearly jumped out of her seat. "When did you meet up with _him_?"

"Ohhh..." That's right. The boy did not once mention to anyone since he came to the castle that he met up with the princess's old mentor the previous night. The hole he dug was too deep to get out of now. Wouldn't do any good to be evasive. Star would just pester him or worse until he sang like a bird. "It was last night. He was telling me stuff about the God Hand and how it worked."

Star was a bit downtrodden. The book wizard was completely fine going out of his way to educate Marco, but he didn't even want to go back to teaching the princess, the one he was assigned to, how to effectively use her wand's magic?

"Did he ever mention where he's been this whole time? My mom was telling me earlier how she and the Magic High Commission invaded Ludo's lair and he wasn't there."

"No, he was being vague as always."

"Gosh, Glossaryck..." Star's eyes shifted downwards, contemplatively. "Whose side are you on?"

"Well for now, he seems to be on ours," He answered her rhetorical question. He then raised his right arm. "In fact, he was the one who gave this Hand to me. And downloaded all those fighting games. I never had them in my computer till today."

The Mewman girl stared at Marco's arm intensely as she dipped deep in thought. She thought back to the day prior when Moon gave the long winded exposition on the God Hand as they descended deep beneath the castle. Her face snapped wide open in shock as she remembered one specific detail.

"Marco..." Star began, horror etched in her words and her face. "Did Glossaryck slice your arm off when he gave that to you?"

Now it was the boy's turn to look visibly hurt. He was hoping he'd never have to remember one of the many moments where he was sure his life was at an end. Now he has to peel open an old wound.

"It wasn't him, but..." Marco hesitantly recalled the exact event that occurred. "It was a couple of monsters that did it. Seemed like they were looking for this Hand. Janna almost lost her arm because of them, but I stepped in and got mine chopped off instead. Then when I was about to black out, Glossaryck stepped in just in the nick of time and he potentially saved my life with the Hand."

For a few moments, Star almost had the urge to find Janna and punch her in the face for indirectly putting Marco through that harrowing experience. But it seemed to have worked out in the end.

"Something tells me you wanna blame Janna for this," Star's thought bubble was loudly popped out of existence when Marco seemingly read her mind. Then she remembered why that was the case. "Don't. As much as I openly dislike her, we did end up rescuing three captive Mewmans and got a free ride to your kingdom. And I got these sick new moves. Heh, maybe I can keep up with you now,"

"Wait a minute..." Star was rubbing her chin, her eyes remained on the God Hand. "Mom was supposed to give that to me. That's why we spent like all day going deep underground to uncover it. How come Glossaryck took it and gave it to you?"

"Ooh..." Marco nervously tugged at his collar, unsure of how to break it to the poor princess. "I'm sorry, Star. He...told me how he didn't trust you with it. Said you were getting too deep into dark magic and that would mess you up something fierce if you got the God Hand, since it would have made your potential for darkness stronger or something along those lines."

At this point, she became even more despondent. Didn't trust her? Was that why Glossaryck seemingly didn't care about returning to her magic lessons? This only gave her mother's story from earlier more impact and weight as she was coming to grips with what she really was.

"I'm a mistake..." Star absentmindedly said, her voice a tad shaken.

Marco suddenly grasped her shoulders, breaking her away from her angst. She was taken aback by the sudden gesture. His hazel eyes gleamed in conviction as they fell upon her cloudy blue eyes.

"Don't you ever say that in front of me again," Marco's tone and disposition was frighteningly resolute. Star's heart raced as their eyes locked. "I don't ever want to see you wallowing in self doubt and pity. That's my job. You're supposed to be the strong, optimistic rebel princess I've come to know and love."

She couldn't help but flash a sad smile at her motivational friend. She wanted to be as chipper about it as she normally would be, but the lengthy and compelling tale her mother told chipped at the adamant walls of her usually sturdy mind. Her focus quickly shifted when she noticed the last word that slipped from Marco's lips.

"Love?" Star asked. She wanted to implode with elation as the word echoed within her mind like an infectious mantra.

"I er- I mean.. you know- I was trying to be... uhhh" He stammered profusely for the umpteenth time. Desperately wanting to change the subject, he pushed the focus back to Star. "So, how come you said you were... a mistake?"

"Well..." Star began. She wanted to tell the whole story, but that would take quite a long time, and the Royal Meeting was almost upon them. Instead, she opted to provide a summary. "My mom told me the story of her history with Toffee. In short, they were really close at first. But, because of a 'conflict of political ideologies', they both ended up fighting one another, with each of their kingdoms backing them up in a huge war. Several bad things led to another, and my mom got desperate enough to make a deal with something dark so she could eliminate Toffee. The thing was, she had to make a sacrifice with her blood down the line. And now I've got some darkness within me and Toffee's still around. Targeting us."

"Whoa..." Was all Marco thought to say. This was pretty heavy stuff. He wasn't sure whether he should've been there to hear the whole thing in detail or not. Though this shortened version did give enough context to help him understand Star and her family's situation much better.

"Yeah, 'whoa'." The girl's despondence remained unyielding.

"Hey, hey. Don't be so hopeless." Marco tapped her shoulders in motivation. "Glossaryck said that dark magic can be controlled. I think if we give it time, you can use it in ways that would help us a lot."

"I dunno," She said, her mood and tone weighed down by her apparent lack of self-confidence. "I mean, you saw what happened yesterday in the throne room. I could've killed my mom. And if I had lost control completely, I could've ended up hurting you and Dad. Or worse."

"Like I said, we gotta give it time." He released the grip on her left shoulder and balled his right hand into a fist that stood between their chests. "Even if you don't believe in yourself, at least believe in the me that believes in you. Because I really believe you can do it."

"Heh heh, at least one of us does." Star chuckled slightly, her mood lightened but not completely risen from her brooding. "I'm really glad you're here... I dunno what I'd do without you."

"I could say the same to you, bestie," Even though he tried adding emphasis to that last word, it felt laced with uncertainty as it glided off his tongue. The close duo shared a brief silence.

"So yeah, about changing that game," Their thoughts and words were expressed in unison.

"Oh geez, not again,"

"Look, let's just stop talking and you'll/ I'll just start the game,"

Marco closed _Third Strike_ and moved his mouse towards another folder labeled _Mugen_.

"Say, you wanna give _Mugen_ a shot?" He asked. "You get to play as any character you can think of in that one."

"Ooh, any character?" Star's eyes sparkled at the infinite possibilities. "Can I play as Mina Loveberry?"

"Fictional characters, Star," He corrected. "From what I've read in the Readme file that Glossaryck typed up, you can play as characters from other games, TV shows, and you can even make your own to put into the game."

"Ooh ooh, start the game, I wanna see 'em all!" Star was hopping up and down in her seat like a hyperactive child, making the bed bounce.

"Well, he did say he downloaded some character packs in here. We can take a look at what he left us."

Star ecstatically went over to sit next to Marco as he traversed the main game folder. He then went into a folder that read "Character Packs". Found within were zipped folders with the names of various forms of media. He noticed a lot of other games that he's heard of and some he hasn't. There were even names of games that weren't even fighters. There were also folders with numerous titles of several western cartoons and anime that Marco did and didn't recognize. As they descended further down the list, there was one peculiar title that stood out to the both of them.

" _Star vs. the Forces of Evil?"_ Star read, perplexed as she should be. "Is... this about me?"

"I-I dunno," Marco was suddenly asphyxiated with a feeling of existential distress and he didn't know why. It intensified when he began to view the contents of the folder. It held more compressed folders, each one possessed the names of people they knew or have encountered in the past in addition to their own names.

He decided to go deeper down the rabbit hole and clicked on the file folder with his name. It held a sprite sheet that had scarily accurate models of his appearance. Below the sprite sheet was a notepad file that was essentially a command list. Below that was a sound file that read, " _Adam_MacArthur_voice_lines. wav."_

"Ookayy, this is getting too weird." Marco's hands were sweating as his finger slid across the track pad. "Who the heck is Adam and why is his voice in here?"

"I dunno, but now I wanna see my folder," He obliged to satiate Star's morbid curiosity and to distance himself from this existential nightmare.

Star's folder was structured exactly like Marco's. It had a sprite sheet, a move list, and a sound file, as well as some additional files below for programming and other miscellaneous effects. The sound file read _Eden_Shur_voice_lines. wav ._

"Huh, I wonder what my moves are," Star glossed over the potential self-questioning crisis and decided to take a gander at her command list. The top of the first page read "Star Butterfly (A-tier)". Underneath that, was a paragraph that summarized the type of character she was and how to best use her abilities. Apparently, Star was a Rushing and Zoning fighter.

Below that was a list of moves, combos, inputs, and descriptions of their functions that seemed to go on forever for countless pages. A lot of these moves were essentially every spell she's ever done so far as well as some she didn't seem to remember casting. Once she passed all the special moves, she went on to Supers. She had only four of them. Mewberty Transformation, Dip Down, Whispering Spell, and Spider with a Top Hat.

"Man, this makes me sound a bit OP," Star said, dejectedly. "Dunno if I wanna play as me now."

"Well, I guess I was wrong. Seems like you _can_ play as Mina," Marco was baffled at how much time and effort Glossaryck must have invested in to make all these playable characters based on them and everyone they knew as well as program all of their animations and functions. He never took the little blue weirdo for a game designer, but there was no way he could've gotten all of this online. Could he?

"Maybe I'll give her a shot, instead,"

"You know what?" Marco, no longer able to endure all that he just witnessed, simply backed away from his laptop and rested his head on a pillow. He felt as though he discovered the darkest secrets of the cosmos that he shouldn't have peered upon and his head was now reeling from the expository overload. "I need to lie down."

"Well, I don't wanna play by myself." She pouted, her arms crossed and her heart-drawn cheeks puffed up. "It wouldn't be as fun."

"I think there's a... CPU only mode in here somewhere." He went back to his laptop and set it to run _Mugen._ "We can watch the AI duke it out I guess."

"AI? Like, the characters can play on their own without us?" Star mulled over this other-worldly concept. Why even play video games when they can play themselves for you? "Why do we even need controllers, then?"

"Just... pick two characters to fight or whatever..." Never has there existed a living being more done with this shit than Marco is right now.

In spite of her friend's current mood, Star still chose to pick characters from their folder. A devious smile slashed across her face as she sent herself to square off against a digital Jackie Lynn Thomas. Marco witnessed this and shot her a slightly annoyed look, to which she responded by closing her eyes and mischievously sticking a tongue out of her wide grin.

"Hey, y'know what?" Marco perked up suddenly. "I should really text Jackie and let her know how things are going. Can I borrow your phone? Mine can't send signals across dimensions."

"Yeah sure," Star sounded very subtly disappointed, but she still brought herself to grab her phone from her nightstand drawer. She handed him the makeup mirror looking device and he soon began tapping away. Now back to Star vs. the Forces of Jackie.

The way the chill skater girl behaved in the game was nothing like the one in real life. For some reason, Glossaryck designed her to possess water based magic abilities, much like the denizens of the Waterfolk kingdom, as well as a super that transformed her into a mermaid and unleashed a full-screen tsunami. The fight seemed rather close, but Star managed to win out in the end with a well-timed Spider with a Top Hat.

Strangely enough, despite having voice clips associated with someone else's name, Star's virtual self sounded exactly like her physical self. She wondered if everyone else had different names attached to their fighters as well.

After that, Star picked more matchups, still using characters from their world. The next brawl was between Marco and Tom. It was a disappointingly brief, one-sided match. Since Tom had a wide variety of close and long range attacks, he blew out Marco, whose almost exclusively close range moveset prevented him from scoring even one round.

The real Marco looked up from his texting Jackie upon hearing his own voice groan in pain. He merely scoffed and recommenced tapping away at this friend's phone.

Displeased with the results, Star decided to organize a rematch. This time, she chose 30-Year-Old Marco. This version of him played significantly different. Because his moveset mainly relied on his katana and his Dragoncycle, Nachos, he had a more versatile set of abilities and range, which brought him victory over her virtual demon ex-boyfriend.

Marco's gaze shifted upwards again upon hearing Tom's distinct death rattle. He looked on in gloomy remembrance for the bod that he lost upon returning home from Hekapoo's dimension. He had an urge to press the F key on Star's phone keyboard, but it would've derailed the conversation he was having with Jackie.

Having too much fun watching people she knew mindlessly beat the crap out of each other, she began another match. This one was a bit more interesting. She picked Glossaryck and Toffee. As soon as the match began, Toffee's sprite sprinted towards Glossaryck's, who didn't move one pixel. The lizard was about to land a single attack, with the book genie still floating in place.

The game crashed. Marco's desktop and his many shortcuts were the only thing left on the screen.

"Huh. That's weird." He said, putting down the phone and getting up to reboot the game. "Wonder why that happened."

"Start it again, I wanna see how that fight would've ended."

Marco obliged and rebooted the game. This time, he was the one to choose the characters. He picked Glossaryck once more, but this time he went up against Star.

The round started as usual. Only this time, the little blue sprite was nowhere to be found. Star's character merely stood there, idly animating away.

"Ok, it looks like Glossaryck, surprisingly, didn't finish programming himself or something. He's super broken, and not in the 'please nerf' kinda way either."

"Here, lemme try," Star shooed Marco away as she quit the match and decided on another matchup. Once again, Glossaryck was chosen, but this time Marco was his opponent.

The characters did their introductory animations. Like normal. The match was announced to begin. As usual.

However, almost instantly after the Match Start prompt flashed on screen, the game seemingly skipped ahead to the conclusion, and the start prompt was immediately replaced with "Glossaryck Wins", as Marco's health bar was instantly depleted and his 2D model was in its prone KO state.

"Ok, what the heck? Is this a bug or a feature?"

"Well, since it looks like different things are happening with different opponents, this all seems pretty intentional." Star surmised, knowing full well just how unpredictably Glossaryck himself behaved in reality. It seems he designed his character to reflect just that.

"Maybe we should just stop putting him in any more matchups." Marco suggested. "I don't wanna pick the wrong foe for him and have my computer suddenly burst into flames."

"You should check his folder,"

The boy did just that, forcing himself to dive right back in the existentially unnerving rabbit hole. He managed to find Glossaryck's character folder only for its access be denied by a little pop up that requested an encryption key.

"What?" Marco blurted out in confusion. "He never mentioned this in any of the Readme files. Why is his folder password locked?"

"Maybe we aren't meant to know how he works and why."Star concluded rather bluntly.

"Heh, ain't that the truth." The poetic situation wasn't lost on the boy and he accepted the truth wholeheartedly. If anything, he was more surprised that Glossaryck was tech-savvy enough to even make the game act on the whim of his character rather than the other way around.

Marco decided to lay back on the bed to talk to his girlfriend once more and allow Star make the AI engage in battle again. Before she could even lay a finger on it, several knocks emanated from the bedroom door.

"Princess Butterfly," It sounded like an old woman's voice. Most likely one of the maids of the castle. "The Royal Meeting commences in about an hour and a half. Please do prepare yourself."

"Okaayyy, thank youuu!" Star raised her voice to call out to the one behind the door. Seemingly satisfied, the maid walked away from the door, her muffled footsteps getting quieter with every second until they completely ceased.

Several minutes passed, and another set of knocks came from the door. Then the knob turned but the door didn't give way. Star completely forgot that she locked the door at some point for... some reason.

"Yo Star," The casual voice of Janna rang from outside. "Are you decent?"

"Yeah, I am," As decent as she'll ever be for the time being. She hopped off her bed and made her way toward the door. She released the locks and the door proceeded to shift open as it was pulled towards her. Janna stood outside, her arms crossed.

"So Star I-" the beanie-bearing teen cut her sentence short when she saw that the princess's lengthy golden hair was more unkempt than it was the last time she was in her room. Janna's eyes went around her, and caught sight of Marco, who laid in bed upon his back holding Star's phone while wearing just his t-shirt, boxers, and socks. Her wily gaze returned to Star, and her face became scarred with a devious grin. The innocent heiress merely stared on in confusion.

"What did I tell you guys about doing things I'd want to catch on camera?"


	9. A Stranger in an Even Stranger War

The California sun cast its enveloping warmth upon the small town of Echo Creek. The town was visited by another bright summer as flowers were blooming, birds were singing, and some deadbeat was obnoxiously playing his keytar in public. Various meats were sizzling upon the grills of barbecuing parents as the smoky and tantalizing scent wafted in the air throughout the various neighborhoods. Since school was out, many students took the opportunity to make their few months off worthwhile.

Jackie Lynn Thomas was one of those students as she was casually skateboarding in Echo Creek Park, deep in thought. As if riding her board came as naturally to her as breathing, she somehow managed to avoid bumping into any obstacles or falling over once.

She should be in absolute bliss right now. She can spend more time doing whatever she pleased as much as she wanted while free from the shackles of academic obligations. This should be like heaven to her. However, ever since her boyfriend left to go chase after his runaway best friend, she couldn't help but get this constant nagging feeling in the furthest reaches of her mind.

She was well aware of what she said to him before he departed. That she'll accept whatever decisions he made throughout his entire journey. To be honest, she only said that just to quell the severe mental breakdown he was having over his lost roommate.

The chill skater girl was so looking forward to spending some more time with Marco during their summer vacation. Their relationship had the potential to flourish and prosper since he showed quite a bit of promise wanting to get to know her better and work towards being the right person for her. Unfortunately, it seemed that a certain obstacle threatened to prevent that bright future.

She had no qualms with Star Butterfly herself. Besties will be besties. But it was very concerning how eager Marco was to follow when she disappeared seemingly without rhyme or reason. Of course, she had to be supportive. How selfish would she be if she instead gave him the ultimatum of choosing between either her or Star?

Though she still couldn't help but have some tugging concerns since it's been two days since he left and he hasn't even contacted his own parents, much less her. What if something sparked between them while they were together? What if he ends up staying over there without any possibility of returning? Surely he had _something_ to feel and say about that whole dramatic confession she gave in front of everyone in the party.

No. She had to trust him. She needed to. Marco told her himself that he invested so much time to become her boyfriend. If he wanted to maintain this relationship as he said he did, he would definitely let Star know first and foremost that Jackie Lynn Thomas was his girlfriend and his feelings toward the peppy princess were not mutual. In fact, prior to the events at the party, the two have been living together for nearly a year without him making a single move on her whatsoever.

She felt her long-running train of thought derailed as her cell phone buzzed in her pocket. She slowed her board down to a full stop and walked over to a nearby park bench. She unlocked her phone and sees that she received a text from... Star?

Well think of the devil, and so she will call. Jackie was a bit weirded out that she of all people would want to contact her. But at the same time, she was relieved to know that Star was ok. Maybe she'll also get some information on how Marco and Janna were doing.

 _Jackie it's me Marco. I'm texting from Star's phone._

Jackie's heart went aflutter when she read it. She could not respond quickly enough.

 _Dude where u been? I was so worried. Is everything ok?_

 **Bzzzt.**

 _Everything's fine. Star, Janna, and I are doing alright. Well... as alright as we can be right now._

 _Whaddya mean? :/_ Jackie's worry returned just a little bit. Something bad was definitely going on in Star's home dimension.

 **Bzzzt.**

 _Well, there's a huge war that's about to go down. Star needs to stay here for the time being to prepare and they need me to help out._

Jackie's lips pursed in anxiety. But then she remembered that Marco has most likely been on a million life threatening adventures before. This shouldn't be any different at all. She decided to dash her worries away and lighten up a little.

 _So does that make me the girlfriend of a soldier? XD_

 **Bzzzt.**

 _Lol yea sounds like it. I even did some fighting of my own, but I'll have to tell you all about it when I come back_

 _I hope u didn't get hurt too badly. :(_

 **Bzzzt.**

 _Oh man, you have no idea_

Jackie's heart sunk upon reading that.

 _Wat happened? Pls tell me ur still ok_

 **Bzzzt.**

 _Of course I am. But let's just say I'll look a little different when I get home. I'd explain now, but there's only so many characters I can fit into one text and time isn't exactly on our side at the moment._

Jackie became anxious once again. Longing to take her mind off of it, she decided to change the subject.

 _So wat r u doing rite now?_

 **Bzzzt.**

 _Just playing some video games with Star. I have kinda a weird question._

Jackie's eyebrows raised in response to that last text. She steeled herself for whatever Marco decided to throw at her.

 _Shoot_

 **Bzzzt.**

 _If you were a mermaid, you'd tell me right?_

That's probably one of the weirdest things she's ever been asked in her life thus far. She was taken off guard for a moment, then she gave a light chuckle at the absurdity of the question.

 _Of course. Even if I was, I bet it wouldnt be the weirdest thing u ever experienced. :P Would u be ok with it?_

 **Bzzzt.**

 _Of course. Like you said, I wouldn't be weirded out at all. If anything I'd find it pretty cool. Though I suppose seafood restaurants would end up being out of the question as potential date places._

Jackie laughed again. She couldn't be any happier to know that Marco was ok and he seemed to be in high spirits.

 _Lol Y do u ask?_

 **Bzzzt.**

 _No reason. Just kind of something I thought of._

 _Lol ok. So do u know when ur coming back?_

 **Bzzzt.**

 _Hard to say. It might be awhile before I'm back on Earth. I might be very busy and I dunno if I can even squeeze time to visit. Look, I have to go. I gotta get ready for a meeting in the castle. I promise I'll come back safe and sound and everything will go back to normal. Goodbye._

Jackie grew a bit upset at his uncertainty. Whatever is happening in Star's dimension must've been something beyond her understanding. Seems like there's nothing she could do but hope and wait. Hopefully she doesn't have to wait too long. She wasn't getting any younger.

 _Ok then. I hope Ill see u soon. Stay safe._

With that, Jackie put her phone away and continued with her boarding session, soaring through the asphalt. Now that she knows that her boyfriend was a-ok, her worries were severely alleviated. However, the uncertainty of his return still lingered faintly in her mind.

The ground suddenly gave way beneath her and instantly she found herself falling through some kind of bright-green spiraling tunnel. She found herself pushing her lungs to their limits as she was making a piercing, elongated shriek that no one else would ever hope to hear.

* * *

Jackie landed face first upon a hard dirt ground. While her fall went on for several minutes, it felt like a normal fall from her skateboard.

As she slowly pulled her face off the dirt, the first thing she noticed was her green and orange-stripe board landed miraculously next to her. She sat up, taking in her surroundings. She landed in a very dark and dense forest. Wherever she was, it was most undoubtedly not on Earth. The sounds of the wildlife were nothing she ever recognized as indigenous to her home planet. The trees seemed to have stretched all the way to the sky, almost blocking it out with their overly expansive leaves and branches. From what little sky she could see, she noticed that it was a very vibrant shade of violet with extended orange streaks strewn about like scars in the atmosphere.

"Hello, Jackie Lynn Thomas," the normally calm teen's muscles came to a freeze and her heart ramped up in speed as she heard her name being uttered by a deep, sinister voice from behind. She slowly turned herself in a gradual about face to meet with a rather familiar form.

"You!" Jackie exclaimed, pointing at the little green hovering bird. "You were the one who attacked Star and Janna at the graveyard!"

"Well, technically it wasn't _me_ per se," Toffee said, his smaller hand scratching his cheek. "I was there sure, but you merely witnessed the incompetent actions of someone who once was. I am what is. And I have the misfortune of being what you see before you,"

Befuddled by his words, Jackie picked her board off the ground and held it in front of her, using it like a shield. "What do you want from me?"

"Not to bring harm to you if that's what you're thinking." Toffee gave a warm smile,which didn't really lessen how deformed he looked with his glowing, elongated hand that was short one finger and his blank bright white eyes. "Quite the opposite actually. I want to help you,"

"Help me?" Jackie responded, her board and her guard dropping slightly but stoically maintained her skepticism. "With what? I don't have anything to gain from you,"

"Oh?" The lizard's eyebrows arched. "Don't you have doubts about a certain someone? Someone you're dating who's putting his life on the line...for someone else?"

Her heart skipped a beat and sweat gathered at her forehead. She wiped it and her blonde and singular blue-streaked hair to the side. "How did you know Marco and I were..." her words trailed off into silence. Toffee could already fill in the blanks anyways.

"Well, when you poke around someone's head, you're bound to find some rather...sensitive information." His tone became rather soft, turning into more like a concerned friend than a villain.

"Ok, I'll admit I have my doubts about the whole situation. But so what if he's willing to risk his life for Star? They're best friends, for crying out loud. They're in the middle of a huge war and I bet it's all because of you,"

"Hmm, you're not too far from the truth," Toffee conceded, his smug honesty more irritating than if he was being evasive. "However, about those two being best friends... weellll, there's a good chance that might change in the near future,"

"W-what are you saying?" Jackie asks this, her face stretched in surprise. But beneath the far depths of her mind, she knew exactly what he implied.

Toffee was finding her reaction absolutely delicious. He dug his claws deeper into her gradually cracking psyche. "What if I told you that Marco himself began having doubts about his relationship with you directly following Star's confession?"

"Yeah, right," Jackie scoffed, adamant in her convictions. "I told you, they're just friends. There's nothing between them at all. And besides, he told me he spent years pining for me. You think he'll change his mind that easily?"

"Your words sound like they're more directed towards yourself than me," The possessed avian arrogantly surmised, much to the girl's bemusement. "I have nothing to gain from lying to you, but I guess it's better if I show you. I didn't want it to come to this, but..."

Toffee outstretched his extended arm, his palm facing skywards. A bright green flame emerged from the half-crystal that laid within. He played a moving image of Marco and Star sitting up on her bed close to kissing. The Mewni princess was the initiator, leaning her face closer to Marco's as he seemingly allowed it to happen with his eyes half-closed. Their faces stopped just a hair short as the image paused itself. Though their lips didn't actually make contact, it was still enough to push the usually composed valley girl off the edge.

"W-what!? Nuh...no. He wouldn't." Jackie began backing up, staring at her sweaty, shaky palms trying to keep herself from falling apart, but to no avail. All of the doubts she kept suppressed within were beginning to surface at once at full force. "He. Spent so much time... and e-effort to be with me. He wanted to get to knn-know me better. It was gonna be our summer..."

Toffee floated over to Jackie, whose head hung despondently. He gently put a deformed hand on her shoulder, with which she took with little resistance.

"It's ok, it's ok," His voice lowered significantly in pitch as he delicately rubbed her shoulder. It was bizarrely comforting. As if he was trying to console a crying child. "It's not too late to turn the tide in your favor. However, if you want this sturdy ship to stay afloat, you'll have to shatter a certain... iceberg out of the way."

"Starrr." Jackie quietly growled her name, her once-shining aquamarine eyes shifted to a strong shade of green.

"Indeed. But if you want to get Marco back, you will have to embolden your resolve as well as your self."

"What do you mean?" She looked back up at her captor, her newly green eyes longing for an answer.

"Well, that brings us to the subject of why you're here. You see, Star herself was born into a family of warriors, training herself to combat enemies of the kingdom for years. In addition to that, she has the most powerful source of magic in the universe. And furthermore, her dark powers are slowly rising to cataclysmic heights." "

"Dark powers?" Jackie curiously asked. All the magic she's seen the mewman girl cast were always comprised of bright colors and cute animals. "Is she becoming evil?"

"Not so much evil as she is becoming a massive threat to her own kingdom and the universe. You should be well aware of how often her mistakes put several lives at risk. If left unchecked, she could be overtaken by the forces of darkness and potentially cause an unimaginable amount of death and destruction to all those around her. Marco knows this. Her family knows this. Yet they still make the conscious decision to let her draw breath. Of course, her best friend- your boyfriend- can't bring himself to painlessly put her out of her misery. Considering how often he stays by her side, it's only a matter of time before he ends up perishing as a result of this ticking time bomb of corruption."

"H-how do I stop her!?"Jackie frantically asked, her eyes burning with fear. Jealousy took a back seat to her sense of justice. This whole situation just became a lot more dire.

"I cannot simply hand you the strength to engage her on equal or greater footing. I can, however, push you in the right direction to reach your potential for a higher capacity of power. Leaving you here to fight for your survival and your way out would temper your body and soul into reaching that potential."

"Wha- you're just going to leave me here?" Jackie was incredulous. Even though she was somewhat under Toffee's influence, the idea was still absurd enough to warrant addressing.

"You want to save Marco's life, right?"

"Yes! I do!" Jackie couldn't answer any faster even if she tried.

"And you want to train yourself to face and eliminate Star, correct?"

"If it means keeping others from getting hurt, then yes I do." The blond teen girl resolutely stated.

"Well then. You're a smart girl with your wits about you. Or at least, that's what I'd like to believe if you were an object of Marco's affection for so long. Do not worry about being alone the entire time. Someone else will arrive shortly to oversee your training. So for now, I must bid you farewell. I expect you to reach your peak in about 8 minutes. Or in your case, 16 years. Ta-ta."

And with that, Toffee summoned a portal and dove right in, the magical entrance blinking out of view a second after. Jackie was left completely alone in this unearthly wilderness, accompanied only by the towering trees and the exotic flora and fauna.

She stood there for several minutes, trying to process everything. Why her? She thought. Surely there were more capable souls that existed in the universe that were far more capable for the arduous task than her. All she wanted to do was skateboard and hang with her bf for the summer. But after finding out that not only Star was usurping him from her, but was also proving to be a legitimate threat to his life, she could no longer return home and go back to acting like all was right with the world.

She heard a noise behind her that sounded like another portal whooshing into being. An orange, swirling vortex hovered several feet in front of her. Out of it walked the sultry and voluptuous form of the Dimensional Scissorsmith herself, Hekapoo.

"Who are you?" Jackie inquired. "Are you the one who's gonna help me get out of here?"

"That I am," The gray skinned temptress answered. "And as for my name. It's not thaaat important. However, what _is_ important is that you can't get out of here and get to Marco without _these,"_ She brandished a pair of scissors that Jackie immediately recognized.

"Give them to me," The blonde teen coldly demanded. "I need them now,"

"Hmmm..." Hekapoo facetiously pondered, rubbing a finger to her chin. She then extended her arm forward and started waving the magical blades back and forth, taunting her victim like a matador shaking a red sheet in front of a bull. "Why don't you try and take them from me?"

With that challenge, Jackie ran straight for the Scissorsmith, raising her skateboard in the air and emitting an uncharacteristically primal battle cry.

Hekapoo smirked at her savage display. As Jackie swung her board towards her direction, the temptress' shapely legs swiftly raised to kick it into the air, then she spun herself around and kicked the teen straight in the stomach, instantly knocking her to the ground. The impact was strong enough to keep her down for a few seconds, giving her enemy time to saunter towards her prone body and lay a stiletto heel upon her gut.

"Fufufu..." She proudly giggled as she applied slight pressure on her downed victim's belly. Her yellow eyes scanned her fallen body, taking in her profound curves. "Hmm...say, how old are you?"

"F-f...fourteen," Jackie answered through gritted teeth. She wanted to get up and wipe that shit-eating grin off this alien harlot's face, but any attempt she made was met with a harder push against her abdomen.

"Man, you Earth girls start getting shapely real soon, huh?" Hekapoo sensually remarked with half-lidded eyes. "I'd ask how a Mewman girl like Star could ever compete, but even as a sticc, I know she wouldn't let herself get knocked on her ass like this,"

"W-what?!" Jackie seethed, baring her grinding teeth.

"I'm just saying," The taunting temptress shrugged. "For a girl who looks as thin and as delicate as a cheap nightgown, she can kick a lot of ass. What does Marco even see in you anyways? You seem to be nothing more than a pretty face with no substance."

"Shh-Shut...up" The restrained teen was still fighting to get up. Her eyes shot battleaxes at the venomous whore that stood upon her.

"Y'know as we speak, I bet Star's holding Marco down on her bed, making him into a man. Letting his Big Diaz take her to a dimension women could only dream of," She licked her lips as she spoke suggestively. "I mean, why else did he leave you in the dust while he's chasing after some sweet Mewman tail? He wants that cinnamon-flavored pussy,"

With green flames burning in her eyes and a feral shriek, Jackie grabbed Hekapoo's boot and shot her own body off the ground, taking her captor by surprise and knocking her off her feet.

Jackie proceeded to sprint towards the harlot's laying body, only to be met with a stiletto heel to the chest. She maintained her footing this time and merely staggered far backwards. She felt the back of her foot touch her skateboard.

As Jackie speedily picked her board off the ground, she immediately made a beeline for Hekapoo, who was still recovering from the surprise attack. With no window of opportunity for her opponent to react, the deranged skater girl swung for her head as her board shattered against her skull, reducing half of it to smaller wooden pieces and a set of two wheels while she still held the other half. The temptress groaned in pain as she opened a rift below her and fell right in before Jackie could follow up with another strike.

Silence fell upon the area. The teen scanned her surroundings, trying to get a read on where her enemy was or where she could come from.

She felt a fist connect with her cheek that came seemingly out of nowhere. She stood her ground as another fist connected with her gut, then her other cheek, and finally her legs were swept from underneath her, causing her to topple hard on her rear end.

Suddenly she felt fingers dig into her skin as several hands restrained every one of her limbs. Each hand was connected to a small orange rift in the ground.

Hekapoo revealed herself as she walked out of another dimensional portal directly in front of Jackie, who hopelessly struggled against the disembodied hands that bound her to the floor.

"Ok, I'll give you that," the seductress conceded, rubbing the side of her head. "You got me at a vulnerable moment, I won't lie. But you still haven't proved yourself worthy of these scissors yet,"

Jackie panted profusely, unclear whether it was out of fatigue or exasperation. She ceased her resisting as she attempted to pull herself together for a few moments, taking in the goading words of her scantily-clad foe. She took a very deep inhale, followed by an equally heavy exhale. "Ok. How do I prove myself, then?"

"Blow me," Hekapoo simply answered with a straight face.

"Excuse me?" Jackie was taken aback by her innuendo. A look of disgust was plastered on her face.

"The flame, you pervert," she pointed her thumb at the bright green flame that hovered between the long yellow horns above her luscious red hair. "If you can snuff out my flame, I will deem you worthy. That's how Marco got his pair. And the scissors,"

Minus that last comment, Jackie ruminated over her words. Seems like she had no choice but to play along in her little game if she wanted to get out of this place and rescue Marco.

"I'm gonna let you in on something. Between us girls," Hekapoo began, more amiably than she was seconds ago. "A while ago before Master Toffee... enhanced me, Marco and I engaged in a little game similar to what you and I are doing right now. Sure, at first he seemed like a bumbling idiot, but as our game went on and on, he slowly became something else. Something way better than what he was before. Something beyond a normal human. It took him 16 years, but he finally snuffed my flame and earned himself a pair of scissors. In fact, that's probably why he's able to use the God Hand,"

Jackie raised an eyebrow. She was lost as soon a she mentioned the amount of time it took Marco to beat her challenge. She thought back to what that bird guy said to her before he left. Something about coming back in 8 minutes, but for her it would be 16 years. No matter how many numbers were being thrown her way, all of them added up to making zero sense.

"Yeah, I know what you're thinking. 'How did Marco spend 16 years participating in my little game when he's 14 now?' Well, this dimension that you're in? My dimension? Yeah, time runs pretty differently around here. Sixteen years here is like eight minutes every other dimension. However, when you leave this dimension, you revert back to the self you were before you came in,"

"Why are you telling me all this?" the confused teen finally spoke up.

"Because if you're gonna take down Star Butterfly, you gotta go far beyond what you currently are. As you are right this moment, you won't stand a chance against her magic wand. And, as Toffee probably told you, she's dabbling dangerously in dark magic."

"How is spending possibly 16 years in this dimension gonna make me strong enough to take on Star? The most it'll do will probably just make me more buff or something. And even then, you said I'll just go back to what I am right now,"

"Well, Master Toffee gave you a piece of his Flame, much like how he gave one to me and a few others. It won't automatically make you all-powerful, but with enough time, struggle, and suffering, you can definitely get up there. Your body may revert, but that flame is a part of your soul now, and whatever progress you made with it will stay in addition to whatever skills you happen to pick up along the way."

As stupid and overly complex as all of this sounded, Jackie had no other choice. Her relationship with Marco as well as his life hung in the balance and she wasn't gonna let some mere insect snatch him away from her. He had a promising life ahead of him, and she wasn't going to let anyone take that away from him.

"Alright then, so what now?" Jackie inquired. The hands that tied her down finally released her.

Without a word, Hekapoo proceeded to summon countless clones upon countless clones of herself. An expansive ring of dimensional rifts of various colors surrounded the large group of Hekapoos and they all jumped into each of the portals. However, unlike usually with these rifts in space, they all lingered, giving Jackie a chance to chase them all down and earn her scissors.

One of the clones, or possibly the original herself, poked her head out of one of the portals. "It's Hekapoo, by the way," She then popped her head right back in.

With a deep breath, Jackie Lynn Thomas steeled herself for the task ahead, equipped with nothing but half of her skateboard, her phone, and the clothes on her back

"I'm coming, Marco," She solemnly vowed as she immersed herself into the nearest spacial fissure.


	10. Almost Out of Air

**A/N: "Gee Edge, how come your mom lets you upload _two_ chapters?" **

* * *

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what!?" Marco's body bolted upright. His face became a faded shade of red.

"Wha-wha-what makes you say that?" Star nervously inquired, her pale skin also reddening.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Janna asked, unconvinced by their embarrassed reactions. "Marco is in _your_ bed not wearing any pants and the door was locked when I came here. I put two and two to discover the two of you were doing the do."

"Janna," Marco put down Star's phone and began pinching the bridge of his nose in mild annoyance, "Nothing of that sort happened at all. We were just playing video games the whole time."

"Is that what they're calling it nowadays?"

"No really, look!" Marco took his laptop and faced his screen towards the dirty-minded interrogator.

"Oh hey, ya got _Mugen,_ " Janna abandoned her earlier accusation for a moment then jumped right back in, "Wait, were you texting Jackie right after you two were done? Man, now it's getting hard to tell who the cuck really is."

Star raised an eyebrow. Cuck? Considering the current situation as well as the discussion she and Marco had earlier about her pushiness towards his dating Jackie, she wondered if that was the word he kept himself from saying and subsequently explaining.

"Janna, that's enough," Marco's mild annoyance turned into firm frustration. "Nothing. Happened. I took my hoodie and pants off because I was just trying to get comfortable and I didn't wanna be covered in sweaty clothes for several more hours, ok? End. Of story,"

Shaken by his grave tone, Janna was compelled to believe him. Now that she gave it more thought, there was no way those two would've done anything by now. The "Safe Kid" certainly would have packed protection considering his well-deserved title. But still, one other question still stands.

"Ok, but why was the door locked?" Janna turned an accusatory gaze towards Star, who looked like someone had just found out about a heinous crime she committed.

After hearing the phrase twice, realization set in for Marco. Now it was his turn to shoot an accusative glance towards the Mewni princess. "Yeah Star, why _was_ the door locked?"

"I, err..." Star was hoping she could avoid facing her negative feelings and reality for a little while longer, but it seems that Janna would never let up if the possibility of lewd acts of intimacy was up in the air.

"Well?" Janna's eyes squinted in suspicion.

"I just..." Star drew in a heavy breath of air. "After all that's happened, I just wanted a chance to forget about everything going on outside of this room. I wanted to pretend that... everything was ok and we weren't gonna be part of some war that could determine the fate of Mewni and possibly the universe. Marco's pretty much the only one who could help me do that. I locked the door so no one would come in and break that illusion."

Nobody spoke another word for awhile. Marco was visibly moved by her sentimental explanation. Janna's wily expression softened into that of shame. She now felt like a huge dick for insinuating something that never happened when the scenario ended up being a lot more meaningful than she initially thought.

"Damn, I'm sorry Star," Janna apologized. She adjusted her beanie. "I know there's a lot of pressure on the both of you right now and, uh, that really sucks. It was wrong of me to make immature assumptions like that,"

"Ehh, don't beat yourself up too bad," Star waved off, her mood steadily becoming chipper again. "Come to think of it, I can actually see why you'd think we did...something. And believe me girl, I would _love_ for that something to have actually happened and I would _love_ to share every detail with you,"

"St-Staarrr," Marco was flustered, his blush reemerging with a vengeance.

"Whaaat?" The perky blonde shot back at her embarrassed friend. "We all know how I feel about you, Marco. Why hide it now?"

"Haha, Star you absolute madwoman!" Janna laughed. Her lips curved back into a mischievous grin. "So tell me. In great detail, what exactly _would_ you do to Marco?"

"Better question is, what _wouldn't_ I do?"

"H-hey Star, shouldn't you be getting ready for that meeting?" Marco disrupted her sordid train of thought before his discomfort could get any deeper.

"Oh yeeahhh, I almost forgot!" Before Star could run to her bathroom to prepare herself, something else was brought to her attention. "Wait, Janna was there something you came up here for?"

"Right, almost forgot," Janna removed her signature beanie and dipped her hand in, then her entire arm. Star and Marco's arched their eyebrows as they witnessed this unexpected act. Their faces stretched further when she pulled out Star's missing spellbook.

"Janna, h-how did...when did you- wh-" Once again, Marco forgot how to sentence structure.

"My spellbook!" Star took her gal pal in the tightest bear hug that lifted her off the ground and spun her all around, much to her asphyxiation and dizziness. "How on Mewni did you get it? And how did you fit it in your hat?"

After being released from the princess' grip and taking a moment to make sure nothing was broken, Janna pointed the interior of her hat towards the two, revealing what looks like a mini black hole.

"H-how?" Marco opted to just stick to one word, since any more and he'd end up an incoherent, blabbering mess of confusion.

"The queen gave the book to me." Janna explained. "She recovered it from her previous raid and told me to get it to you,"

"And the black hole?" Star asked.

"A little spell your mom casted for me. I wasn't gonna lug that dusty thing up ten floors."

"Ohh, thankyouthankyouthankyou Thank youuuu!" Star hopped in place like an excited child as she took her ginormous tome and embraced it just as hard as she did Janna. Though, she couldn't wrap her arms around it as easily as she did the the girl.

"Don't thank me, thank your mom. Though it sucks that G-Man wasn't in there. Where is that little weirdo anyways?"

"Heck if anyone knows," Marco remarked dryly.

"Ooohh, I gotta catch up on my spell lessons," Star said, frantically. Then her squirrely gaze was redirected towards the bathroom. "Oohhh but I also gotta get ready for the meeting. Ahhh, decisions, decisions!"

"Might as well get ready for the meeting first. We can try and play catch-up afterwards if we have time," Marco recommended.

"Yeahyeahyeah, that makes sense," Star made her way back to her bathroom.

"Wait, Star." The princess stopped dead in her tracks as she was about to turn the knob.

"Yes, Marco?"

"Err," The boy wanted to ask this question later, but it itched at his psyche too much to leave it be for a while longer, "You didn't... mean what you said about wanting... something to happen while I was up here, did you?"

Both girls in the room were taken aback by the question. Janna held her lips trying to suppress a growing laughter. Star's face went pink for a few moments, then she warmly and assuredly smiled at her best bud.

"Ohh Marcooo," Star cooed, teasingly. "Of course I did! Heck, things probably would've gone much different if ya hadn't brought in your laptop!"

And without another word, the bubbly blonde blinked out of sight, slamming the bathroom door shut and leaving behind a somewhat rattled Marco.

The boy blinked a few times and the redness on his face remained unfaltering. Still, he couldn't help but look off to the distance and chortle to himself. At least it was better than the two having to be awkwardly evasive towards each other. If there was one thing that he absolutely adored about Star was her point blank bluntness. Her embracing her feelings rather than suppressing them was quite the breath of fresh air from all the recent dimensional turmoil and social uneasiness.

"Sooo, what characters ya guys got in there?" Janna asked, pointing at Marco's laptop.

Marco looked back at Janna with almost dead eyes as he remembered the existential crisis he suffered from this simple game.

"You know what? Maybe you should check it out for yourself,"

* * *

To pass the rest of the time they had left, Marco and Janna continued playing _Mugen._ Or at least, one of them did. Marco just spectated, not caring to touch his laptop. At some point, he put his hoodie and his jeans back on. That was as much preparation for the meeting as he could do.

Much like Star, Janna was having a blast making matchups with the people that were part of their lives

without all the psychological hangups that deterred Marco's enjoyment of the game.

"Dang it, G-man how come you didn't put _me_ in the game?" Janna complained to an absent Glossarcyk. "You made Jackie a Zoning mermaid, you couldn't have made me a necromancer that relied solely on Strikers?"

"Am I the only one who has a problem with us being in the game?"

"Hey man, don't be such a wet sock," Janna responded, trying to lighten the dude up. "Be flattered that Glossy took the time to program and animate all of us in the game. Well, all of _you_ guys in the game. I guess he forgot who some of his homies were."

"Ain't that the truth," Marco responded plainly. Janna button mashed away as she was fighting a CPU Hekapoo as Jackie. She found the mermaid skater girl to be a very floaty character to play as, but her inputs were simple enough to get used to.

"So what else did he give you?"

"Err," Marco racked his brain to remember the note Glossaryck left, "Well, there's _Third Strike._ And you're playing _Mugen_ right now. Then there's a couple games we haven't played yet called _MvC2_ and _Heritage for the Future_ ,"

"Oh shit, _Third Strike_?" Janna's face lit up, "Now _that_ is a pleb filter if I've ever seen one,"

"I don't know what that means,"

"Ah, don't worry about it," Janna waved off, "Glossy's got top-tier taste. Though, I wish he would've put in more quality stuff, like _Guilty Gear_ or _SnK 2_ or heck, even all the other versions of _Street Fighter III_ besides _Third Strike._ "

"I dunno, I didn't ask for any of this," Marco stated, tossing his hands in the air.

"Ok, Adam,"

"What?!" Marco's body swung upright, the memory of the contents of his game folder barging into his mind like a war flashback.

"Adam Jensen?" Janna responded, her eyebrow raised. "From Deus Ex? C'mon man, catch up on your video game references."

After shooting the girl a tired look, Marco's head fell back on his pillow, like an axe to a chopping block. He stared up at the ceiling, continuing to count the seconds till the meeting.

"Dojyaaan!" Star triumphantly shouted, with arms high to the sky as she kicked her bathroom door open. She donned her usual attire of a sea-green dress with its puffy sleeves and little spider drawn on its torso, coupled with her little star bag hanging off her shoulder and of course, the signature red devil horns.

"Huh, and with only like half an hour to spare," Marco said, looking at the clock on his laptop.

"Eyuup. Gettin' better with my prep time." Star pulled out her dimensional scissors, snipping the air. "Ready to go?"

"You got plenty of time though dontcha?" Janna asked.

"Doesn't hurt to be too early. Gotta learn to be punctual when I'm 'bout to be queen. Ain't that right, Marco?"

"Heh heh, seems I've taught you pretty well, Star," Marco chuckled, proud that he's been quite the positive influence on the would-be queen during their time together. "Comin', Janna?"

"Eh," Janna waved off dismissively, "I'll just be here, getting' some tourney practice. Just gimme the short version when you guys're done."

"Alrighty then leeeeet's go!" Star snipped at the space before her, starting at her foot and working her way up. Unfortunately, the action bore no results.

"Huh?" The princess stared at her blades in confusion, wondering if she executed the move correctly. "I said, leeet's gooo!"

Still nothing. She shook the scissors, trying to rattle the imaginary batteries to get some juice running.

"Here, lemme try," Marco brandished his own pair. He repeated the action that he and Star always did to summon a portal, but much like his blonde buddy's attempts, there was no dice.

Marco panicked a bit. There was absolutely no way he spent sixteen years fighting for these things in another dimension only to have them stop working.

He tried again. And again. And again. He thought of different spots in the castle to teleport to. Nothing.

He tried thinking of Home. Nada.

He thought of Hekapoo's dimension. Zip.

He even thought of transporting just a few feet in front of him. Nope.

"Oh, nonononno..." Marco lamented, dropping his scissors to hold his cheeks in his hands.

"What the heck is going on?" Star wondered, a finger to her chin.

"How the heck are Janna and I supposed to get home!?"

"Uh, it's ok, it's ok" Star assured, uncertain whether she should believe herself or not, "Maybe, uhh, maybe my mom'll have a way to fix it,"

Marco released the grip on his cheeks. His face loosened at the possibility of finding a solution to this huge problem that plopped itself on the other huge problems.

"Well... I guess it's a good thing walking all the way down the castle takes around thirty minutes," Marco said, finding a bright side to the situation. "Let's get walkin'"

"Ugghhh, but it's soooo faarrr!" Star groaned in protest, hanging her arms and torso dejectedly.

"Hey, I had to walk all the way up here myself. If I could do it, so could you,"

"Fiiiinnne," Star relented. "We'll be back in a little bit Janna. Hang tight."

"Kay, seeya," Janna waved off.

And with that, Marco and Star closed the door behind them and began their lengthy trek down a million flights of stairs, which was sure to result in stronger legs and an abundance of sweat. The beanie bearing delinquent was left alone, with naught but the laptop of a teen boy to keep her company.

"Wonder what kinda porn he's got in here,"

* * *

The throne room was filled to the brim with attendants, much so that every body in the room seemed to be squeezing against one another. Many of these bodies were either knight commanding officers in their suits of armor, government officials in dignified robes, or random nobles in their persnickety and overly fancy clothes. Everyone was either talking among themselves about the current state of affairs or arguing about personal space. River and Moon stood in front of their thrones while Star and Marco stood beside them.

"Excuse me, may I have everyone's attention?" The commanding authority of Moon's voice overpowered the cacophony of murmurs that filled the room, and thus all within proximity fell silent as their queen spoke.

"I will be as concise as Mewmanly possible because as it stands, time is of the absolute essence. First, and foremost, an insidious enemy of the state has returned. Toffee is on the rise once again."

The audience exploded into a symphony of whispers, complaints, and shouts that amount to "We're doomed" or "Heavens save us all". The main source was derived from the nobles and government officials and the knights made an effort to suppress their growing concerns by either making comments of reassurance or yelling at them to shut up and let the queen speak.

"Settle down, settle down, everyone." Moon waved her hands downwards to try and quell the rabble.

But they refused. Panic completely overtook the politicians' and the wealthy's senses. The soldiers raised their efforts to extinguish the panic, but it only added to the tension and noise.

"Everyone, please!" The queen was getting frustrated, but for the sake of image and her people, she had to stay composed and resolute. She couldn't afford to lose herself to the stress like she did the previous day. She looked to River for any ideas and the short man simply shrugged.

"We thought you finished the job, Moon!" Screamed one bystander.

"You had to use the darkest spell! If that wasn't enough, what is!?" Shouted another.

"Glossaryck is dead and we killed him!"

Her Majesty's resolve was slowly chipping away. How could she even begin to address and prepare to combat the major issue when she can't even bring order to her own meeting? She didn't want it to come to this but she had no choice but to transfo-

A blaring blast of magic shot into the air, blowing a hole in the ceiling. Princess Star Butterfly was suddenly standing in front of her parents. The arm that held her wand stood tall as a small stream of smoke emitted from its tip.

"Can you all please, SHUT UP!?" Everyone did just that as Star resoundingly demanded, her voice resonating throughout the room and the crowd. Their eyes were once again affixed on the royal family and Marco.

"Thank youuu!" Star beamed, her mood flipped as soon as order returned to the room. She happily skipped her way back to the spot next to Marco.

"Thank you, Star," Moon said, giving a smile of gratitude towards her daughter, who flashed back with a brighter grin of her own. "Now then, unless you all want the ceiling to collapse on us, I suggest you remain absolutely silent and reserve your grievances for after the meeting. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, my Queen," Everyone in the crowd responded in unison.

"Good. Now, as I was saying," Her Majesty recommenced, raising her voice just an octave higher for good measure. "Yes, Toffee has returned. Not only that, but the Magic High Commission has been completely wiped out. We were only able to recover two of their remains."

You can drop a pin in the room and that's all you'd be able to hear. Everyone was either too stunned to voice their horror or just didn't want another blast to the ceiling. Either way, everyone in attendance was visibly shaken at the prospect of the most powerful magic users in existence all getting overtaken in one fell swoop.

"Furthermore," Moon continued. "The effectiveness of dimensional traveling items have been either waning or reduced to states of uselessness. Since Hekapoo was the only one who could resolve this severe issue, no further solutions were brought to light. In order to either assist or communicate with the neighboring kingdoms, we must travel by horseback and carriage for the time being."

That teens started internally freaking out, their eyes widening at the confirmation of what they experienced firsthand. Marco especially. Both of them shared a look of distress between them. Seems as though there was absolutely no going back home until Toffee was brought to justice and this whole thing blows over. At least he already said his goodbyes to Jackie and his parents.

"On the subject of allied kingdoms," Moon began sounding a bit more grave. "We have reason to believe that The Underworld has been compromised. House Lucitor has refused to answer any of our messages regarding this coming war for the past few days, before inter-dimensional travel became nigh impossible. In addition, all of our couriers assigned to relay said messages have yet to return. Whether the kingdom itself has fallen under the hands of our enemy or has begun colluding _with_ the enemy is yet to be determined."

Marco turned a wide-eyed gaze towards Star, wordlessly bringing up Tom. She responded with a shrug, but looked a tad troubled herself.

"Now then, since we have more or less the bad news out of the way, I'd like to bring our attention to something a bit more celebratory. The induction of-"

"My queen!" The throne room doors swung open with a loud bang, abruptly cutting off Moon's speech. Everyone in the room turned their attention towards the knight at the door, who looked horribly mortified. "The Kingdom is under attack! There's a dragon assaulting the town!"

As if on cue, the entire room and possibly the castle shook, followed by a series of explosions and a piercing, guttural roar that resounded all throughout the kingdom. The hearts and breaths of every living being in the room raced to their limits.

"Everyone, get to defensive positions now! Evacuate the citizens! Ready the trebuchets and catapults! Deploy the Pegastrikes and the Warnicorns! This is an Apocalypse Level Threat! Move, move, move!" River bombastically let loose a barrage of commands as every soldier in the room scrambled to the throne room door to follow them through, with the king at the forefront. Everyone else went to go run off either to seek safety or to assist in the evacuation process. The room became empty, save for the kids and the queen.

"Oh dear, how can this be?" Moon gravely lamented, her eyes darting all around and her gloved hand rubbing her chin. She began pacing back and forth, almost exactly in the same manner and disposition when she discovered the God Hand was missing, "How can a dragon be _here_ and _now_?"

"I thought dragons would be fairly common in a place like this." Marco said, "Why such a high threat level that implies the end of the world?"

"Marco," Star firmly grasped him by the shoulders. Her eyes shook with fear and her voice lowered grimly, "I barely pay attention to history, but everyone here knows that dragons have been extinct for over a thousand years."


	11. Laws of the Wild

Moon, Marco, and Star frantically climbed the still-quaking, yet still-intact castle. Their destination was the topmost floor that provided a means to survey the damage and find out what they were dealing with.

"Mom, if it's a dragon, I should go get my spell book and find something to help us deal with it," Star suggested through labored breaths.

"Did Janna not tell you the book was blank?" Moon responded, still looking ahead.

"What!?" Star's breathing and pulse quickened upon this discovery. "How is it blank?"

"Everything must have disappeared when Glossarcyk did,"

Marco felt a pang of guilt as he realized he was possibly the only one to interact with the little blue man during the past few days since this crisis began. Why has he suddenly abandoned the Butterfly Family?Why during this time of interdimensional peril? The next time he meets up with Glossaryck, he's gonna slap him silly for being such a Negligent Nancy.

"Well, I'm gonna get it anyway. Something _has_ to be left," Star presumed, resolve strong in her tone. As soon as they reached the tenth floor, the determined princess made a beeline for her room, leaving Marco and the queen to make the rest of the way to the highest balcony that overlooked the entire kingdom.

Marco stopped as they reached the set of stairs that led to the next floor."I'm gonna wait for her, we'll catch up with you."

Moon merely nodded and continued running up the steps. From where he stood, the red-hooded teen could hear Star yelling at Janna in fragments, saying, "Gimme spellbook! No time! Up the top! Dragon!"

After that brief and informative conversation, the two girls blasted out of the bedroom door, the spell book presumably in Janna's black hole hat. After the two met up with Marco, the trio made their way up the steps and through the remaining floors.

* * *

"My goodness..." Was all Moon could softly utter as she looked down upon her burning city in deep dismay. All those people. All that damage. All those lives under her watch instantly snuffed out like the flames of candles. She felt partly responsible despite being fully aware of who was actually behind this terrible disaster being unleashed upon her fair kingdom. And she knows for certain that that culprit wasn't above risking innocent lives to meet his lofty and vile ends.

But what kind of power did he possess to revive a full-grown dragon? For sure, he was a powerful user of magic that stemmed an esteemed family of wizards, but he was never quite capable of necromancy of this magnitude. Or even necromancy in general.

The three teens finally reached the queen and the balcony. They exhaustively caught their breaths as they ran up there with all the stamina they could muster.

They slowly made their way to the edge of the balcony, still panting. However, once they witnessed fully what they were dealing with, their breaths hitched and alarms rang in their heads as they shared identical looks of awe upon the scarred landscape before them.

What was causing the exponentially escalating amounts of irreparable damage was this hulking, bipedal beast about five stories high. Its massive body was covered head-to-toe in thick armor or scales accompanied by what appears to be a blade about half its body length connected to each shoulder in place of actual arms. As the monster raged on, it roared its deafening cry to the heavens as it stomped and swung about.

Volleys of flaming ordinance and trebuchet arrows flew towards the titan, doing very little but irritating it further. A swarm of knights flying on Pegastrikes (War Pegasus) sped through the air towards its direction, bombarding the massive reptile with flaming and exploding arrows in an attempt to damage its armor. Again, they only proved themselves to be minor nuisances that the dragon easily swat out of the sky.

"Wha...what is that?"Star asked, her voice and her legs shuddering.

"A Metal Blade Rayvern," Moon dismally answered. "One of strongest species of dragons to have ever lived. A beast of legend that hasn't roamed these lands in hundreds of years. It was the last one to be slain until their inevitable extinction and it's right here. Wreaking havoc."

"H-how do we stop it?" Marco shot a frantic glance at the queen.

"Well..." She began, the melancholy resonating in her tone. "Dragon scales are as adamant as they come, but are typically weak to lightning based magic. Even so, a Rayvern is a rather sturdy and tenacious foe. Even Queen Solaria, alongside her army of Sun Knights, took a week to slay one of these beasts, with heavy casualties on her side."

"Does she have a spell in here that can help us?" Star asked, rapidly flipping through pages in an attempt to find one that wasn't blank.

"While she and her army commonly used spells like Lightning Spear and Lightning Blade to slay countless dragons, a barrage of those were only strong enough to crack the Rayvern's armor. She had to concoct an entirely new spell in order to finally puncture its scales and slay it."

"Mom, what was it!?"

"I- I don't know." Moon admitted, despairingly."It was never written in the spell book, nor stated in any history texts about her. Just her more common lightning spells were present in the book until recently."

"What about anti-dragon weapons?" Marco asked.

"Dragonslayer blades, bows, and arrows were discontinued after the extinction was confirmed. Not only did they no longer serve a purpose, but all of them were far too large and unwieldy to use and the magics took precedence over them. Thus, they were all smelted and their materials were recycled to create more practical and usable arms."

The Rayvern ceased its senseless destruction for a few moments, shifting its Draconian gaze towards Castle Butterfly. For a moment, it seemed to have locked eyes with the queen herself who simply stared at the beast's abhorrent form with a visage of horror. As if responding to a challenge by the matriarch, the dragon roared to the sky, its echoes shaking the entire dimension, then began stomping its way towards the castle.

"W-why is it heading this way now?!" Janna was freaking out, holding her beanie for dear life.

"Star hurry up and find that spell, that dragon will get here any minute now!"

"I'm trying mom, but there's so many pages!"

"Here, I'll help you out!" Janna knelt beside Star to flip pages with her in the hopes of making the search process quicker and easier.

Marco simply stared at his companions before him. Moon continued to dismally gaze at the colossal reptile, biting her bottom lip in anxiety. As much as she wanted to just transform into her Butterfly form and make an attempt to neutralize it, she hasn't fully recovered from Star's attack the previous day. If she tried now, that thing would surely make quick work of her, and this kingdom can't afford to lose their queen during this time of heavy turmoil.

Seeing that even the presumably strongest magic user in the kingdom was paralyzed with fear and did nothing but await her own demise, Marco felt a rising heat in his entire body, and with it, a passing wave of clarity and determination never felt before. He had to do something. Anything to keep everyone safe and prevent any more lives from being lost in the devastation brought on by this towering reptile. At the very least, he could buy them some time to flee to somewhere safer. Away from all this.

"M-Marco? What are you doing?" Moon asked, her heart skipping a beat as he climbed onto the safety railing. Star and Janna looked up from their searching, their eyes bugging out at this dangerous action being performed by the safest kid they knew. "Get down from there this instant!"

He merely stared back at all of them, who gave him sharp glares of their own, silently imploring him not to make the jump. "Don't jump!" their expressions shouted. "You're gonna die!" they silently screamed.

He felt their doubts. They didn't have to say anything, but it was painted all over their faces. As they stood there staring at him incredulously, Marco simply gave a resolute smirk, wordlessly telling them, "I got this." If he was being honest with himself, he wasn't sure about this either.

Without any more options or any more hesitation, Marco leaped off the edge of the balcony, the sound of his name being shrieked in horror fading into the distance as his body dove onto the ground beneath him.

A second after he fell, Star dove right after him, her mother and Janna reaching for her in futility as her body flew off the balcony and sped towards the ground below.

As she descended, Star used her Mewberty wings in a heated attempt to catch up to her seemingly suicidal friend.

She flapped and she flapped her wings with all her might, gradually closing the distance between her and his dropping body.

She felt every one of her organs struggling to catch up to her falling body. But she didn't care. None of that mattered to her. Her own life didn't matter to her.

She reached and arm downwards. Just a few more feet...

Both of them were closing in on the platform in front of castle doors fast. Star had to act fast if they didn't want to end up a large red stain against the white stone floor.

Her hand could grab his hood right then and there, but she had to get closer. Close enough to catch him in her arms entirely.

As soon as her body was right on top of him, she hooked an arm around his torso, much to his shock. With her other arm, she pointed her wand towards the ground and shouted, to the very limits of her lungs:

"RUBBER SPARKLE BOUNCY HOOUUSE!"

A stream of pink energy shot from her wand. Once it hit the surface, a big, pink, and glittery bounce house materialized beneath the two, catching them in its rubbery interior and averting a rather brutally messy landing.

The two teens face-planted upon the mass of inflated plastic. Both were severely short of breath from the near-death experience.

Star propped herself up with her arms, still hyperventilating. Marco followed suit, his breathing patterns not as frantic, but were heavier.

They both locked eyes. Marco's was droopy and dejected while Star's burned intensely as her emotions rose to a boil.

"What is WRONG with you!?" Star furiously chided, pushing the boy back down. "Why did you jump off like an absolute IDIOT!? Were you TRYING to kill yourself or something!? Did everything seem that hopeless to you? Huh!?"

Marco remained silent, merely staring at his fuming friend's burning eyes. A flood of tears broke through and streamed down her cheeks.

In the blink of an eye, Marco found himself being tightly embraced by his best friend. Much so that she was beginning to crush his torso. But he didn't mind. He reciprocated the hug, rubbing her back in an attempt to calm down. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he felt his neck getting damp with her tears.

"Do y-you have an-any..." She was choking up, unable to handle how rightfully afraid and angry she was to see him make such an insane decision and possibly witnessing the repercussions of said decision. "...Idea, how scared I was? To think that you were so close to dying? To think I could've lost someone s-so important to mm-me? Do you?"

"I.. just thought..." He could barely justify it himself.

"You thought NOTHING!" Star's body parted with his as quickly as they met. She was completely hysterical at this point, the tears flowed unabated. "You only thought ab-b-bout the almost impossible what ifs rather than the d-definite what wills! Wha-what, did you think that ss-stupid God Hand was gonna save you!?"

"Y..yeah..."

"How did you know that for sure? Huh?"

"It was a... gut feeling,"

"Oh, so is that how we go through life? Just through uneducated guesses and split-second instinct!? That kinda thinking gets people hurt! It gets people killed, Marco! Especially people that I feel are too good and smart for this world to even let that way of thinking even brush past their minds!"

Marco couldn't resist snickering to himself, much to the princess's emotional distress.

"Why are you laughing!?" Star fumed, not understanding the humor behind all of this, "What part of all that just happened do you find absolutely hilarious!? Please tell me, because I don't get it."

"It's just..." Marco ceased his laughter, and looked up at Star with a strangely calm smile. "You told me not too long ago I should act first and think about the consequences later. And now you're yelling at me for doing just that,"

"Well..." She wiped her tears. Her tone and attitude stabilized as her manner of speech steadied as she pulled herself back together and assembled her thoughts. "It's... different,"

"How?"

"I... because that's how I've always been. If you thought that way too and something bad happened... I don't know how I could live with myself knowing I indirectly pushed you off that balcony because my impulsive tendencies rubbed off on you,"

"Star..." Marco began firmly, "If you demand a certain of level of trust from me, shouldn't you give that same trust back?"

"I..." She was at a loss for words. She thought back to all the times she chastised him for either underestimating or overprotecting her. And now she discovered how it felt to be on the opposite side. To be the one whose worrying and doting resulted in getting in the way of the other's personal growth. Marco had to give Star a chance to either sink or swim. Inversely, she had to do the same to him. A give and take that both must adapt to, no matter how dire or dangerous the scenario may be.

"Ok, I'll admit. Maybe I'm doing a bit of false equivalency right now, but the philosophy still stands. I actually had a 100% certainty that my landing would've been fine. And it was! Though, it wasn't _exactly_ how I thought it would happen, but everything worked out fine anyways. And whenever I'm really sure about something, doesn't it usually end up being right?"

"I guess," Star faintly smiled, her face completely devoid of any tears. "Wait, you thought you were gonna land on your own? Unhurt?"

"I didn't think, I knew," There's that unnaturally determined tone and mannerism again, "I dunno, it was just this... instinct in my body that pushed me off the rails and told me everything would be fine. You just made doubly sure of that. And I thank you for raising my chances of survival, for the milllionth time,"

"Aw, it was nothing," She waved off, like saving his life was as natural as using her wand, "It's just business as usual,"

"But even though you yelled at me for jumping off, you did the exact same thing to save me. Weren't _you_ thinking about the consequences of your actions?"

"I don't care," Star had a hard look about her, one with an unbreakable conviction. "I'd do it a million times over if it meant keeping you alive.

Marco said nothing further. Instead, he took his turn to pull his beloved friend into a hug. Not as tight as when she initiated earlier, but the feelings he conveyed as well as the ones she felt emanating from her body remained, if not a bit stronger. They felt one another's hearts beating as one.

After silently having one another wrapped in their arms for a few more seconds, they parted.

"You know... as long as I have this," Marco raised his right arm, the metal braces shimmering beneath the daylight sun, "I don't think you'll hafta save me as much. Heck, I think I might catch up to you in the saving department,"

"You know what? I think I'll be looking forward to it," Star gave him a soft fist to his left arm.

"Alright then," Marco stood up on the bouncy house, struggling a little bit as the floor jiggled beneath his feet. He put a palm forward to set up a high-five, "Let's go kick some dragon butt,"

"Yeah!" Star fist bumped his open palm, to which the two stared awkwardly at each other.

Star smiled nervously at Marco, mutely telling him that she was never good at this. As if reading her silence correctly he gave a nod of assurance and closed his fingers around her fist, turning the gesture of solid brotherhood into a more intimate one.

"Staaarrrr!" Janna yelled from a few stories above with a small piece of paper in hand. She was being carried down by Moon as the queen slowly flapped her large Butterfly wings. "We found the spell!"

"You did!? What page was it in?" Star peered up at the two descending bodies, her face lighting up.

"It wasn't written in any of the pages," Moon explained as the two touched ground, "They're all still blank, but Solaria's spell turned out to be in a well-folded note that hid between pages that stuck together,"

Star and Marco stuck their tongues out in disgust at the implication, but the young sorceress quickly snatched the note out of Janna's hand. She unfolded it, and her face beamed as bright as the sun above.

Strangely, the paper itself wasn't anything like the moldy and dusty pages of the spell book. It was actually a sheet of lined notebook paper, not unlike the kind you'd find in school notebooks. The sheet read as followed:

 _The Blitzkrieg Blade (High Frequency Augmentation)_

 _Since the hides of the Metal Blade Rayvern and Metal Blade Rexagon proved far too durable for standard weapons, dragonslayer weapons, and even anything applied with various elemental enchantments, this spell was conceived._

 _Simply put, I, Solaria the Monster Carver, have discovered that the best course of action turned out to be changing the blade's behavior and its effects on physical objects._

 _Through the logic behind the use of saws as well as the laws of physics, we used extremely concentrated telekinetic spells that resulted in making the blade vibrate at exponentially rising speeds. This allowed the blade to break down the composition of objects almost instantly and thus was able to cut through anything. And I mean ANYTHING. As an added bonus, the weapon itself suffers no damage from the high vibration process so long as it is durable enough to handle it and the blade itself is at least a few centimeters wider and thicker than a rapier. Because the blade can cut anything its edges come in contact with, the weapon becomes nigh unbreakable. Axes, saws, daggers, and other none-sword cutting weapons are also eligible for the spell._

 _But the abilities don't stop there. Since the blade is vibrating at immeasurable speeds, its strong magic essence resonates throughout the user's body, adding a rather powerful, yet highly consuming side effect. If the user is skilled enough in swordsmanship and possesses high levels of physical endurance and dexterity, he or she can enter a state where they can swing their weapon at speeds that go beyond the perceptive limits of the Mewman eye. We dub this state, the"Blinding Blade". It is imperative that this state be activated scarcely as it may result, but not limited to, in severe fatigue, muscle tearing, and cardiac arrest should one find themselves using it repeatedly within short periods of time._

 _It is important to note that one must cast the spell while the sword lies in the scabbard. Sheathing a Blitzkrieg'd blade after casting the spell on its own will result in the unfortunate destruction of the unaffected scabbard, with no way to properly store it unless you have a backup._

 _When casting the spell, one must glide the spell casting item at least a centimeter above the entire length of the weapon as they utter the incantation._

 _It is spoken as follows:_

 _Against those I spite_

 _I stand up and fight_

 _No matter the season_

 _Regardless of reason_

 _I stand here holding my blade_

 _Once the motion and incantation are correctly executed, the blade will glow a faint blue hue and lightly vibrate, while emitting a faint and soothing hum. Now go forth and cut EVERYTHING!_

 _Warning for female users: **Under no circumstances ** should you allow the handle of the augmented blade to make contact between the legs. Tempting, I'm fully aware, but **please refrain** from doing so._

"Whooaaa..." All three teens spoke in awe at the same time. Leave it to The Monster Carver to invent a spell that allows the slicing of everything and anything that exists. Star was practically hopping out of her skin in excitement.

"Ohmygosh ohmygosh, yeesssss! Somebody hurry up and gimme a blade, now!" Star wildly demanded.

"Darn it, I left my katana at home," Marco snapped his fingers in disappointment.

"I have a switchblade, but you're definitely gonna need something way bigger than that," Janna answered back.

All eyes went on Moon as she dug under her rather large and puffy skirt and pulled out a jet black scabbard that held one of the straight swords she used against Marco. Star and Janna were a bit caught off guard, while the boy flinched upon seeing it once again. At least it's under better circumstances this time around.

"I uh, always keep them under my dresses," Moon said bashfully, rubbing the nape of her neck. "You know, for caution's sake. Can never tell when there'll be an assassination attempt."

Hesitantly taking the blade and sheathe in hand, Star held it sideways in front of her. She then neutralized her body and disposition and began reciting the incantation word-for-word while running the wand above the weapon from its tip to its pommel.

Once the spell was properly performed, a soft blue light momentarily flashed, then a consistent aura of the same color enveloped both the sword and its sheathe.

Star deftly removed the blade from its scabbard, then raised it up to the sky to let the sun bathe it in its gross incandescence for a better view. The sword itself was one of two longswords that possessed a shining silver blade that stood tall above a glistening pink gem that lied between two outstretched white wings as its hilt.

It behaved exactly how the note said it would. The blade radiated a faint blue hue and emitted a near inaudible, yet noticeable hum. However, since the spell supposedly made the weapon oscillate at an enumerable speed, its vibrations were imperceptible and thus looked as if it stood perfectly still.

"Man, now I _really_ wish I hadn't forgotten my katana," Marco lamented, wondering why he was so foolish as to do so. "We could've been sword buddies."

"Hey, we gotta be on even ground here," Star bit back, pointing at his right arm, "Besides, you got the God Hand, that should be enough power for one boy,"

"I guess," Marco relented, putting his hands behind his head.

The growls and roars of the Rayvern sounded significantly louder than before. Whatever cavalry was sent to push it back was slowly giving way as the beast drew ever so closer to the castle.

"Sounds like that's our cue to quit the bantz and take a stance. You ready, Marco?" Star asked, sheathing the blade and fastening its scabbard belt around her hip.

"I was born ready, Star," Marco answered with solidarity as he cracked his knuckles.

"Just what I'd like to hear. Alright, Summon Warnicorn!" After shooting another colorful beam of energy, a battle-hardened Unicorn poofed into existence. The battle-ready princess landed upon its back in one high bound, with her bestie climbing right behind her.

"Star. Marco," Her mother called out before the two rode into danger.

The two teens on unicornback gazed at her with anticipation.

"You both have my utmost faith. Please defend this kingdom with all that you have. And stay safe."

"We will!" The duo shouted confidently in unison.

"Yeah, do to that dragon what the meteors did to the dinosaurs," Janna heartily demanded, pumping a fist in the air.

"Oh, we'll do that and then some," Both spoke simultaneously once again.

And with that, the two who were left behind waved a temporary farewell as the Warnicorn raised both of its forelegs and inclined its body, then went full speed ahead towards the foul beast.

Star unsheathed her high frequency augmented sword, directing the tip of the newly enchanted blade towards that which was bound to be slain.


	12. They Flee the Rising Sun

"You sure this is the spot?" Tom pointed at a seemingly normal plot of land.

"Yes, I'm positive." Toffee confirmed, his right hand immensely illuminating its sinister green glow as his palm was extended towards that same spot.

What Tom assumed was a barren valley located behind the Jaggy Mountains turned out to be the former region of the Septarsis Kingdom, reduced to a desolate uncharted territory yet to be claimed by any other tribe or nation. Hundreds of years went by since the fall of the reptilian society, leaving nary a pile of rubble that would be indicative of its former existence. While Septarians themselves were still currently present in the land of Mewni, they are spread severely thin. Their heritage and lineage ended up blurring with the rest of the monsters until their identities became indistinguishable.

But if there's one thing that was left behind that still spoke of the kingdom's former glory was a slew of fossils surrounding the area. Fossils of dragons that once roamed the lands over a millennia ago. The dragons that eventually became the ancestors of the Septarians

"I've never resurrected anything of this size or strength before," Tom spoke with uncertainty.

"Is that not why I'm here?"

"Fine then," The demon prince took a stance, spreading his legs apart and planting his feet firmly on the ground. Both palms were outstretched in front of him, pointing at the designated area. He took in as much air as he could and released. "Here goes nothing,"

"Altogether now," Toffee stood right next to him, stretching both of his stubby arms out.

Both became enveloped in a strong green aura and their eyes became blank green. As they concentrated, a green circle several kilometers wide formed before them. Three smaller circles with upside down stars inside of them formed within the larger one, all close to the edge and placed in a triangular formation. Lines began connecting those smaller circles. As soon as all were connected, green energy filled in the smaller circles until the circle was completely blank green. Then a circle that resembled a reptilian eye materialized between the three circles. The entire larger circle slowly began filling with green, starting from the middle and working its way outwards.

From the summoning circle slowly rose a towering skeleton with bones that were several meters thick. At first, it looked like the skeletal structure of a T-Rex, but as the cadaver rose further, one would see wide, towering blades on either side of its torso.

Once the entirety of the corpse has reached the surface, its flesh and organs steadily materialized, starting from the soles of its raptor-like feet to the peak of its head. After its necessary parts formed, much denser scales slowly layered themselves upon the softer scales thoroughly from head to toe.

With a soft chuckle, Toffee lunged his right hand towards the towering beast, a burst of flame shooting out towards its body. Rather than making contact, the flame grew in size and stretched, making laps around the revived dragon and then dipping itself into its heart. Green flames radiated from the beast's eyes, and it began to kneel towards its master, dipping its head in front of the possessed avian.

Toffee softly caressed the massive reptile's snout, then emitted a series of guttural whispers that Tom couldn't even begin to decipher.

As if answering its call of duty, the Rayvern bolted from its kneeling position, roaring straight into the

sky. Its terrifying voice were carried off to the winds of Mewni.

With relative ease, Toffee materialized a portal of its size underneath it, sending his newly revived companion to the target area to indiscriminately wreak its due havoc and indulge in its longing for errant destruction.

"It's... not going to hurt Star, is it?" Tom asked, concerned.

The possessed avian turned to the Underworld Prince, a creepily genuine smile curving his beak.

"Relax. If I wanted to attack the Butterflies, I would've gone over there and did it myself. This is merely a message. The first strike."

"You still didn't answer my question."

Toffee's face dropped to that of unreadable neutrality. He redirected his gaze and faced in the direction of the Butterfly Kingdom.

"I wouldn't count on it,"

* * *

Star and Marco's bodies rocked as they rapidly rode throughout the now-dilapidated Butterfly Kingdom Middle City. The Rayverns' handiwork was certainly thorough, that's for sure.

The devastation caused was surreal. People were either running to who knows where, or feebly hid beneath piles of rubble or debris trying to conceal themselves from the beast that assaulted their once-peaceful home. Soldiers scattered all about the place, either to assist in evacuation or fighting off the singular invading force.

But of course, there were the stray corpses and the consistent burning houses that caught the two teens' attention as they galloped through these scarred streets.

"All these people..." Marco trailed off as soon as he began, dismally taking in the surroundings.

"It's awful," Star grimly responded, "How can anyone live with themselves knowing they caused all this?"

"You think Toffee brought that thing here?"

"Well duh, who else could it be? He's, like, our family's mortal enemy."

They were drawing near. They could clearly see the Pegastrikes and projectiles making their futile attempt to impede the creature's path. Just several more miles.

"Is this how he's gonna make the changes he wanted? By letting people just die for no good reason?" Marco asked no one in particular.

"Whaddya mean?" Star peered over her shoulder in curiosity.

"I dunno if it's a good time to talk about this right now. Let's just focus on the task at hand. The dragon's getting close,"

Star let her interest go for now. She continued facing forward.

Both teens and the Rayvern were now in the same street. The beast was still swatting away the air forces and getting pelted by burning ordinances.

Star caught sight of her dad on a Warnicorn, trotting about and barking orders into some Mewni walkie-talkie.

"Dad!" Star cried out. River turned away from his communication device and trotted his way to his daughter and her friend.

"Honey, what are you doing here?!" River asked, in fatherly concern. "You two should be in the castle, safe from all of this...madness,"

"We're not just gonna wait there and let more people get hurt," Marco declared.

"Dad, call off your soldiers." Star demanded. "Me n' Marco'll take care of this dumb lizard,"

"Are you mad!?" River's eyes bugged out as he held his head incredulously. "Do you have any idea how dangerous a Rayvern is and how difficult it is to even scratch its nigh indestructible armor? I'm not sure even the God Hand can achieve that."

"That's why we have this," Star brandished her newly enchanted blade. River's eyes lit up and his jaw dropped.

"No... is that Solaria's all-cutting enchantment?" River asked, staring in awe at the blue-lit blade before him. "I've only heard rumors of such a spell, but I never knew them to be true,"

"Eeyup," Star answered with utmost confidence. "And we're gonna cut that thing's life into pieces."

"It's pretty much our last resort," Marco added dryly.

River contemplated. He anxiously bit his lip and rubbed his long blonde beard. He didn't want to lose his only daughter. But at the same time, this is the last glimmer of hope they have in stopping this raging beast.

"Everyone, fall back to the Castle. I repeat, fall back to the castle."

Soon after the order was uttered, the Pegastrikes flew away from the Rayvern and sped towards the castle. Dozens and dozens of soldiers ran from their positions, passing by River and the teens.

"It's all yours, my dear," The king of Mewni commenced galloping back where the duo came from, presumably to the castle.

The Rayvern noticed that the gnats that orbited its body immediately dispersed, most likely realizing how pointless their displaced efforts were. However, its attention was immediately grabbed by two lone would-be heroes on a Warnicorn.

Were they seeing things or did the dragon just flash a smile?

Rising to the challenge, the beast screeched to the heavens, shaking everything and deafening anyone within the vicinity. Its sights were set on the opposing duo and speedily stomped its way forward.

Marco met eyes with the beast that ran towards their direction. They were now undoubtedly locked in bloody combat, at the point of return. However, that means only one thing.

The monster was cloaked in a red aura.

"Uhh, Star?" Marco nervously gulped, "That dragon's gonna be tough to fight. Like _really_ tough. Like tougher than it already was before."

"Good!" Star boomed with lofty confidence, pointing her blade towards the sprinting dragon. "I love it when my prey makes me work hard! Hyaaaah!"

"Wha-aaaah!" Marco yelped as he was tugged by the full speed of their steed

The opposing forces were rapidly closing the distance as both opponents raised their weapons in a joust. While Marco was still somewhat shaken, he immediately steeled himself and clenched his right fist in adamant resolve. As long as he had Star and she had him, they were both essentially unstoppable. This scaly good-for-nothing had nothing on them.

The Rayvern's gigantic blade dropped upon them, but Star was quick to dodge to the side. Another one swung for where they were headed, but the horse predicted its move and stopped itself in the nick of time, the giant blade merely scraping the ground and some houses instead.

While the beast was recovering from both of its whiffs, the two rode towards the underside of its body. Star raised her Blitzkrieg'd blade to set up a swing, and managed to slash at its armored shin during her pass between its legs.

While she felt the blade go through, it didn't completely remove the scales. She needed a few more laps before she can truly make some progress. While it now has the ability to cut any tangible matter, one cannot rely on the sword alone. It requires some strength and input from the user if was to be used to great effect.

As they ran behind the Rayvern, it strategically lifted its tail to the sky and it slammed it down towards Star and Marco. Before they realized what was happening, it was already too late.

While the tail managed not to touch them, it still hit just close enough to roughly knock them both off the Warnicorn and send them several feet in the air. Since it sustained some damage, the trusty steed disappeared in a puff of pink smoke, returning to Star's wand. Upon landing, they rolled a few feet on solid stone and far away from one another. Star's sword fortuitously landed right beside her.

With a snarl, the dragon about faced and turned its gigantic head in the direction of a downed Marco. He painfully landed on his back, his torso arching backwards as he writhed on the ground.

Seeing that its prey was incapacitated, the reptilian titan lifted its leg, hanging it precariously over his prone body. It delayed for a few moments, silently allowing him some last words should he feel the need to express them.

"M-Marcoo!" Star staggered to her feet, picking her blade up and ran towards him in some unplanned attempt to save him.

The monster's foot was falling quickly upon Marco, who responded just in time to draw his arm back and slow its descent and the rest of time to a crawl.

He had to look for something. Anything that could save his life. He couldn't use anything too orb-consuming, or he won't have enough for the rest of the fight should his enemy prove too sturdy for his normal attacks and Star's sword.

A lot of the moves sounded like he needed to be in a better position to execute them. Unfortunately, he couldn't use the slowed down time to move out of the way. His body was kept in place until he chose something from the intangible menu in his view.

Something was brought to the forefront of his vision. Something that looked simple enough to work. Simple enough to use from any stance or position. Marco thought it was better than lying there to become a human pancake. It only used one orb, so it might be worth using. Oh well, here goes nothing.

 **One Inch Punch.**

While the foot slowly descended upon Marco, he raised his right arm skywards and instinctively opened his hand. He felt an intense heat rising from the base of his shoulders and traveled to the very forefront of his palm. Once the energy peaked, he closed his fingers, emitting an instant, yet exploding flash.

Time resumed as normal once again as the enemy's hulking heel flew upwards, causing the reptile to stagger back several miles until it fell on its rear end, stunning the beast and providing time to recover and regroup.

Star was dumbfounded as she witnessed her bestie toss that beast off of him like a fat bag of garbage. But she quickly shook herself back to her senses as she summoned another Warnicorn. Before galloping towards the beast, she quickly made her way to Marco, who swiftly got to his feet. With no time to spare, he jumped right onto the pastel colored warhorse and held onto Star as they galloped towards their dazed target.

Rather than go for another cut to the shins, Star opted to leap off the Warnicorn and towards the Rayvern's face, using her Mewberty wings to get the height she needed.

However, it seems she slightly overshot her jump as she ended up several feet above its head.

Good.

As she raised her blade to the heavens, it became bathed in the encompassing radiance of the afternoon sun, it's yellow glow and the enchantment's blue glow coalescing into a fusion of vibrant shimmers. As she reached the peak of her jumping height, Star herself became grossly incandescent, her fair skin cloaked in a soft yellow. At this very moment, one could mistake her for Solaria the Monster Carver herself, bringing justice to this vile, inconsiderate beast with the edge of her sword, while protecting the weak and those she held dear.

Star felt something rise within her. Something primal that she had never experienced before. A fierce cry to the sky climbed up her throat. A daring declaration to all those affiliated with the forces of evil. One that would carry off to the winds and resonate within the hearts and minds of those who listened. A resounding shout that would become the call to this deplorable dragon's demise.

If it had a good memory, it would remember these words being uttered even after death. Plaguing its mind for all eternity will be the day its image of itself as the hunter instantly flipped into that of the hunted. The ferocious predator devolved into the whimpering prey. This was vehemently conveyed through three simple words.

"RULES OF NAAATUUUURE!"

Star's vision became enshrouded in a blue tint, and a strange, unfamiliar symbol appeared in the upper right corner of her view. At that moment, her and her weapon existed in absolute unity, morphing into extensions of one another. While she floated before the gigantic snout of her enemy, time slowed to a slither as she steadied her body, her breathing, and her blade.

Both arms moved in an imperceptible flurry of fast and fluid motions. Every swing elegantly and methodically flowed into one another in an entrancing display of dexterity that was as graceful as a dance between two lovers. It almost felt as if her blade slashed at air as it made its smooth motions with little to no resistance.

Star's mind was clear and her judgments solidified. The only thing that mattered right here and right now, was that this massive pile of scales and organs needed to die. All she ever knew was completely erased from memory, replaced with the singular, self-serving desire to cut.

And cut.

And cut.

And cut.

And cut.

And cut.

And cut.

The once nigh impenetrable scales were immediately ripped apart like they were made of parchment paper. Rapidly and rapidly, its soft scaly face was being bared to the elements.

But Star didn't stop there. She continued slicing and dicing well past the point of penetrating its organic armor, her blade hitting soft scaly flesh, bone, and cartilage until she reached the base of its snout.

Star inhaled deeply as her state of slashing nirvana dissolved and her senses came flooding back. Time moved at normal speed and her vision reverted back to the way it was.

While coming back from her slash-happy high, she flapped her wings to slow her descent upon the ground. Her feet landed and she fell to her knees. Her lungs and her heart vigorously compressed and expanded to their very limits.

Words could not describe the awe Marco felt witnessing Star put the "Blinding Blade" technique to use. During that whole thing, all he saw was Star floating in front of the Rayvern's head and in less than a second, its face suddenly looked like it went though a paper shredder. Long strips of its peeled flesh hung and swung grotesquely from its face like streamers at a party. The bones and muscles on its face were exposed as its lower jaw and tongue flopped all around after they were sliced into several segments. What used to be the proud and intimidating countenance of a creature that served as a dignified representative of its genetically superior species now resembled that of pulled pork that could barely keep itself attached to its head.

"Star!" Upon seeing his best friend touch down and fall to her knees, he frantically sprinted towards her.

The swordswoman groaned in fatigue as she wobbled to her feet, her legs barely able to carry her petite, yet hardy figure.

"Oh my gosh that was awesome! You were amazing up there!" Marco cheered, his face beaming like a kid on Christmas morning.

"I-it's not..." Star's sentence was cut short as the creature that sat before them stirred itself back up.

Miraculously still being able to see past all the meat chunks obfuscating its face, the Rayvern took a swing at the two, neither of them in a proper stance to retaliate.

As the blade closed in, Star's body straightened in the blink of an eye as she held her blade in the direction of the attack. She didn't expect for this attempt at parrying to go well, but she had to try.

By some surprising twist of fortune, the massive attack bounced off, almost as if the dragon's blade weighed just as much as hers. However, Star soon realized that Marco's body was wrapped around hers as they were cloaked in a warm, golden light .

Marco's arm braces were removed and his shining tattoos repeatedly pulsed.

The monster swung again. It clanged off her sword again. It swung from a different angle. They parried that, too. It used its other arm. No luck. It used both. Nuh-uh.

The Rayvern was furious as it began swinging quickly and savagely, every strike still deflected as if they were nothing.

It decided to change tactics and instead went for a more accurate thrust of its arm.

While Marco's Tension mode wore off, the two still remained close to one another. As the tip of the massive arm struck earth, the unified duo jumped high into the air, Star's Mewberty wings giving them the height they needed. Because the dragon was foolish enough to put power into his lunge, he ended up getting a quarter of the blade buried in the ground.

The two landed upon his arm, and proceeded to climb up to its shoulder. They parted at once, splitting off into different parts of the upper regions of their target. Star went for the shoulder that connected its sword arm to its body and Marco went for the side of its skull. The hulking prey could only stand there, hopelessly watching as these little pests crawled up his body to do who-knows-what.

Neither of them needed to utter a word as they already knew what the plan was. And it was insane enough to finish off this foul colossus.

Star began cutting into its shoulder, dark-red blood spewing forth as it coated her body with every chop. She didn't care. Getting her favorite dress gruesomely filthy was the least of her worries.

As the edge of her blade cut deeper and deeper, the shoulder was just a few feet of flesh away from completely severing. All they needed now was one final push.

Getting the silent signal, Marco drew his arm back and reopened the Roulette Menu. He needed something with a tremendous amount of force that could push this dragon back far enough to remove his arm.

He's found it.

 **100 Fists.**

Marco's braces removed themselves once again as he unleashed a one-handed onslaught of punches.

"AAADIADIADIADIADIADIADIADI!" He screamed at the apex of his vocal range with every punch that landed.

After reaching the 99th punch, Marco drew his arm back, gathering all the energy he expunged from the prior strikes along with some excess to unleash the finisher.

"AAADIOOS!" He let loose one final uppercut that sent the towering lizard back a few kilometers away, leaving them and its separated arm falling to the ground.

Now for the insane part. Star sheathed her sword, and ran straight for the bigger one. As she attempted to lift it to the air, she concentrated all of her focus into her body and the object.

She dipped down once again.

But this time, it was under her control. It wasn't out of impulse nor out of uncontrollable fury. It was out of her errant desire to protect her kingdom. To protect herself and her beloved. And to annihilate this gigantic wretch whose hideous face was an affront to all who were unfortunate enough to gaze upon it.

It's time to Dive Deep.

A thick aura enveloped her and the ginormous item she attempted to lift it up. Her eyes glowed a bright purplish-white as black tears consistently cascaded down her face yet again. The dark-purple that surrounded the green haze was more pronounced compared to the last time. Marco raised an eyebrow as he didn't think that this was part of the plan.

Her voice was heavily labored and distorted as she struggled and strained and stressed, but eventually, the gigantic blade was able to achieve lift off, slowly and steadily.

She was only able to lift it a few feet off the ground, with her dark magic barely able to keep it stable.

The beast recovered from its daze, and seeing its arm being misused by its enemy, infuriatingly emitted a weakened shriek and ran straight for them.

"M-MAARCOOO!" Her voice broke apart at the seems as she cried his name out of an overpowering desire for much-needed assistance. She used more of her already-faltering strength to angle the blade so that the edge pointed diagonally upwards.

That was all the signal he needed.

Marco waited a little longer for the monster to get closer, eyeballing the amount of distance they needed to execute this final blow of Herculean proportions.

"NOW!" They screamed as one.

Roulette Wheel.

This was it. The strike that decides this fight once and for all. He only had two out of his five orbs left to use for one final push. If he messed up, if he slipped even a little, it was all over. All the time and effort it took to get to this point would be all for naught. Their fates as well as the fate of the kingdom depended on this final blow.

He searched through the list until he found exactly what he needed to dispense some well deserved justice.

 **Dragon Kick.**

Marco took a few steps back as he performed a little jig to wind himself up.

His body shifted speedily forward as he drove his foot against the giant sword-arm with all the force the universe could give him.

With Star maintaining her binding, magic-infused hold, Marco's kick powerfully propelled the towering blade to the side, catching the dragon in its neck and instantly decapitating it. It's head flew a few feet in the air before crashing upon the earth with an echoing crack that pierced the sound barrier.

After what felt like an eon since the battle's initial inception, the deafening silence that followed served as the fanfare of victory and a breath of fresh air.

The two heroes responsible for this memorable display of justice fell tiredly onto the ground. Their air intake and blood pumping going at speeds that nearly matched that of Star's Blitzkrieg Blade.

Consciousness remained steadfast as they slowly propped themselves off the ground, their bodies shuddering profusely as they threatened to shut down and collapse again.

They gradually crawled towards one another, their eyes locked and their faces in unreadable expressions. No, there was one perceivable emotion one could pick up from their faces. Tired as all hell.

Once the distance was closed, the two pivoted their bodies so they faced away from each other and sat down. Their backs leaned against one another as they lazily propped each other up.

The only sounds that accompanied them were their own labored breaths, their hastened heartbeats, and the brisk wind that brushed against them.

Their hands delicately grazed one another, the skin-to-skin contact slightly shocking to two awake. Star lightly put a few fingers on Marco's, to which he responded by gently taking her entire hand in his.

They sat there on the ground for what seemed like an eternity. Next to the disembodied head of their enemy and the mangled pile of scales that was its body.

Star and Marco had zero qualms about going back to either of their homes or finding a place to unwind from their recent ordeal. They simply found comfort and tranquility in the close presence of one another, regardless of the severely damaged environment they currently resided in.

"Hey Star?"Marco's breathing lessened, his voice much clearer.

"Yeah?" Star replied, her breathing slowed to reasonable speeds

"Can we... get out of here? The body's starting to stink." He humbly requested, holding his nose.

"Nah,"

"Okay,"


	13. Awful Acts Achieved Affordably

He couldn't believe how easily every piece had fallen into place. He couldn't believe how well everything had worked out in his favor. But it did. And boy, did it feel so damn good.

Years and years of dwelling within the shadows. Years of planning. Plotting. Allowing the hatred to fester within, yet keeping it in check as to not go too ballistic and letting all the dominoes fall too early and ruin everything. It all led up to this. All were going according to keikaku.

Just an hour ago, the Magic High Commission had perished. Magic and the fabric of Multiverse were on the line. And existence had him to thank for it.

Sure, that wretched old goat revived everyone after victory seemed to be at hand, but it did very little to impede his path to victory.

In fact, his valiant efforts were all for naught. Lekmet, in his foolish attempts to salvage the situation, was reduced to a pile of dust, and everyone still perished. Everyone except for Queen Moon Butterfly, who managed to slip through the cracks and narrowly escape her demise. To live and breathe to futilely fight another day.

But no matter. The Commission's magical essences were now literally at the palm of his hand. What could stand in his way now that he essentially had all the strength and magical prowess of four of the most powerful sorcerers in existence?

Toffee vowed to Moon that he would get his finger back as soon as he could. But now that he had all this power, there was something else he wanted to try. A little deviation of the greater scheme. Something that could achieve his goals much easier, without the need to bring further bloodshed. It would've made jumping through all of these physical, mental, and spiritual flaming hoops worth it.

After shattering the crystal that restrained his diminutive lower body, Toffee made the conscious decision to fly himself to the peak of the nearest mountain. He needed a place that would keep him away from civilization, in order to reach the very tip of concentration for what he was about to do.

The perfect spot. No living being could reach this place and disturb him. Not even a bird. Well, except for him, of course. The many moons of Mewni washed its soft luminescence over his tiny body. The chill, late night winds briskly brushed against his feathers and served as the only noise in the vicinity.

He sat in a meditative position with his stubby legs crossed, his arms splayed out in opposite directions, and his eyes clenched shut. He inhaled. Then exhaled. Then inhaled. Then exhaled. His rhythmic breathing was the only thing in his focus as he peered into endless darkness.

And there he was. Omnitraxis Prime, the master of Space-Time appeared hovering before his blackened vision. However, he looked rather different from before. Rather than a giant with a very wide body type, he was more normal-sized and muscular. His once cartoonishly wide skull more resembled that of a Mewman's. The body itself, however, still looked as if it was made entirely of the Cosmos.

The former Commission member slowly floated towards Toffee, and reached out a hand. The meditating avian reached out his half-crystal covered right hand in response.

Light began pouring from between them as they made contact. Toffee's vision went from pitch black to blinding white.

After a few seconds of blank white nothingness, the sinister lizard wizard found himself floating in endless space. Endless space filled with countless large, levitating crystals. Crystals that served as windows to alternate universes.

 _Yes_ , he thought. He was overjoyed, much so that his soul would jump out of Ludo's body had he not composed himself seconds later.

He focused hard. Focused on the events that acted as the catalyst that pushed him to these lengths. In a flash, every crystal within the vicinity began playing a series of images. A montage of injustice. Injustice being dealt upon his people. Not just the Septarians, but the Monsters.

And then that battle with her.

From all the hundreds of crystals that met Toffee's eyes, all of them played out invariably the same. Not even the slightest deviation of events whatsoever.

 _No, there can't be,_ he internally seethed. _How is everything the same no matter what?_

Indeed they were. The only differences were merely aesthetic. The monsters depicted in the varying crystals had different races, color schemes, ages or clothes. Or sometimes they weren't even monsters at all, but their identities were still recognizable. He saw that some became cat people, or rock people, or...sentient tables? For some reason, Toffee had a strong urge to extinguish that universe had he possessed the power to do so.

"If you're looking for a universe with a better fate for the Monsters, don't bother," Omnitraxis spoke up, solemnly. Toffee turned around to see the cosmic entity hovering close behind him, the expression on his skull face neutral.

"What!?" The possessed kappa fumed, his face twisted into a vortex of fury.

"I have peered into the very depths of infinity, and I can tell you with two hundred percent certainty, that there is no salvation for your people. Such is fate,"

Toffee's emotions rose to a scalding boil. Why. Why? WHY!? Why do the corruption of these deplorable Mewmans, regardless of their form, remain unchanged and unjustified? Why has fate dealt the worst hand to his people no matter what universe, no matter what existence, no matter what? What have they done to deserve this? Is their crime merely living the life they want? Or existing? Do they only live to struggle to survive, starve, fight, kill, die, conform, sicken, isolate, lose, lament, and all around serve as victims beneath the dirty boots of the Mewmans? Why them? Why?

"If you're so inclined, there is a way to change... all of this," Omnitraxis said, as if listening to Toffee's heated introspection. The wizard raised an eyebrow, his interest suddenly aroused.

Taking his expression as a signal to elaborate, the lord of space-time continued, "Almost no one alive knows this, but there lies an item, two of a set actually, that when used to their maximum potential, can change fate. Change universes. All of them at once."

"Mm-hmm...?" Toffee simply responded. But deep in his heart, he was ecstatic. Invigorated even. He felt something that he hadn't felt in what seemed like eons. Hope.

"They are called the God Hand and Devil Hand. A closely guarded secret of the Multiverse that only exist in the Base Universe. Our Universe. Each protected for ages upon eons by the Butterfly Family and The Lucitor family, respectively."

"What are they exactly?" Toffee asked, curiously. As much as he wanted to immediately reduce both Kingdoms to rubble to get his tiny mitts on the both of them, he had to squeeze every bit of information about this new development. For all he knew, using them could erase him from existence or something.

"Quite literally, they're severed arms that exude and provide tremendous power. Or at least, used to. Long periods without use causes their accumulated power to diminish over time. In order to fully utilize them to their utmost potential, they must gradually gain power along with whoever manages to attain them. To do that, the user must participate in an abundance of arduous combat as well as overcome a series of physical, emotional, spiritual, and personal trials that result in their advancement and evolution as a person. Once they themselves have reached their max potential, so will the Hands. Alternatively, should the user have already reached the peak of their character, the Hands will immediately adapt themselves to reflect that,"

"So I just get these Hands and I can change... everything?" Toffee's voice was low and quivering.

"Yes. But not with the vessel you currently inhabit. While you have indeed absorbed quite a bit of magical energy from Queen Moon, myself and the rest of my fellow Commission members, the power of either or both could prove far too much for your small frame to handle. A matter of too many eggs in one basket, if you will. Besides, you have to severe your own hands to use them, and with half of the Royal Wand's crystal stuck to your hand, I doubt you would want to go through with that,"

This was it. This is the reason he fights. This is where everything he's done has led up to. A hope to make a change. To make things better for his people. For everyone. Diplomacy didn't work. Peace definitely didn't work. The one person he thought was different from the rest quickly turned against him. The only thing that mattered now was achieving pure, untamed power. To bend the Multiverse to his whims. If he has to take away a few lives or ruin them, then so be it. A necessary evil to use as a means to end evil altogether.

Toffee's ruminations abruptly ended when he felt something sharply bump into him. Someone's body? Who else could be here?

"Oh, pardon m-" The other person peered down to flash a shocked expression towards the floating bird who responded by shooting back the same expression. Then he looked at the cosmic entity behind said bird, his baffled visage unchanged.

"Umm..." Toffee was taken aback by the out-of-nowhere arrival of this strange man. He was a rather tall, fair-skinned, fair-faced fellow with a muscular build who donned an all-pink jacket and slacks ensemble with a pair of silver meshed gloves. He had long blonde hair that flowed to his shoulders and ended in large, thick curls. Behind him hovered what appears to be another...man? Maybe? Who looked as if he was covered head to toe in sky blue armor (?) with a few parts of it in pink. He had two protrusions standing tall upon his helmet (?) that gave him the appearance of a rabbit.

"Another Stand that could travel dimensions... impossible. And its user is a bird of some sort, no less." The stranger contemplated, rubbing his chin and scanning Omnitraxis from head to toe. After a few moments, his face softened. "Bah, I have no quarrel with you. As strange as this meeting must be for us, I must bid you farewell. My country needs me."

"Wait!" Omnitraxis cried out, stopping the man before he could levitate any further. He stopped and turned around. Intrigue deepened in his face.

"Your Stand can travel dimensions and possesses sentience? Interesting. Very interesting." A mischievous smile curved at his lips. "How would you like to help me with some matters I'm attending to? Surely I might have something you would want. I'm the President of the United States after all."

President? Of the United States? To Toffee's knowledge, that is a country of the Earth dimension, where Princess Butterfly and her roommate currently reside in. And this stranger standing before them holds the highest position of said country. But he can't be the President. The current President is a portly rich fellow with small hands who throws temper tantrums on social media. This man seems far more capable of running a country than he is. Especially if he has the ability to travel between universes.

"You rule over America?" Toffee asks, skepticism laced in his voice. He paid no mind to his tempting offer.

"America? Oh, I see. Your universe still calls it that. In the universe I hail from, my country was renamed the United States of Valentine. That means your universe is not the Base Universe I seek."

"Yes it is!" Omnitraxis angrily piped up,. "Ours is the only one that possesses the God Hands!"

"God Hands?" the man curiously asked, raising an eyebrow. "Is that the source of unparalleled power for your Universe? Mine are the Parts of the Holy Corpse. The items I must retrieve in order to bring everlasting prosperity to my country."

"Corpse parts?" Now it was Toffee's turn to be interested. Never has anyone in his countless years of life ever intrigued him to this degree much like this weirdo floating with him in the endless recesses of the Multiverse.

Since each of them now had the insatiable desire to learn about the other, what followed was an extended series of discussions that lasted for ages. They both spoke of who they were, their backgrounds, what goals and ambitions they wished to pursue, and their ideals. They informed one another of their respective universes and how things worked there. The man whose name turned out to be Funny Valentine explained the concept of Stands from his universe and Toffee, in turn, explained the inner workings of magic. While there was a bit of confusion on either end, things were clarified shortly after. At some point one wished to possessed the abilities of the other, but ultimately decided to accept the extraordinary abilities they already had.

They talked about their current situations and how they're planning to resolve them. They heatedly discussed the pains in their asses that obstructed their paths and crassly insulted them, to which they shared several hearty laughs. Over the course of their conversation, the two came to respect one another for their drive, their intellect, and their ardent desire to make changes and bring perpetual peace and prosperity for their respective Universes.

"Use evil to end evil. At last, a kindred spirit," Valentine amiably spoke, pouring himself another cup of tea and puffing a cigar. At some point, their conversation went on for so long, the man went into a random dimension and snatched himself a table, a luxurious tea set, some tea, biscuits, and a pack of cigars. He gave some of the cigars to the possessed avian as a token of peace.

"Picking up the first napkin... do and others will follow. What a poignant analogy." Toffee admired, taking a bite out of a biscuit, followed by a smoking puff of his own.

"It seems even as former soldiers, the war continues for the both of us." Valentine said, resting his chin on his hands and pensively gazing at the tired visage reflected on his tea. The numerous scars on his back pulsed painfully. "Just when you think your service has ended and your mind can be at peace, fate finds a way to drag you back in,"

"Back to all the murder. The heartache. The horrors." Toffee sullenly added, putting down his half-eaten biscuit. His appetite was gone. He took another somber puff of his cigar.

"But that's what it takes, right?" Valentine perked up. Conviction stuck hard to his face. "To suffer and to lose? To endure the bloody horror of your actions for the greater good? While I myself have been through quite the harrowing ordeals during my service in the army, I believe it pales in comparison to what you've been through, Toffee. Having your trust betrayed by someone you held such high regard for, only for them to turn around and stab you in the back, and reaffirming the status quo of maintaining generations of suffering to your people. It's sickening. It's no different from the Slavery I fought so hard to utterly abolish after I achieved Presidency."

"I..." Toffee sniffled. A small semblance of a tear slid down his beak. His voice shivered as he spoke. "Thank you, Mr. President. I don't believe I've ever fully discussed this with anyone before. It's rather...liberating, to say the least."

"Disregard the formalities. Call me Valentine." He affably mentioned, dismissively waving his gray-gloved hand. "You have earned my empathy, my admiration and subsequently, my friendship. It is abundantly clear to me that your heart and actions, much like mine, are utterly unclouded. They are those of justice."

For once during this entire campaign, Toffee felt his emotions get the better of him. His longtime facade of absolute calm and composure fell apart. All because of this unknown traveler he just met not too long ago. He hasn't bared himself like this to anyone since...Moon. And even then, she eventually tossed away their relationship like rubbish, closing his heart from anyone else for good.

"It is rather depressing that your plight is a constant throughout every other Universe including your own." Valentine soberly pointed out. "If I had the Holy Corpse in full, I would be more than happy lend its power to you in order to help achieve your righteous goals. However, it seems as though you have your own method of doing so. In the form of the Hands you spoke of. You said you are unable to travel into other Universes, correct?"

"That's right," Omnitraxis strongly affirmed. "We can only see what goes on in them and how they differ from ours."

"That is unfortunate." Valentine looked deep in thought. "However, you are aware of what happens if you make contact with your counterpart in another universe, right?"

Omnitraxis remained silent, but he slowly and gravely nodded.

"What? What happens?" Toffee excitedly asked, his blank white eyes wild.

"If you are unfortunate enough to touch an alternate version of yourself," Valentine's tone turned deathly serious. "Your presences will cancel each other out and you will painfully implode into one another, causing both or more of you to cease existing. This applies to inanimate objects as well as erm, body parts you wish to reattach."

Toffee gulped. Just when he thought he had found himself some helpful shortcuts to his goal, all those ideas were swiftly dashed with this painful slap of reality.

"Considering that my Base Universe is the only one where my D4C exists," Valentine explained, pointing to his... Stand he calls it, as it appeared in a flash behind him. "I am immune to such an effect. I tell you this now in order to deter any ideas of bringing an alternate universe version of yourself to assist in your endeavors or finding another finger to make you whole again. I couldn't live with myself knowing that I ended the life of such a respectable figure."

"And you didn't bother to tell me even after you told me everything else?" Toffee directed his annoyance at Omnitraxis.

"Didn't feel the need to," The cosmic entity shrugged. "We can't even go into alternate universes anyways. And I would've told you if you ever found a way to do that, though."

"Well, it seems that I have. But..." Toffee's face returned to his new ally. "He has his own issues to resolve."

"Indeed I do," Valentine nodded in agreement, "However, should you feel the need to call upon me for assistance, I will be more than happy to help rid you of any obstacles in your path, if under convenient conditions. You'll possibly find me traveling to and from different Universes. If not, well you have your own power to rely on, surely."

"Thank you, Funny Valentine. I wish we could work in tandem with one another to achieve our goals, but it seems as though our duties beckon us to different paths. Paths that may never overlap as often as we'd like to."

"The feeling is mutual." The President responded, with a glistening smile. "While you're making your valiant efforts to change your world, I need you to do one thing for me. Just one."

"Anything, my friend. Just name it."

"In addition to putting a halt to the injustices brought to your people, I also need you to bring an end to the very concept of Monarchy. Burn it to the ground. Stomp on it until it no longer occupies space in anyone's mind."

Toffee arched an eyebrow in confusion. End Monarchy? That was how the every kingdom of Mewni operated, though. What other form of government is there? Democracy? An idea that is more prevalent in Earth countries like America? He wasn't sure if the general public was ready for such a change. It was already difficult enough to even change how they perceived monsters.

"I'm... not sure if I could." Toffee meekly doubted, uncertain whether he should bring such a huge shift in politics in addition to the Monster revolution he was already planning on. Even before its eventual fading into obscurity, the Septarian Kingdom also adhered to this idea. "Why do you think this is necessary?"

"From what you've told me," Valentine elaborated, taking another puff. "It seems that your country of... Mewni, you said it was called? Functioned under a Monarchy, backed by a large-scale feudalistic system, run by the Butterfly family. However, there are also other kingdoms within that sovereignty that run on Monarchies of their own, but still under rule of that specific Family. But for the longest time, none of those kingdoms have ever had candidates from their region to run Mewni proper. It was always the Butterflies, correct?"

"Yes. What are you getting at?" Toffee responded, craving more information. Despite the fact that he himself wanted change, the thought of government and politics never occurred to him once.

"And therein lies the core of the problem, my friend." Valentine pointed a finger skywards to emphasize his point. "Leadership was never chosen. Just handed down. That is an idea that should be abhorred, not embraced. While I understand Mewni itself is behind in certain technology and concepts, I believe you have the power to advance the country even further and change all that.

As much as some would disagree, you are not an evil being. You were merely thrust into ill-fated circumstances that forced you to adapt and overcome through sheer force of will and various questionable, but justified means. I believe you can make things right in more ways than one. Don't just change the way you and your people are treated and seen. Change the way people think and approach life in general. Make your future constituents improve in both mind and body. Because that, my dear Toffee, is evolution."

"Constituents?" This was a word he's never heard before. It lingered in his mind and on his tongue, but couldn't settle unless he knew more. Omnitraxis was also a bit confounded, but he never really lived under a nation to learn about politics and the like. He just spent all of his days making sure the Multiverse was in order.

"Voters! I'm talking about bringing Democracy to your fair Kingdom. No... turn that Kingdom into a nation united beneath one flag! Unify the various civilizations into one glorious Sovereignty. For you see, my friend, power and justice ultimately belongs to the people. Specifically, those who exhibit solid, unyielding aspects of authority and craft. It is valiantly earned, not effortlessly given! Through strength and quality, not nepotism and inheritance! Used with the intent to benefit the lands and citizens you preside over, not out of familial obligation to people you could care less about!

Toffee, your nation may have lasted this long, but how much longer until the system eventually crumbles into itself? In my Universe, Monarchy has always ended in ruin, which led to a long-running rebellion that built the foundations of my country. That's why certain empires like Britain have either fallen into obscurity or changed their way of government altogether. We must give voice to those who currently have none!"

That peasant you see sitting on the gutter today may be the next bringer of peace and prosperity tomorrow! It's all a matter of taking chances and letting those with the ambitions to prove themselves to do just that! And if they fail, then so be it. Better to have given the chance to those with convictions and principles of their own than passing it along it to someone who's only in it by someone else's volition and blindly following values they never cared about nor wish to further understand. Namely, your Star Butterfly."

Toffee always thought he knew everything there was to know about what was best for the Kingdom of Mewni and its people. But here he was, having his eyes pried wide open and his mind expanded. By a human, no less. One who may lack the capacity for magic but possessed something special of his own that he lacked. This was the 2nd human to have ever made him learn and agree with. The first was Friederich Nietzsche, through his book that spoke of the concept of Eternal Recurrence. Toffee never learned if he had written more books. He just read that particular one since it deeply resonated within him. Much like this lecture being given by a man named Funny Valentine.

"You're right... you're absolutely right!" And thus, the red pill has been thoroughly swallowed. "I need to bring about a nation where people think and act for themselves! For what they believe is right. Not for someone else's definition of right! To fight their own battles. For their own destinies. A nation where the law suits the individual, not the other way around! I need to expand the minds of the masses and bring a wealth of knowledge and values that carry over to the next generation! Not just for my people, but for everyone! And thus the nation will survive and thrive for eternities to come."

"Precisely!" Valentine loudly affirmed, sharply pointing a finger at his buddy. "You are a prime example of this philosophy, Toffee! You're making great strides in taking back your life after a drought of despair and betrayal without letting it get the better of you! With your own two hands! Following your own set of rules! Using methods you see fit regardless of what others think of you. You kept going despite all the odds stacked against you and continued to fight and survive to this day. Now it's time to inspire those to do the same! Your campaign of true justice has only just begun."

"But..." Toffee thought for a moment. "First and foremost, I need to be rid of the Butterfly Family... snuff out their bloodline before true progress can begin. Execute all who stand by them as well. Fill the power vacuum with more capable individuals."

"So desu ne," Valentine shrugged, understanding the need to do necessitate whatever action for the sake of the greater good. "Morality should never play a part if the ends justify the means. Revolutions and the changes that follow are never without bloodshed and suffering, my friend. My country's history is proof of that."

"Valentine..." Toffee's voice cracked slightly. He began feeling tears well up inside him. "How can I ever repay you for enlightening me on this day? For being the friend I never thought I needed for so long?"

"I've already told you," The President sincerely spoke, his blue eyes shimmering in the dark reaches of the Multiverse. "Succeed in your endeavors to change your country for the better. Knowing that I've inspired someone to seize their destiny with their own hands and carve a path to prosperity for the future, is a reward in and of itself,"

In the blink of an eye, Valentine's torso was impacted by the embracing body of Ludo, possessed by Toffee. He openly wept. All the pain and suffering he forced himself to repress came flooding out of him in that very moment. At first, the President was disturbed. Downright disgusted even. He didn't care for personal contact such as this, preferring to keep a professional distance even with those he personally worked with. But with no other options in site, he resorted to merely patting the little bird creature on the head as his suit was stained with the tears of an other-worldly being.

"There, there. It is alright," His voice lowered, sounding more fatherly than anything else. "No matter how long you've lived or how much you've endured, there is no shame in expressing grief. You may be some strange bird creature from another dimension, but you are the most human soul I have ever met. You remind me of my father."

After what seemed like several minutes, Toffee finally removed himself from Valentine's torso. Some stray tears still stuck to his face, and a bit of snot hung from his nose.

"Here," The President said, pulling out a plain white handkerchief out of his breast pocket. The letters F and V were sewn on one of the edges. "This was given to me by my father, who cherished it greatly. The lengths he put himself through to keep it is a tale for another day. The history behind it gives it much more value than you'd initially think."

Toffee promptly took the handkerchief in his hand and proceeded to wipe his face with it, then loudly blew his nose against it. He handed the now tear and mucus-covered sheet back to Valentine, who deftly folded it and slipped it back into his suit pocket as if it was as pristine as when he first removed it.

"Thank you. I really needed that," Toffee spoke, somewhat embarrassed at his own emotional outbreak. "And I'm sorry about your father. Such an end doesn't befit a brave soldier such as he."

"Do not fret, you're an ally to the States and to me," The President responded, dismissively waving his hand.

"Now then," Toffee announced, steadily returning to his usual calm and collected demeanor. He extended his left hand to his new friend. "May the next time we cross paths result in a celebration of our respective victories. I sincerely hope you retrieve all the Holy Corpse parts and rid yourself of that wretched Johnny Joestar and his friend, Gyro Zeppelli,"

"Likewise," Valentine reciprocated, reaching his hand out to shake Toffee's, "And I look forward to being regaled with the tale of how you regained your true body, retrieved the Hands, and eliminated Star Butterfly, her entire family, and her lover, Marco Diaz,"

"Farewell," They spoke in unison as their paths began to deviate in opposite directions.

Could this day get any better? Not only did Toffee rid of himself of the Magic High Commission and absorbed his power, but he figured out a way to make his plans and ambitions come to fruition. The icing on the cake was that he made a new Inter-universal friend. One that listened to and understood his plight better than anyone he's ever met or known. A friend he was absolutely sure would never betray him. One who gave him an ever greater drive and even greater ideas to make the changes he needed to make the Multiverse better for himself, his people, and everyone in the future. Now he just needs to get the ball rolling.

"Toffee," The President called out. The bird stopped dead in his tracks as he was being addressed. "One more thing I should mention."

"Yes?"

"Listen," The friendliness in his voice and attitude was no longer present. Instead it harbored grave enmity and determination. "I know what you're setting out to do will end up altering all worlds of existence as we know it. In order to accomplish that, you must attain power that goes far beyond the limits of comprehension. Power changes people, Toffee. Whether for better or worse. If left untamed, it can lead one to rash decisions they didn't initially intend to make. Do you see what I'm getting at?"

The possessed avian thought long and hard for a few moments. At first he wasn't getting the implication, but then with a loud and elongated, "Oohhh," the gears in his head started turning.

"Yes. You told me that you forced Star to destroy her own Wand, at the cost of the lives of some of the monster henchmen that you usurped from... your vessel. Lives that put their trust in you after their old employer failed them. I would just like to make myself clear that while I wholeheartedly value our newly established friendship, I value the well-being of my country exceedingly more. Should me, my country, or her people end up in your warpath, I will not even consider hesitating to come to their aid and kill you myself. Do you understand?"

Toffee's composure faltered just a smidgen. He was taken aback by the sudden hostility from his new bestie, but he understood his sentiment. He would probably do the same thing if his future society was being threatened.

Actually, why _was_ he visibly affected by his threat? He was a human, after all. Devoid of any strength or magical prowess that could even come close to matching his.

But it wasn't a matter of power levels or combat ability. If Valentine so desired, he could kill Toffee in one quick motion. He could do so without even giving it a single thought.

It was as easy as introducing him to another version of himself.

"I swear by my honor as Septarian Royalty and my life that no harm will come to even a grain of soil to your country or its people. You have my honest and unaltered word. I would not even dream of tampering with our priceless friendship," Toffee swore, holding his right hand to his chest and giving a courteous bow.

"Well put," Valentine responded, his smile and optimism returning. "With that, I bid you, once again, arrivederci,"

And with that the 23rd President of the United States of Valentine signed off and disappeared among the sea of floating crystals and empty subspace. Toffee and Omnitraxis were all that was left.

"Man, that guy's scary when he wants to be," Spoke the cosmic being, shuddering slightly. "Kinda _Funny_ how we met the President, huh?"

Ignoring his annoying attempt at humor, Toffee responded, "Understandably so. But regardless, it seems our partnership was one that was meant to be. Perhaps it was fate that united us both."

"Or gravity," Omnitraxis added.

Toffee looked back at his companion, arching an eyebrow in puzzlement.

"What?" the ephemeral entity shot back, wondering what the deal was. "Don't you believe in gravity?"

* * *

 **A/N: For those astute viewers who might have some questions and concerns, let me reply to them before you even express them with the end all be all answer.**

 **It's Fanfiction. Ain't gotta explain shit.**


	14. Devil Triggered

The emptiness and silence of Star's bedroom was abruptly interrupted by a bright red rift in space as Tom Lucitor let himself in, unwarranted and unwelcome.

Letting a Metal Blade Rayvern run rampant about the Butterfly Kingdom wasn't just a means of sparking the major conflict proper, but to serve as a distraction from the true goal.

According to Toffee, he could sense his finger in Star's room, but couldn't pinpoint exactly where it was. How conveniently inconvenient.

"Why couldn't you get it yourself if you could sense it?"Tom defiantly asked minutes before he begrudgingly embarked on this snatch n' grab mission shortly after reviving the Metal Blade Rayvern.

"I have pressing matters of my own to attend to. And besides, I want to be decent if I incidentally run into any of the Butterflies. Don't concern yourself too much and just focus on getting the finger. You may take as much time as you need. However, while the dragon may be a force to be reckoned with, do not delay for too long. I have a feeling they might deal with it quicker than the last time it was slain. Do not engage any of the Butterflies, but take any other lives as you see fit."Clarified Toffee, trying to be as concisely informative as possible.

"But what if I accidentally meet with any one of them?"

"Well, you're smart, right? Surely you can think of something. And besides I don't believe they know of our collaboration quite yet. If you want to keep the cover up a little longer, I suggest you be as stealthy as possible and leave no trace behind. Or perhaps you could just stroll in there, but then you'd have to answer for their ignored messages and dead couriers. Alternatively, you could join the dragon in the massacre if you so desire. Either way the job must be done."

Over the course of his former relationship with Star, Tom had never once been in her room. Whenever they hung out, it was always in some public place or somewhere in their own castles within viewing distance of their respective royal guards.

However, it never crossed his mind that it would be this big. Like, twice the size of his room big. Where was he supposed to start?

It's fine, it was fine. The Rayvern still raged on as Tom heard its deafening screech, followed by a series of explosion noises. It would take forever to take something like that down. The boy had nothing but time on his hands and no one else in the castle had any reason to come in the room.

Tom noticed that the bedroom door was open a crack. As he walked over to lock the door, a realization set in, and a sordid thought wormed its way into his mind.

He was alone in _Star's Room._ This was her own little fortress of solitude that held all of her 'personal' belongings. It was all to himself now. He was free to do whatever his heart desired. He could find her diary and read it or steal some of her weapons or even-

No, no, no, the mission came first. Toffee would probably have his head or his Hand if he messed this up. And besides, that sort of activity is rather unbecoming of a dignified prince such as he.

Buuut, Tom _did_ have to go through every inch of this place to find this finger. So what if he has to dig through a few...unmentionables? It was all part of the assignment after all. If he happened to stumble upon some juicy items to get the job done, then it couldn't be helped.

With drool hanging from the corner of his mouth, the horny demon prince began scrounging through all of her drawers, going through various stuffed animals, weapons, clothes and... _other_ clothes.

And man oh man did she have a wide variety of panties. Some plain ones, some frilly ones, some lacy ones, some... really thin ones. Geez, should she even have some of these at this age? For a few moments, Tom clinched his eyes and his fist shut as he lamented hard on his breakup with her. But the past was the past. All he can do now is move on and strive for a better future... with her. He might as well pilfer a pair for himself as a souvenir of sorts for his... "free time".

But after emptying her wardrobes to the point of pulling all of the drawers out, there had still been no sight of any severed lizard finger. He paused, thoroughly taking in his surroundings without thinking about any more lewd linens.

After some time, he caught sight of an open, black laptop placed on Star's bed. Was that hers? No, it couldn't be. Knowing her, she'd have adorned it with glitter, shiny jewels, or cute animal stickers.

This had to be... Marco's. His blood boiled just thinking about anything associated with him, even his possessions.

Curiosity got the better of him, however, as he decided to take a gander at the contents of the screen. Ohh ho ho boy.

A blush was slashed across Tom's purple-skinned cheeks and a tent pitched in his pants as he was peering at a page of a rather racy comic in which a young girl in long, blonde pigtails wearing a skimpy schoolgirl outfit was getting waayyy too friendly with a giant purple octopus, whose tentacles were exploring some rather raunchy regions. Succumbing to his teenage temptations, Tom scrolled down to see that the next page had the girl's clothes reduced to torn pieces of cloth scattered about her skin and the tentacles... roughly going further in their advances.

The boy wished he had brought a USB cord so he could perhaps save the comic in his phone or something. As he hungrily gazed upon the pornographic image, he was apprehended by a strong desire to relieve himself right then and there. In fact, why not? The dragon was still loudly indulging in its hunger for destruction out there with seemingly little resistance. Surely he had the time. Yeah, just take a couple of Star's undergarments, lay himself on the bed and just...have a go.

However, an abhorrent implication hit Tom square in the face. Were Marco and Star... looking at this together? Considering the effect the one image was having on him, there was no way the two would be seeing this without-

He has to kill him. He has to die. He has to find him and wring his scrawny little neck while lighting him on fire so he'll be painfully asphyxiated as his body slowly incinerates into a smoldering pile of ash.

The green flames in his eyes began filling his pupils as he felt his body welling up with another volcanic outburst that would surely demolish this entire room.

 _Wait, wait, calm down,_ He thought to himself to quell the rising flames. _Remember the breathing exercises. Think of something calm. Like frolicking bunnies or ripples forming in water._

And so breathe deeply and think happy thoughts he did. The flames within his body and his eyes steadily died down as he put Rob's teachingsto practice. His mind became clearer as his focus returned to the task at hand.

As much as he wanted to scorch Marco's laptop into a pile of soot, he didn't want to leave any hint of his presence at all.

Ok, so this room was completely cleaned out. No stone left unturned and no drawer left unpulled. All that was left was the bathroom and the closet. Might as well go for the closet. It's a lot more likely than the bathroom that's for sure.

The closet looked as though it was just as or bigger than the room proper. There were just piles and piles of random junk scattered around an even more mountainous pile of trash that filled pretty much 60% of the room. He knew that Star was severely messy and disorganized, but this is on a whole 'nother level that can't be measured by any scientific means.

Thankfully for Tom, Lady Luck shined her brightest smile upon him as he noticed a distinctly reptilian digit laying on an open space in front of the biggest pile. He was afraid he would have to dive into every pile to look for the cursed thing. Looks like this snatch n' grab turned out to be a cakewalk.

"Oh bother, Princess Star what have you done to your room?" Or not. Tom's demonic heart skipped a beat as he heard the annoyed voice of an old lady coming from the bedroom. It must be one of her maids. "Oh dear, I might be here for quite some time."

No matter. With one snip of his scissors, Tom will be out of here faster than you could say- they didn't work.

Tom frantically and desperately cut the air to make a portal but to no effect. He tried thinking of different locations or snipping at other spots in the air, but nothing seemed to be working. How could this be? Hekapoo granted exclusive dimensional access to everyone on the team so they could bypass her locks on said access all over Mewni.

Did they manage to cast a spell that completely cut off all dimensional leylines going to and from the Butterfly kingdom? That would be pretty likely, since the dragon made its entrance via giant portal and they had to take a precaution to prevent any further invaders.

So what was Tom left to do? He was stuck in the closet and there was someone in the room. He could play the long game and just wait it out. But then, Star and some others might show up between then and whenever he finds the opportunity to leave. Even if the maid wasn't in the room, escaping through the castle wouldn't be a good idea either on account of security most likely tightening in response to the Rayvern's abrupt arrival.

"Oh my goodness, what on Mewni is that!? Ohhhh..." There was a resounding thud that sounded like a body hitting the floor. As always, it seems porn played the part of the savior. Another lucky break for the sneaking demon teen. Looks like he didn't have to resort to cutting an old lady's life short after all.

Tom gently cracked the door open to check that the maid was still the only one here. After confirming that, he walked around Star's bed to see the poor servant knocked out cold on the hard, tiled floor.

He went to the bedroom door and delicately pushed it open a crack. Immediately, a small group of guards marched on by, fortunately not noticing the slightly ajar door. There was quite a bit of panicked murmur coming from the halls, presumably from guards and other castle staff.

Welp, if he didn't think so before, now he was definitely between a rock and a hard place. He has to act quick before either the maid woke up from her porn-related coma or someone tries to get inside the room.

With no other options in sight, an out-of-nowhere idea sprung in his mind and a warmth seized his left arm and traveled throughout the rest of his body. Though, this type of heat felt quite different from the usual he felt whenever rage had the urge to rise. It was more a warmth of assurance.

Tom ran to Star's bedroom balcony. He peered over the railings to see a drop that went for miles. However, he was gripped by a feeling of absolute clarity and resolution. For reasons he can't seem to figure out himself, he decided to stand upon the railing.

His legs wobbled slightly. After getting a good look at how high he really was, he wanted to back out right away, but something in his gut was pushing him to go forward. As if he was merely jumping into a swimming pool.

Tom took one step off and the rest of his body followed. Fast. He dove feet first, the ground rapidly beginning to close in. Strangely enough, he wasn't screaming nor held even an atom of fear or regret in his heart. He felt at ease even. Like it was a routine he did on a regular basis.

The demon prince impacted the ground outside the castle walls with a thundering boom as a sizable crater of dirt formed beneath his intact body. He was ok! Nothing was shattered nor did there seem to be any scratches on him whatsoever. It was as if he merely fell a few feet rather than a few hundred. A nine out of ten drop, if anyone were to judge.

Since the only clean way to get out of here was through the Kingdom's front gate, Tom had no choice but to make the long trek on over there. As he traveled through the upper regions, he noticed numerous air force units on their Pegastrikes flying their way back to the castle. Then he spotted a squad of soldiers several yards ahead of him running towards his direction. Tom rapidly found himself hiding in the shadows of a nearby dark alley, the squad running past him as they fortunately didn't see hide nor hair of him. An entire platoon of soldiers followed shortly after.

Why were all the knights falling back to the castle? The threat was yet to be eliminated and no other force besides him infiltrated the castle. They couldn't have discovered evidence of his presence because he left nary a trace other than a very messy room. For someone as hyper and chaotic as Star, that should be commonplace and nothing to raise alarms over. If it was because of the unconscious maid, they wouldn't need everyone assigned to the town to investigate. So why the sudden retreat?

As strange as this sudden development was, Tom cleared his head and continued to run his way towards the front gate. He stayed out of the main streets and sprinted through various alleyways as to avoid as much soldiers as possible. Luckily, any citizen in the area either cowered in the safety of their homes or were too occupied with hiding and/or running from the towering threat to pay Tom any mind.

"Go! Go! Go!" Why, that sounded like the barking, authoritative voice of Star's dad. "Escort the civilians into the castle in a quick and orderly fashion. As soon as everyone is accounted for, secure the perimeter and take defensive positions! Double time, let's go!"

Was he the forerunner of this mass military withdrawal? But he was well known to almost always stand his ground no matter how badly things may seem. What is going on?

Whatever. That was especially weird, but he had to stay focused and assure a clean and stealthy departure. His journey continued.

Eventually, he caught a distant view of the Rayvern over the horizon of some buildings, its back directed towards him. There weren't any soldiers left orbiting it on their Pegastrikes nor any more projectiles being shot in its direction. In fact, its advances seemed to have halted as its focus was shifted to something on the ground that was within extremely close proximity.

An unidentified object flew high into the air. It was the lean frame of a person, presumably a woman, with her hair flowing in the breeze and a sword raised high in the sky. The blade blindingly reflected the glimmering golden rays of the sun. Then, there echoed a distinct, piercing voice. It sounded as clear as if it was just a few feet away.

"RULES OF NAAATUUUURE!"

Less than a second after, chunks of flesh and scales came flying in all directions from the Rayvern's face and the person that hovered in the air disappeared.

As he went further through the buildings, Tom lost sight of the dragon but gained an overpowering feeling of bewilderment at how quickly is face was torn apart. His heart went as fast as his running speed as he tried to parse why and how they were able to damage is scales. Before they proceeded with their excursion to resurrect the dragon, Toffee went into excruciating detail about the creature, saying how its scales were among the second strongest in all of dragonkind and its tremendous strength and ferocity has cleared out multiple armies. It took one of Mewni's old queens a week to finally kill it after inventing an all-mighty spell that ended up fading into obscurity for hundreds of years for some unknown reason.

But it looks like whoever just cut that dragon down discovered and mastered it rather quickly.

After a few more kilometers, Tom reached an area marked by the Rayvern's handiwork. A lot of burning buildings and bloodied and battered corpses lined the roads and alleyways. There were a scant few survivors shakily hiding themselves beneath the torn buildings or large pieces of debris. Some had their bodies mangled and crushed beneath the rubble as they weakly and hopelessly begged for help or death. Tom callously continued on, the mission being the utmost of importance over people he didn't know or care about.

Two reverberating thuds, one after another, cracked the sound barrier, with a deathly silence that followed instantly after. The Rayvern no longer roared or rampage.

OK, he had to check it out. After seeing its head getting sliced up and now hearing it possibly die, Tom's morbid curiosity shoved its way to the forefront of his mind and forcefully steered his path towards the source of the noise and the direction of where the beast might have been.

After making his way past buildings that were reduced to mere piles of wood and tinder, he finally reached a large open area.

The Rayvern's corpse was somehow reduced to a clean giant skeleton and a sliced, disembodied skull, with not even a semblance of flesh or blood left on any of its bones.

His three eyes caught a glance at something else among the ginormous pile of bones.

Something that turned every fiber of his being into an inferno.

* * *

"Whoaah," They simultaneously spoke in awe. Star's voice was hoarse and lowered.

The dragon's severed head and its body were getting cloaked in green embers that grew into larger green flames that completely covered them. Then the flames rose to the sky from each part of the corpse, removing the scales and organs and leaving behind a pristine skeleton and a disembodied skull. The flames converged into one another, then speedily traveled its way in a snake-like shape towards the direction of the Kingdom's front gate, disappearing far into the horizon until it was no longer sight.

"Huh, that was pretty cool, but concerning." Marco remarked, scratching his brown hair. "Alright Star, ya ready to go now?"

"Just... five more..." Star struggled to keep her eyes open. All the adrenaline and dopamine that was vigorously pumped into her system from the prior battle quickly dissolved and replaced with fatigue and a pulsing soreness all over her body that was more intense than the last time she used her Dark magic. Her vision gradually faded as her grip on consciousness loosened. "M...arc..ooo..."

"Star?" He called out, worried.

No response. His eyes widened and his voice raised.

"Star!?"

More silence. Marco's heart began racing as his mind automatically assumed the worst.

"Star!"

His body swiftly shifted to the side. Since it no longer propped her up, she immediately fell back, her head landing on his lap.

Marco breathed a light sigh of comfort when he saw and felt her still rhythmically drawing breath, but it was heavy and labored. That fight must have taken all of it out of her.

He wanted to get up and carry her all the way back to the castle to get some rest, but he was a touch exhausted himself. Eh, some people from the castle were bound to reach their position at some point and will most likely transport them via horseback or carriage.

He had enough strength to carry himself and Star a few feet over to the overturned dragon skull that laid before them. He sat down and leaned himself against it as Star leaned right next to him. In spite of the solid and bumpy texture of the skull, Marco quickly eased into relaxation, mostly because of this cute girl peacefully leaning her head on his shoulder in deep slumber. He tilted his head against hers, their hair closely rubbing against one another in a complimentary blend of blondes and browns. His eyes slowly shut, not out of a need to doze off, but out of a desire to rest his senses while still maintaining awareness.

"MARCOOO!" His eyes shot open as he heard the familiar yell of fury emanating from several yards away. He rubbed his eyes and focused ahead to see Tom slowly shuffling towards him, tightly balling up both fists and baring his sharp teeth.

"Tom?" Marco called out. He arose and adjusted Star's position to lean against the skull without falling over. "What are you doing he-"

The sentence abruptly ended when he suddenly found Tom hovering in front of him, winding his left arm for a punch. Marco couldn't react in time as he felt the instantaneous blunt force impacting his cheek and sending his body careening several yards away from the skull.

The hooded teen groaned as he strained to push himself off the ground. With a punch like that, it was a shock that his jaw didn't immediately fly off its hinges. His body quickly regained balance and his mind and nerves electrified themselves awake as they reflexively switched him into defense mode.

"Tom!? What are you doing?" Marco asked as he stiffened his muscles and put his fists up. Upon further inspection of the demon before him, his left hand seemed to be surrounded in red tattoos that were similar in pattern to the ones on his own right arm. Green flames filled what used to be pupils on all three of his eyes.

"Get... away... from her..." He seethed through gritted teeth, ignoring Marco's words and slowly advancing.

No wonder The Underworld hasn't been answering any of the Butterfly Kingdom's messages. Moon's concerns of what became of the kingdom were confirmed as Marco witnessed Tom clearly being under Toffee's influence.

"Dude, what's gotten into you?" Marco asked, slowly backing up. "Why are you letting Toffee do this to you?"

"Oh no, this is aaalll me," The demon prince snarled, now power walking his way to his prey. He soon caught up and threw a fast right hook, which Marco managed to dodge this time. He threw several more in quick succession, but they all whiffed.

"Tom! Did you forget about the bro time we spent in your carriage?" Marco said, still avoiding several blows and blocking others. "Mackey Hand? The tiger? Love Sentence? We sang a duet for crying out loud!"

"And now I'm about to sing a dirge for your death!"

Despite how fast and forceful Tom's strikes were, they tended to be unfocused and revealed too many clear wind ups, which was how Marco was able to avoid them with ease. After a while, the demon prince stopped and focused. He needed to take the brief time to read his enemy's movements and catch him precisely at the right moment.

Marco noticed that, unlike everyone he's fought prior, Tom did not glow an aura of any color. He surmised that it must be because he held the Devil Hand, so it sort of balances out with the God Hand. Their strengths now were their own. He wondered if Tom went through the same experiences he had while having one of the Hands.

Whether it was a lapse in judgment by Marco or Tom simply stepping up his game, a fist managed to catch the red-hooded teen's cheek yet again. Instantly following that was a hook to his other cheek, then a hard jab to his gut, then the combo ended with a roundhouse kick square in the nose, resulting in Marco flying back several feet yet again. He landed with a loud thud and his body slid a short distance across the rough, rocky land.

The downed teen immediately shot up straight, wiping the saliva and blood that coated his mouth. He was being given no choice now. Tom clearly wanted none of it and nothing seemed enough to quell his violent fit of rage. Since his brief attempts at vocally deterring his violent path proved futile, he decided to go for the offensive and beat the evil out of who he thought was his friend.

His attempts weren't any more fruitful than Tom's at the beginning. The raging demon either deftly moved out of the way or caught the blows with defensive strikes of his own.

Unbeknownst to the possessed prince, however, Marco wasn't trying to get a hit on him. He was scanning his movements to get a measure of his speed and his patterns and analyzing his style. After deciding he got sufficient data, Marco's strikes became slightly sluggish, purposely missing in order to influence Tom's movements in his favor.

Getting cocky and flashing a smirk, the demon prince began gloating. "C'mon Marco, is that all you-"

Got him. Finding an opening in his arrogance, Marco managed to get in a right hook to his cheek, followed by a left jab to the bridge of his nose, then a swift kick to his gut. While Tom's body bent forwards, Marco grabbed him by the horns and rapidly and repeatedly beat his face in with his knee. It lasted for several seconds until Marco took a moment to release his grip and delivered a high kick to his face, sending him a few feet into the air and a few feet forward. He landed hard and flat on his back.

"Urrgh, not bad," Tom commented, rubbing and moving his lower jaw as he returned to his feet. "Guess all those years of Karate and chasing after Hekapoo didn't completely go to waste. How 'bout we compare punch rushes?"

"Gladly," And with that challenge, Marco gathered his strength as he bent both arms back. Shouting to the very limits of his vocal chords and unleashing a blinding flurry of fists, he commenced. "AAADIADIADIADIADIADIADI!"

With a snarky smirk and a scoff, Tom reciprocated with a shout and a barrage of his own. "WRRRYYYYYYYEEAAAHHH!"

The thundering thumps of their fists clashing in mach speed succession overpowered their respective battle cries as they echoed all throughout Mewni and possibly the Multiverse itself. It was an intense, neck and neck battle between unstoppable forces and immovable objects as the two remained stone statue still in place, each energetically delivering instant impact after instant impact while simultaneously blocking the other's. The images of their rapidly moving fists blurred into one another in a cloudy mess of purples and browns as blinking sparks and sonic booms flashed between their continuous onslaught.

But much like Marco did prior to their punching contest, Tom was merely analyzing his speedy and sporadic patterns in order to find an opening to end this stalemate

And find it, he did.

In a split-second, Marco gasped as he found his fists being halted and firmly grasped in place as Tom shot a devious smile at his opponent. He took his shock as a chance to pull him towards his direction as he brought his foot forward, sending it into his gut and squeezing out a hard huff of air from his lungs.

The red-hooded teen remained tall as he closely caught himself and staggered a few feet backwards. As if nothing happened, Marco positioned back into his fighting stance, vigilantly preparing for any more oncoming attacks with a sharp scowl.

"Too slow, too slow!" Tom taunted, dismissively shrugging his shoulders as he moved forward. "How can you call yourself worthy of that Hand if you can barely keep up with mine?"

Marco took the chance to hurriedly advance. He was sliding his feet and shifting his body laterally in a serpentine manner in an attempt to keep his movements as unreadable as possible. When he thought he had an opportunity, Marco performed a swift diagonal kick to Tom's jaw.

"I think it's missing a little something," Tom remarked as he adeptly caught his attacker's foot. He followed by tossed him several feet in the air, his target's body performing a series of backflips as he yelped.

Tom took the opportunity to draw his arm back. He noticed that time didn't slow down like it usually did when he brought up his menu. No problem. He went through his Roulette menu anyways and quickly picked a move that best made use of Marco's air time. Perfect.

 **Kung Fu Tango.**

Upon nearly landing in the ground, Marco found himself getting painfully juggled in the air by Tom's arms wildly windmilling in front of him. After a few moments, Tom stopped to wind his left arm back, and in the blink of an eye, Marco's body was instantly driven into a pile of what used to be a house.

Even though his body was in deep agony, he somehow still remained awake, the primal need to fight and survive remaining steadfast in his mind and muscles. He pushed some debris off his body and struggled to pick himself off the pile of splintered wood.

"Ah, I see it now," Tom smugly stated as he casually made his way towards his weakened prey. "Your hand longs to break the bodies of your enemies..."

Marco shot out of his spot and decided to draw his arm back to pick a Roulette move of his own to retaliate with. Unfortunately, the menu failed to appear, leaving the hooded teen standing there like a fool as his enemy drew closer. Since his fist was up anyways, he instead ran towards the advancing foe, and with all the power he could muster, threw a heavy blow to his face, which was met with a blocking palm.

"...But you hold it back," Tom snidely stated, before pulling his opponent behind him and twisting his arm behind his back. Marco cried out in pain as Tom applied gradually increasing pressure to his arm.

Soon, Marco was brought to his knees, then his face was forcefully driven to the ground as his arm was standing straight up. Tom put a foot to the base of his shoulder, applying more force as he pulled his arm harder and higher in an attempt to tear it off its socket.

"What do you need this for?" Tom heatedly asked through grit teeth, still pulling up and pushing down with great aggression. Despite his downed enemy's position, there was hefty resistance. "Why do you even have it? How do you expect to fight with Star or protect the rest of Mewni if you can't even fight to protect yourself?"

The volume of Marco's tortured screams rose higher and higher as he fought hard to keep his arm intact. Any normal person would've lost their arm by now, but through intense willpower and a boundless sense of self preservation, he managed to hold on. He wasn't going to let this freak from Hell lay a finger on Star or make him lose another arm.

"I'm..." Marco finally spoke through grinding teeth and the excruciating pain that surged through his arm. "My H-Hand... is a tool... OF JUSTICE! Arrrrghhh!"

"Heh, how adorable," Tom sarcastically bit back, his grip and force unyielding. "Bringing a tool to a fist fight,"

In a flash, Marco felt the grasp on his arm and the foot on his shoulder leave him as he heard a startled shout, followed by a resounding crash several feet behind him. He took a few moments to recuperate, then propped himself up. Surprisingly, other than a sharp searing pain, his arm didn't feel anywhere close to being dislocated despite how much power Tom utilized in his attempts to tear his limb off.

With a light gasp, he witnessed Star, several feet in front of him, in her Dark Dip Down state holding an outstretched arm forwards. Among the black tears that streamed down her face were normal tears streaming alongside. Her expression was twisted in the deepest scowl ever to be formed by human or mewman muscles.

After using the last of her reserved energy, the princess's eyes drooped, her dark purple and green aura dissipated, and her body leaned limply forward. In one eye-blink motion, Marco managed to catch her in his arms before she fell hard on the rough, rocky ground.

"Star!" Marco flipped her over and checked her pulse. He sighed as he was relieved, and simultaneously surprised, to feel her heart remain beating, though in much alarming speeds and irregular rhythm. Two Dark Dip Downs and the Blinding Blade technique within an hour of one another should, in theory, be enough to kill a Mewman from the immensely heavy toll they place on the body.

With a pained groan, Tom pulled himself off the pile of rubble that was once occupied by his rival. He rubbed his head and gradually progressed towards Marco once again. The hooded teen held his comatose best friend closer and tighter as his enemy drew nearer and nearer.

"Urggh, alright then. I'm through playing ar-"

"Star! Marco!" Loudly called out the familiar voices of Moon and River Butterfly. They were several yards away as they both rode in on Warnicorns accompanied by an entire platoon of nights following close behind them.

"Heh, today's your lucky day Marco," Tom sneered arrogantly. "Looks like you get to keep that Hand and your life a little while longer. I may not have gotten what I wanted, but I already got what I needed."

In a heartbeat, the demon prince went speeding towards the Kingdom's front gate, going at breakneck speeds away from everyone else.

"Was that Tom?" River asked as her horse slowed to a stop. "What was he doing here?"

"Why has the Underworld been so unresponsive lately?" Moon asked no one in particular as she witnessed Tom rapidly disappearing in the distance. "Say it isn't so, Tom..."

Marco glanced towards the same direction, pensively wondering what deviated his friend from the right path he seemed to have been leading towards. What did Toffee do to him that took his chance at redemption away from him? All the anger management, all the time they spent making amends and building their friendship and making efforts to move on from Star. The leap and bounds he took towards bettering himself as a person and making the way for a happier future. Why was it all rendered meaningless in the blink of an eye?

Then his somber gaze shifted back to Star, who still weakly, yet soundly slept in his arms. His body stiffened and a warmth surged through his body. He answered the Queen's rhetorical question with bitter dismay.

"It's exactly why you think it is,"


	15. Creeping in Your System

Pitch black. Infinite darkness was all she could percieve.

Devoid of every sense. No sight, no smell, no touch, no hearing.

Was she dead? Is this what being dead felt like? Being an aimlessly drifting soul cursed to live out eternities in an empty void of blank nothingness, deprived of gaining any sort of physical or mental stimuli whatsoever? Cursed to an unending solitude with nothing but her own thoughts accompanied by the enumerable regrets accumulated from the brief, unfulfilled life she once lived?

Was there really no bright, sunny paradise in the clouds like everyone said there would be? Nor an everlasting lifetime of agony and suffering floating among other damned souls in the blazing rivers of the Underworld overseen by Tom's family?

Nothing at all? Nothing?

Being dead sucks. Like a lot.

Star couldn't even feel her own body. She felt like she was experiencing that one dumb trope in animation where whenever the characters were in a pitch black room, their eyes were the only things visible.

Except this was her afterlife. Just existing as a pair of floating eyes and a consciousness that couldn't provide nor absorb anything worthwhile.

No, wait... she began to feel something after all.

The unbearable weight of all of her failures as a result of her death.

Her failure to stop Toffee's reign of terror. The failure to fulfill her role as a princess of Mewni. The failure to be future queen and eventually taking her mother's place. The failure to protect her loved ones from falling in the evil clutches of those who wished them harm.

The failure to live out the rest of her days with the one she loved.

Now that she thought about it, the last thing she remembered before dying was using the last of her strength to save his life from... Tom. She could be slightly at ease knowing he could live to fight another day. That God Hand he has will likely keep him safe from now on.

But man, not only did she have all this remorse weighing down on her, but so many lingering questions squirmed uncomfortably in her disembodied psyche. Like, what was Tom doing there and why was he fighting Marco? What's Toffee's endgame in all this? Where was Glossaryck and why has he done nothing to help? What's going to happen to Mewni now that she was gone? Ugh, all this reflection was just exhausting.

Well, she couldn't exactly _feel_ exhausted, but it was more like... there was a proverbial elephant in the endless void that she really wanted to ignore until it no longer occupied space in her ethereal mind.

Hold on, now... her "ears" or, lack thereof, picked up a faint noise. Or maybe she was already succumbing to the insanity of this dreadful isolation.

No, no, there was definitely a noise. Several, to be precise. They were subtle, but rhythmic. Click, clack. Click, clack. They went at a continual one-two rhythm.

Footsteps. They were footsteps. Footsteps that gradually heightened in volume with each passing second.

They ceased for a moment. A few more. Then a minute. Then there huffed a rather hefty sigh. Of relief? Exasperation? Stress? Star couldn't tell. It went silent once more.

If her body was still around, it would have definitely jumped hard because the unnerving quiet was suddenly shattered by an ear-piercing creak. Presumably that of an old, large door. It was a familiar creak though. She couldn't pinpoint exactly how or why, but it just was.

"You've a lot of nerve showing yourself around here after what you've done," Viciously spoke one voice. It sounded like an old lady. Maybe around her mom's age. The distinguished and snooty manner of speaking was definitely similar.

"I've come to bid farewell, mother," Said a significantly younger voice, possibly several years older than Star. She sounded unapologetic towards whatever her actions and resulting repercussions were.

"Ah, well how thoughtful of you." The mother bit back with bitter sarcasm. "You think now to betray Mewni and her people. To abandon all that we've represented and fought to the bitter end for. To leave everyone you cared about and those who cared about you. To carelessly toss away your title, your throne, and your duties. For _them,_ "

"If that's the interpretation you're going with, then so be it," The daughter spoke, still pretty firm in her convictions. "If you want to remain in your precious little bubble, wallowing in your own bigotry and willful ignorance, refusing to understand anything beyond our impenetrable, isolating walls, then be my guest. I merely came here out of principle."

"Hmph. The second you lifted a finger for those... walking piles of excrement, you've lost the right to speak of the very concept of "principle". You are no daughter of mine. You shouldn't even consider yourself a Mewman at this point. You're a mistake. A diseased clot on the Royal Bloodline."

Silence. Thick enough to put on the chopping block and take a swing. Even though that biting comment wasn't directed towards her, Star felt her soul shudder in shame. Her own mother never said this or thought this way, but Star always felt it was what she deserved for how much she screwed up in the past. But whoever this current queen was messed up big time if it sounded like they were exiled. For treachery involving monsters, she assumed.

"For what it's worth," The daughter continued, deliberately disregarding her mother's dagger-twisting tirade. "If there's anything I took away from my studies here, it was the Royal Adage. I shan't ever forget it,"

Another awkward passing of time without a sound. Royal Adage? Star didn't remember hearing anything about this when she first got the wand. But then again, she wasn't the most studious while she was still on Earth and under Glossaryck's tutelage.

The mother finally broke the silence. Her tone, out of the blue, neutralized itself and she began to speak solemnly. "We are born of the Arcane. Made whole by the Arcane. Undone by the Arcane. Our hearts have yet to unravel. Our minds remain lucid. Our souls continue to shine."

"Fear the Old Arts," Both emotionlessly ended in unison.

Another short pause in time. That's quite a motto to remember. Won't do Star any good, but at least she had something to ruminate over for the next eternity or so. Maybe she could make a song out of it or something. She'd be the only featured artist and the only audience. A number one hit for sure.

"Goodbye, mother," With that, another shorter set of footsteps emanated from the darkness. The door moved with another screeching creak, proceeded by a resounding click as it finally closed.

The Old Arts? Was that referring to Dark Magic? If Star had a head, it would be reeling from all this information overload right now. So many questions she would ask her mom if she had the chance.

Star wanted to say she knew exactly what this conversation was about and who the proclaimed "traitor" was. Her name and her legacy was on the tip of her tongue. What was it, again?

"By the Cosmos, fear it, Eclipsa,"

* * *

Star gasped herself awake as she rose with hurried breaths and cold sweats. She was gripped by an overbearing feeling of elation as she found herself miraculously still alive and back in her bedroom.

It was clearly in the wee hours of the night. The moons cast their pale essence upon the blackened, scarred lands of the Butterfly Kingdom. The encompassing glow leaked through the thin gaps of her closed curtains, making bright little slivers on her floor.. She must've been out all day. Or several for all she knew.

After all she went through in that fight with the Rayvern, she didn't feel as fatigued as she should be, but a faint, dull pain surged through her body with every little movement. All those moves she pulled off really did a number on her petite, developing body. It's somewhat of a miracle that she could even move a finger. Must be that inherited barbarian blood that has often driven her father to perform feats that defied belief and Mewman physical limitations.

In a near identical scene from the prior night, she noticed another presence at the end of her greatly sized canopy bed. Thankfully this time, she didn't feel the need to frantically pull out her wand in defense as it was just the peacefully slumbering body of Janna. She was facing towards Star, her eyes shut and her breathing in a relaxed tempo. She seemed to be borrowing one of Star's nightgowns, while, of course, still wearing that beanie. Since they were outside of her usual tomboyish fashion, she admittedly looked pretty cute in them.

And as with all cute things, they must be unquestionably booped. Star crawled herself over to her soundly sleeping bedmate and took a soft poke at her nose. No response. She tried again, a little harder. Still nothing. She decided to do multiple boops in quick succession. Her body stirred a little and instinctively attempted to wave away whatever just tried to disturb her sleep.

"Errrm Marco, you missed my mouth..." Janna mumbled in her sleep. Star's head drew slightly aback and her eyes widened as she was siezed by a combination of discomfort and perverse curiosity as to what she could possibly be dreaming about if Marco was involved. "Gimme that thick, spicy burrito you, herrhh..."

Oh good, she was just dreaming about being fed cultural cuisine. For a second, Star thought she might've been having a dirty dream. On her bed no less. It was weird either way, but at least it wasn't anything she should lose sleep over.

"Jaannnaaa..." Star loudly whispered as she resorted to shaking the tricky teen. "Wake uuupppp..."

But she wouldn't. She was still deeply immersed in whatever bizarro dreamland she resided in. Star might as well be trying to shake a rock awake. She briefly considered waking her up with the wand, but quickly decided against it as Janna might end up getting hurt and still somehow remain fast asleep.

"Faster Marco. Fasterrrr...!" Janna softly moaned as Star's shoving intensified. "Ohhh..."

"JANNA!" Star finally yelled, left with no other non-violent choice.

"Gah!" her eyelids flew open with a startled yelp. She groggily rubbed her eyes as she propped herself up on one elbow. She looked relieved as she saw who woke her up. "St-Star? Hey, you're ok! We were getting worried you'd be out for like days or something."

"How long was I out?"

Janna took a few moments to think as she tried to shake the sleepiness off. "You were out for the rest of the day since we picked you up. As of a few hours ago, it's already tomorrow."

"Hmm, I see," Star said, pleased with the answer. Something still pulled at her mind that she could not easily ignore. "Sooo, whatcha dreamin' about?"

Janna's eyes suspicously ping-ponged back and forth as the question lingered in the air. She took a blatant swallow. "Uhh, why do you ask?"

"It's just, y'know," Star's train of thought was a bit wobbly as she tried not to think about the implications. She tried to channel her inner Jackie Lynn Thomas as she exuded an air of friendliness and understanding. But really, she inadvertedly sounded more like a yandere about ready to stab a bitch. "I heard you sayin' Marco's name. Talkin' 'bout burritos and going in your mouth and telling him to go faster. What's that all about?"

"Oh, heheheh, y-y'know..." She laughed nervously, trying to cope with the awkward situation weighing on her shoulders. "Since he's a, uhh, good c-cook and all, I just had a really good dream about him.. making me- making us dinner! Yeah, that's right. Aw man, he made the beeest burritos you could ever taste. There was a lotta beef, cheese, sour cream and it all melted in your mouth juuuust right. Yup. Nothing dirty whatsoever. Hahahah!"

"Yeeaahh, I do miss his cooking..." Star reminisced, longingly looking to the distance. "Well, that's too bad. I would have loooved to spend the rest of the night talking about doing lewd things to Marco behind his back."

"Wait, really?" Janna was caught off guard, but she eventually eased up and flashed a devious smile."Well in that case, maybe I _wasn't_ dreaming about Marco making burritos."

"Ooh, juicy!" Star was giddy with hormonal excitement. It was great to take her mind off the day's past events and that weird dream where she thought she was dead. Her eyes fluttered and her voice lowered to sensual levels when she asked. "Then what, pray tell my fair Janna, were you doing with Marco in that dream?"

"Ehh," Janna contemplatively rubbed her chin in thought. As much as she would like to have a fun conversation and giggle all through the night, it was late. "Y'know I'd love to share all the gory details with ya Star, but it's really late. We gotta get up pretty early in the morning. Your mom wanted to wrap up all the stuff from her earlier meeting, which included turning Marco into a knight."

"Marco's getting knighted!?" Gasped Star, who began frantically fanning her face with her hands as she childishly hopped in her bed. "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh, he's gonna be a Knight of the Butterfly Kingdom! Oh I'm so proud! My bestie's movin' up in the world. Well, my world that is."

"Oh yeah, I also managed to find more of those spells hidden between pages of your spellbook. Like the first one, they were all in school notebook paper for some reason."

"Janna, the more you're telling me, the more I don't wanna go back to sleep," Star restlessly spoke, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Well, you can go check 'em out on your desk if you want to. I'm headin' back to fantasy land. G'night." Janna rested her head back onto her pillow as she gently drifted back to sleep.

Pushed by her reinvigorated desire to advance her magical training with top-secret, advanced spells, Star leaped out of her bed. As soon as her bare feet touched down, her legs violently shook beneath her weight, and she barely caught herself as she staggered against the edge of her bed.

"Whoa," She whispered to herself. She didn't realize how weak her body's gotten from all the strain it took earlier. "Maybe I should get back to bed, too. Dang it. I really wanted to check out those spells."

The physically frail princess crawled back on top of her bed, and she returned to her silky soft pillows that were not only good at absorbing tears, but also good at causing one to instantly doze off the second their head was absorbed in its overwhelming comfort.

* * *

A red, swirling vortex sliced its way into the air. Tom stepped out, looking a bit miffed. He had to run quite a few miles from the Butterfly Lands before he was able to use his dimensional scissors. He returned to the spot where he and Toffee resurrected that Rayvern.

"Ah, you're back." Toffee simply spoke as he blankly gazed into the distance. "I take it everything went swimmingly?"

"Uhh, yeah. No problems at all." Tom said, unconvinced by his own words. He pulled the coveted prize from his pocket. "It was a cakewalk."

"Oh really?" Toffee remarked, raising an eyebrow and smiling. "Because that's not what I saw."

"Er, what?"

Without a further word, Toffee brought his unnaturally long arm to his face. The half-crystal in his palm lit up, its eery green color enlargening and brightening with each passing second as he recited an incantation.

"I summon the All-seeing eye to tear a hole into the sky. Reveal to me that which has passed. Unveil to me the events of last."

His palm rose to the sky as it emanated a blinding green flash that disappeared a split-second after. Out of thin air, a dark purple rift in space appeared before them, replaying a magical recording of Tom engaging in bloody combat with Marco. The view was crystal clear and close to them as if a cameraman had been there shooting the whole debacle.

"Oh, heheheh...yeah, that happened. Almost forgot." Tom nervously laughed, a blush of embarassment painted on his face.

"It's not that big a deal." Toffee waved off. "I was a teenager once too, you know. It's not like I didn't get in my share of petty squabbles. Ask your father."

"Wait, have you been watching me the whole time?" Tom asked, realization setting in.

"You and everyone else,"

"So you saw that I uhh..." Tom's face reddened even more.

"Like I said before, I was a teenager once." Toffee dryly stated. "I know we have a level of trust between one another, but you can't be too careful. I'm sure you understand."

"I guess," Tom plainly responded, scratching his spiky red hair.

"Now then, the moment I've been waiting for,"

Toffee extended his right palm as Tom gingerly placed the torn digit back in its place.

Green magical energy surged throught it a s the now complete arm grew bulkier and muscular as scales began forming around it. The arm was now more disproportionate to the body.

What followed was the gradual forming of a field of green energy surrounding Ludo's body. Slowly and steadily, a dark-green scaly figure began materializing and molding itself around the avian's body as it became completely obfuscated by the full, muscular build of Toffee's original form.

Toffee, after finishing his reformation, closed his eyes and began to deeply exhale through the nostrils of his snout, then made an even deeper exhale through his alligator mouth. At long last, he was back. And in peak condition. Like he was reborn into something new and much more than he used to be. It was as if Moon never casted her darkest spell on his finger in the first place.

Ludo's tiny body squeezed itself out of Toffee's scaly abdomen, reminiscent of the time his castle blew up and he was hatched out of an egg. He was being reborn a second time.

He fell with a dull thud as he slowly awoke from a very long slumber.

"Urrgh... what happened...?" Ludo sleepily asked himself as he pushed his body up and rubbed his large, round head. "Oh, my head... Where am- ayyyy!"

Toffee dug his claw into Ludo's cranium as he deftly picked up his near weightless body. He brought his startled face to his spiteful reptilian eyes. Ludo began visibly shaking and sweating as he was trying to parse what was going on.

"T-Toffee!? Wuh-What are you-"

"Sending you on your way," The lizard venomously interrupted as he answered Ludo's shortened question.

Holding the little bird creature like a football, Toffee turned around and took aim towards the horizon. He then, with little to no effort, tossed Ludo across all of Mewni. His screams of terror echoed all throughout the land as his body rapidly became a dot that blinked out of existence with a flashing white sparkle in the sky.

"Phew, that felt cathartic. Being inside him was getting claustrophobic," Toffee stated, turning back around to an embarrassed Tom who tried his hardest to avert his gaze by looking off to the side and holding a hand in front of his turned face. "What?"

"You're uhh..." Tom responded, still looking away. "You're not. Wearing..."

Figuring out what he was talking about, Toffee faced down to see that his hulking form was indeed baring itself to the elements and lacked any sort of cover whatsoever.

"Hmm, indeed I'm not." Toffee answered, aloof and apathetic to his uncouth exposure. "Perhaps I should visit my new friend for a set of clothes to accommodate my rebirth."

"New friend?"

"Eh, don't dwell on it too much." The reptile waved dismissively. "Just someone I met that helped me understand things."

Another rip in space tore through as Hekapoo strolled out of the vibrant orange vortex.

"I'm baaaack, Toffeeee-oohhhh!" The horned harlot stopped dead in her tracks as her widened eyes perversely groped her master's body and stroked that which hung betwen his legs that wasn't his tail. A lengthy strand of drool hung from the corner of her mouth.

"Yes, and so am I," The lizard jovially said, his teeth baring in a sly smirk. "How is our intern faring?"

"I, uh, eh, oohhh..Errr..." Hekapoo sputtered, her head and her loins all in a tizzy from this well-sculpted Septarsis statue that stood before her.

"Excuse me!" Toffee clapped his claws in front of her face as she shook her head rapidly to snap herself back to reality.

"Oh, oh! Yeah, her! Umm." She gathered her scattered thoughts, looking at the ground and scratching her chin reflectively. "Well she's-"

"Doing just fine," Finished a familiar chill, valley girl voice from behind Hekapoo. She moved out of the way, presenting Toffee with the newest addition of their little group. His scaly lips shifted into an even curvier smile.

This was definitely not the same person that Toffee first plucked from Earth. It felt like only a few hours ago when he was persuading her to join his cause as a means to keep Marco from getting hurt. In fact, it was.

Eight minutes. Eight minutes was all it took.

It was plenty of time to forge an everyday California teen into an interdimensional killing machine.


	16. My True Aesthetic's Unwinding

For someone as prestigious as Hekapoo, you'd think her abode would be far more luxurious and dignified. But nope. Her home is akin to a witch's shack and the area looks like the aftermath of a nuclear explosion. The skies were a noxious green color that were suffocating the lungs to even look at and it was just bleak, barren wastelands everywhere else.

A platoon of about a dozen Hekapoo clones guarded the outskirts of their progenitor's house. They wore very impractical armor that bore their bellies to the elements and only concealed their chests, waists, shins, and forearms. They were armed with long, flaming glaives that surpassed their heights.

One Hekapoo was yawning. Another yelled at her for doing it too close to her flame. Everyone else stood steadfast as they firmly grasped their weapons in preparation for whoever dared to tread the property.

"We've got incoming!" One clone announced as she pointed at a figure in the distance moving in their direction. Everyone else pointed their weapons towards the intruder.

They were a lean humanoid female clad in a black leather jacket adorned with metal braces on the forearms and a metal pad on the right shoulder. Matching the jacket was a pair of black jeans that also had pieces of metal adhered to the knees that stood above a pair of long steel-shinned and steel-toed boots. Beneath her jacket was a purple t-shirt accompanied by an orange seashell necklace around her neck. They couldn't see what the stranger's face looked like as it was concealed behind a pair of pitch black goggles and a black cowl with baring shark teeth displayed around the mouth. The one distinct feature the clones could see was a long pony tail protruding from her head that had a streak of sea-blue among shiny blonde hair.

And the wanderer appeared to be... skateboarding in their direction? Upon further inspection, the board looked somewhat makeshift, but it was painted in bright blue with a red stripe slashed along its length.

She stopped several yards away from the Hekapoo clones. Her board was kicked up and holstered behind her back. She slowly strolled forward, seemingly without a care in the world.

Two of the clones charged forward, emitting enraged battlecries as they held their ignited glaives forward to impale and incinerate the intruder.

The stranger's fingerless gloved hands pulled out a pair of short katana-style blades, with which she stylishly spun them in her fingers as she directed them towards the ground. She still walked forward, the thought of deviating from her straight path never crossing her mind.

When their weapons drew close enough, the stranger's smaller blades clashed against theirs as she powerfully pushed the weapons away, sending them flying towards opposite sides, leaving the clones unarmed.

Both of them attempted to salvage the situation by throwing a fist towards their foe's face, which was swiftly responded with a blade thrusted into each of their throats. The assailant pulled her arms back and brought their heads closer to hers. With a couple puffs of air, the flames above their red heads faded away and so did they. And then there were ten.

"Everyone, get her!" One Hekapoo clone commanded, leading the charge while the rest followed, all yelling war cries at the tip of their lungs.

The remaining ten clones stopped several feet in front of their attacker. They held their weapons to the sky, then quickly lunged them forward as multiple streams of fire burst forth from their blades. The streams crossed and spiraled around one another and grew into an even larger pillar of fire, relentlessly flying towards their target.

With a scoff, the lone assassin pulled a marble-sized sperical object from her pocket and quickly tossed it towards the oncoming attack. The ensuing collision between opposing forces caused a dense, ever-expanding cloud of mist to form.

Eventually, the cold haze nearly filled the entire area, covering at least several kilometers of land. The Hekapoo clones' vision was completely shrouded, barely able to see the ground, the sky, or even each other.

"Stay close." the leading clone sharply demanded from everyone else. "She can't possibly get us all like this,"

They all backed up against each other, forming a circle with their glaives facing outwards to cover every possible angle.

A long, drawn out silence shared space with the thick mist that surrounded the clones. Some of them were determined. Some were nervous. Some of them really wanted to murder this chick so they could return to their master already. Either way, they all refused to step an inch from their spots.

Something unseen flew past all of them. With a hushed whoosh, one of the clones disappeared in the blink of an eye. Nine remaining.

"Wha!?" A clone standing next to the one that vanished noticed with a startled yelp. "Where did she go?"

"Hold your ground," Ordered the bossy clone. "No matter what happens, do not. Move. From this spot."

"Aahh!" Two clones screamed, followed by the simultaneous end of their lives. Seven left.

"Ohhh man," One clone lamented, her teeth chattering profusely. Whether it was from the cold mist or the unnerving idea that she'll be next was unclear. "Fuck it, I'm getting her myself! Aaaaarghhh!"

"No wait!" Another clone cried out in an attempt to stop the one that ran. But it was too late.

Barely seconds after she immersed herself into the mist, her battle cry was abruptly cut with a shrill yelp, followed by a resounding poof. Six still stood.

"If any of you even think about following her, I'll grab you and blow you out myself," Coldly threatened the bossy clone.

Tension accompanied the thick fog as nothing else happened for several more minutes. The mist remained obfuscating the entire area unabated. The six clones began getting restless and distraught. Their palms and their faces were drenched in sweat despite the chilling air that bit against their rough, white skin . The uneventfulness was nerve-wracking, and the fact that they couldn't see where their stalker was nor when she was going to strike next added to the already heavy tension in the air.

"C'mon out, you coward!" One clone screamed, trying to provoke their enemy to reveal themselves. "Marco's probably knee deep in bug pussy by now! D'ya ever think about how many times she's made him cum? I bet they'll have a dozen babies by the time you reach him!"

"You idiot, what are you doing?" An adjacent clone hissed, sour concern evident in her tone. "Are you actually _trying_ to get your flame put out or what?"

"If it'll make it easier and quicker to catch her, then yeah. I'm trying to bait her out, y'know?"

"Yeah wel-"

"Aahh!" The baiting clone shrieked as she witnessed her dissenter blink out of existence in less than a second. Only Five now.

"Yo- You don't s-scare us!" The baiting clone put on a brave act, failing to hide her obvious terror. "R-right, girls?"

The rest of the clones nervously nodded their heads in agreement, just as in denial as the baiting clone.

"See? We ain't gonna-"

She noticed a black blurr whiz past her, inches from her head. She heard four poofs, one after another.

She slowly turned around, her yellow eyes bugging out of her skull and her red pupils becoming pinpricks.

She was the last one standing.

The mist faded considerably faster than it appeared, almost instantly, as if someone sucked it all up with a vacuum.

The assailant stood before the final clone, several feet away. She held her Tanto in both hands, the tip of each blade pointing diagonally towards the ground. Her figure stood perfectly still, as if she were completely frozen in time.

"What are you waiting for? Make a move already!" The clone shouted, once again trying to egg her opponent on.

Other than clutching her curved daggers even tighter, the assailant barely made a budge. It was as if her willful stoicism was a silent, unmoving challenge. To goad her final opponent into making a mistake and being responsible for their own undoing.

And boy, did it work.

"Alright then, have it your way. Aaaaarghhh!" Fed up with her adversary's inactivity, she chose to recklessly charge towards her, holding her glaive straight ahead to impale her.

To the surprise of no one, the stranger simply sidestepped, raising one arm and bringing it back down to chop the weapon in half, then she caught the bladed half in both hands and adeptly plunged the broken glaive into the clone's abdomen. She then followed up with a hard strike to her forehead using the butt end of her handle to knock her to the ground.

As the Hekapoo laid in the ground, rubbing her forehead with one hand and leaning against the other, the masked woman menacingly walked forward. You can practically see the "ゴゴゴ" vibrating and floating behind her as she coldly gazed upon her incapacitated foe, silently judging her and coming up with countless ways to brutally finish off her final obstacle.

"Do your worst," The downed clone bitterly challenged, intently glossing over the fact that there's a sharp piece of metal jutting out of her stomach. "Doesn't matter what it is. They've probably done it a million times by now. I can hear Star now. 'Ohhh Marcooo! Fill my womb with your thick, warm seed! Make me pregnant behind your girlfriend's back! Kimochiiii-desu!'"

In a scornful response, the masked woman repeatedly stomped on the clone's face, causing her once gorgeous visage to deteriorate into a bruised, battered, and nigh unrecognizable mess. One eye was swollen shut and several of her sharp teeth were either gone or chipped off. Her nose bent far to the side.

"Ish dat all you gah?" Tauntingly slurred the clone as she spoke through her fat lips and broken teeth. "C'mah, dat pain ishn't eben enuw to turr me on!"

Having it up to here with her shit, she applied one last stomp on the space between her horns, extinguishing her flame and, subsequently, her life.

"Fffak yew!" The clone spat before her body dissolved in a puff of smoke.

With her blades still drawn and wasting no time, the wanderer broke off into a sprint towards the real Hekapoo's house. With all the force she could gather, she kicked both large doors as they crashed against the adjacent walls.

"It's common courtesy to knock, y'know," Snarkily spoke the original Hekapoo, lounging on a red velvet couch facing the door as if she was expecting this rudely abrupt visit. "Did those sixteen years take away your manners?"

"Didn't need 'em," The stranger finally spoke as she sauntered forward. Her voice was low and smooth. It was the tranquil, falsely reassuring tone of a cold-blooded killer. It sounded like she was chewing on something. "Manners never kept anyone alive for long, anyhow,"

"Probably not, but you'd make a lotta friends if you had 'em,"

"Hard to make friends when you've gotta huge bounty on your head,"She spitefully bit back, her advances ceased when she was merely a few yards away.

"Oh yeeeahhh..." The hot-headed harlot recalled, crossing her plump, exposed legs. "Sixteen googleplex. You'd think with that much money on the table, you'd have been dead by now,"

"Guess they didn't want it enough," She dryly stated. "At least you've managed to make me lose a lot of sleep this past decade and a half,"

"'Ey girl, gotta keep ya on your toes, know what I mean?" The scissorsmith stood up from her seat. "Ready for your final interview?"

Without a word, the woman pulled off her goggles and mask to reveal the much older countenance of Jackie Lynn Thomas. Compared to her fourteen-year-old self, her face lost its prior chubbiness and became more slender and smoother, yet rugged and hardened with a scar that slashed across her left eye that extended from her forehead to her cheek. Her hair still maintained its blonde sheen, but was all tied up in a ponytail that stretched to her neck. All the piercings that adorned her right ear were gone, leaving it barren, however about a third of it looked to be bitten off. The sea-green eyes that once radiated with teenage glee and affable acceptance were now ablaze with scorching spite and dark determination.

"Huh, sixteen years really did a number on ya." Hekapoo commented, scanning Jackie's body up and down, repeating the actions of their first encounter. Jackie's mouth moved side to side as she seemed to be shifting something between her cheeks. "But you still look pretty good, though. I missed it when you were kinda squishy and thicc, but I guess age catches up to us eventually. Well, you specifically."

"Just shut up and draw," Jackie coldly jumped to the point, curving and stiffening her body in a combative stance. She held one dagger diagonally in front, and kept the other in a lower position while holding it backhanded.

"Eager. I like that." And with that, Hekapoo conjured a pair of long scissor blades. She dipped the tip of each into her green flame, igniting and cloaking their entire lengths in the vibrant fire.

Relentlessly making the first move, Jackie made a beeline for her opponent. As she made a wide horizontal slash that aimed for her neck, the voluptuous scissorsmith fell into a portal at the last second. With her gone, she left behind a lingering tension and a lone Jackie.

Flashing back to the lessons she was taught by those ninjas, Jackie closed her eyes and cleared her thoughts. Breathe in. Then out. In. Out. She focused only on her breathing as all of her senses became more acute. She began to feel every molecule that existed in the room. This was how she deterred every ambush minutes before they happened. This was what kept her alive through all those grueling, ardous years. This was how she managed to track down every Hekapoo clone in the entire dimension.

There.

She sensed the opening of a portal above seconds before it even reached half its width.

Jackie peered skywards as she saw the torso of Hekapoo emerging from the rift and winding her flaming blades back for a swing. The seasoned woman deftly parried her strike, with which her opponent responded by swiftly sinking back into the portal.

She focused again, predicting that she'll pull the same move from their first fight when she was still a teenager.

And she guessed correctly as she managed to block a string of stabs that came from all directions. The clanging and clinking of their blades echoed and the continous sparks from their collisions illuminated the dimly lit building.

The assault ceased, once again leaving Jackie alone in the building as the tension lingered in the air. Her teeth grinded against the tiny object in her mouth.

She felt fingers dig into her wrists and her shins and a spiky arm wrapped around her neck as she was firmly held in place. This time, she was still on her feet, trying to shake off the disembodied limbs, but to no avail. How familiar. 

Another scene replayed itself as another portal was summoned in front of Jackie's restrained body. The sultry form of Hekapoo smugly strolled out of the twisting hole.

"Not bad, not bad." The scorching seductress snidely complimented. "But you still fell for the same trick, I'm afraid. Hell, you didn't even get a hit on me once this time. That really sucks. I legit thought you got gud after all those years."

The captured assassin remained silent, her eyebrows slanted and her eyes narrowed in scorn as one of her cheeks puffed up.

"It's a shame." Hekapoo facetiously lamented as she shook her head. "All those years spent fighting and killing to survive and for what? To be tossed away after seeing how useless you ended up being. How can you hope to go head-to-head with Star if you can't even beat me?I'm not even giving my all, either."

The scissorsmith put her swords together, locking them in place to form one oversized, blazing pair of scissors. She spread the blades apart, aiming them directly towards Jackie's neck.

"Well, I can't say it wasn't fun. I'm honestly gonna miss screwing with you throughout your whole journey like I did with Marco. Guess this is goodbye."

A split-second before her spiky arms moved an inch, Jackie shattered the miniature glass marble between her teeth, causing a pond's worth of water to flood her mouth as she opened her jaws to unleash an overwhelming torrent that sprayed onto her foe's face. The green flame between her horns was no longer present. Hekapoo's body completely froze as her face was like that of a deer in headlights as realization set in.

She wanted to get caught. She let herself get caught. Jackie had passed the trial. She cleverly bested Hekapoo in her own game. And she was the fool for pulling the same exact tactic she did sixteen years ago, when Jackie was but a naive, yet driven young lass. Sixteen years was all it took to come up with this simple act. How many layers of keikaku was she behind?

"Pfffft, hahahahaha!" The tepid temptress became hysterical as she fell to the ground rolling in laughter. She dropped her now extinguished scissors and the grasp on Jackie's limbs released. "Oh man, that is the best! Turns out _I_ needed to get gud, huh? Hahahahaaa!"

"Heh, yeah it would seem that way." The blonde woman's once firm disposition quickly smoothed out. The little pieces of glass that were left in her mouth were promptly spat onto her palm, along with a little blood. After picking some stray ones out from her teeth, she radiated her patented shining smile at Hekapoo's contagious giggling and her own sharp wit.

"So uh, heheheh," Her roaring laughter subsided. She wiped a tear from her eye, and wrung her shin length hair to expunge some water. "How'd you do that anyway? Didja manage to learn some hydromancy or something?"

To answer her question, Jackie pulled out three marbles, each with their own distinct appearance. One was solid blue, another was cold and white, and the last, but not least was transparent, but cloudy.

"They were given to me by some fish people while I stayed with them for a few years," Jackie explained. "When they found me severely wounded in a shipwreck, they were nice enough to rescue me and bring me back to full condition after a few weeks. Then they gave me a weird water-breathing apparatus in order to adapt to their society with ease. I was taught how to hunt and fight underwater as well as become "one with water". When I finally decided to leave, their wizards gave me this bag as a parting gift that held three types of marbles. Each one, when shattered, exploded into a different state of water. The one I just used on you was this blue one, which can basically spawn gallons of water. The cloudy one makes a huge mist that gets even huger if made contact with any heat source. The white one freezes whatever it makes contact with."

"Huh, that's pretty cool," Hekapoo answered, somewhat impressed. "Well then, conglaturations, you've successfully completed the trial. Not only do you get to keep your life and join our righteous little army, but you are also entitled to your own pair of fabulous dimensional scissors, forged with lust by yours truly,"

And with that, the scissorsmith walked towards her scissor-smithing kiln, preparing to make the victor her scissors. She stopped just a few feet short, however, as she briefly pondered an idea that came to her.

"Actually, y'know what?" A lightbulb flickered above her head. The bulb being the flame above her head, of course. "Gimme your knives for a moment,"

"Uhhh, actually," Jackie began, raising a finger to the air as her tone was playfully pretentious, "They're called _Tanto_ , baka gaijin,"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, just give 'em to me,"

The young assassin was hesitant at first. She held her knives closely as she somberly reminisced the day she first graduated from the Hana Blue Shadow School and mastered the Murdering Blade technique. Of course, her education was definitely not without bloodshed. She had to kill some students and staff to defend herself after some caught wind of her exorbitant bounty. Others she had to murder simply because it was part of the lessons. Man, screw Echo Creek Academy, the Blue Shadow gave her way more necessary lessons that paved the way for a more promising future than that dumb public institution ever could. Why learn math and science when you can elegantly carve your way through life?

"Fine, here," Jackie relented, aloof. She spun both daggers so that her fingers held them by the flat parts of the blade.

Hekapoo took them by the handles and walked back to her forge. With a little fiddling, a little heating, and a little hammering, the process ended in a high-pitched ding as she turned around and presented her newly admitted ally with her upgraded pair of Tanto. She closely inspected them, noticing that one side of each blade were burned with her full initials, while the other sides burned with the initials "MD". She shot a subtle, yet heartwarming smile at this small gesture as her satisfied visage was reflected in her blades. This didn't go unnoticed by the magical blacksmith however.

"You know, just so you'll always remember who you are and what you're fighting for,"

"Wow, y'know that's..." Jackie was taken aback by the kindness of someone who was, several minutes ago, just about to brutally decapitate her. "This is pretty cool of you. Thanks, H-poo."

"Don't call me that!" Green flames filled her eyes and the one above her head grew in size as she yelled. She quickly calmed herself. "But you're welcome. We both want the same thing, it's no problem at all,"

"Whaddya mean?"

"Well..." Hekapoo explained, her voice more sincere, but still sensual. "You like Marco, I _want_ Marco. Spending sixteen years with him vicarously through my clones and seeing him grow into this superhuman who fought against all the odds can really make you thirst for a guy."

"You know I just realized. Isn't it super weird that I still like Marco even though I'm..." Jackie spread her arms wide, pointing out her body that's doubled in age. "...Like this?"

"Hey man, straight shota is nothing to be ashamed of. " Hekapoo casually justified. "And besides, you'll go back to being fourteen and it'll be like none of it ever happened. Aesthetically speaking, of course. Whatever scars and tattoos you got will just poof out of existence."

"Oh yeah, you did mention that,"

"Now then," Hekapoo finalized, opening a dimensional rift. "You ready to take a long, well-deserved break and meet up with Toffee?"

"I'd like that. Lead the way."

A snorting growl emanated from the shadows in the building. Jackie traced the sound to some sort of creature... motorcycle? It was a grayish green dragon that held a wheel between each pair of its legs and its slender horns angled into a pair of handlebars. It had a pair of wide wings and a plate below its head that read, "667".

"Heeyyy Nachos, didja just wake up?" Hekapoo cooed, strolling closer to the scaly vehicle. She snarled angrily as Hekapoo's hand closed in on her snout. Upon further inspection, the creature's muzzle was tied shut by some chains and there appeared to be locks affixed to each rim of her wheels.

"So, uh what is that?" Jackie asked, pointing to Nachos.

"Oh, this is Nachos, Marco's trusty dragoncycle." Hekapoo answered, a wave of nostalgia washing over her. "He left her in my care after he got his scissors and went back home. She's been misbehaving lately, as you can tell by her restraints. I should really get Toffee to look at her. Dude's an expert on dragons for some reason."

"That's pretty metal," Jackie beamed. Not once throughout her sixteen-year journey did she find a specimen quite like that. "Can I have him?"

"She's kinda fidgety at the moment. Lemme get Toffee to do something about her before I leave her in your hands. Anyways, let's get going. Dude's probably expecting us in the next millisecond or so."

"Right then. Let's get to it."

And with that, the two girls walked into the bright orange rift in space, leaving the room empty besides Nachos. She whined as she pensively remembered the awesome adventures she had with the courageous, muscular gentleman that rode upon her back for so many years as they tracking down Hekapoos and kicking ass all over the dimension.

Hekapoo and Jackie weren't the only ones that wanted to see Marco again.


	17. On GP

"Whoaahh..." Star's eyes sparkled as she marveled at the dozen or so secret spells written in these sheets of school notebook paper.

"I know, right?" Janna agreeably responded. "Who knew all of these were hidden in the spell book? I get that thing's like, beyond ancient, but man there were a lot of sticky pages. The heck kinda weird stuff is Glossaryck up to in there?"

"Better question is, why hasn't he ever told me ab- oh." The young magic student cut herself off as she realized that her mentor probably would have told her about these secret spells had she been more active in her studies. Regardless, she was glad to have Janna stumble upon these with her nimble thief fingers.

"Y'know, I can't thank you enough for finding that one spell that helped us beat the dragon," Star gratefully spoke. She took her deft handed friend in a squeezing embrace. "You're the best, Janna Banana!"

"It's...no prob, princess," Janna beamed back, her voice strained from the intensity of the hug. She tried to reciprocate, but her arms were tightly bound to her body. "I just wish I was there to see you slice that thing's face apart like you said you did. I tried to get over there to watch, but your mom wouldn't let me out of her sight. Though I did hear you scream 'Rules of Nature' all the way from the castle. What was that all about?"

"Uhh," If Star was being honest, she had no idea herself. It was just something that came to her out of nowhere that seemed appropriate for the situation at the time. "Y'know, I have no idea. I just felt like it I guess?"

"Well, I bet if I saw the whole thing, I would've been hyped as hell. How did it feel using that 'Blinding Blade' technique?"

A wide, radiant smile was plastered onto Star's face as she recalled the exhilarating event that she was a part of. It was as if she longingly remembered the first time she had... sliced a dragon's face off.

"Aww man..." Star replayed the events while dreamy-eyed and chewing on her Wand. "Well, it was like cutting a buncha veggies while you were having the best sugar rush ever! Except time slowed down, everything was blue for some reason, and these weird symbols appeared in my view."

"Weird symbol?" Janna asked. "What did it look like?"

To demonstrate, Star took a pencil and some paper from within her desk and wrote down the pair of symbols by memory. They looked like "斬奪".

"Huh," Janna remarked, shifting the sheet of paper in all sorts of positions and angles in order to better interpret them. Upon further inspection, she managed to give an estimate on their origin."Whoa, Star this is an Asian symbol. From Earth."

"From Earth?" Star parroted, her eyebrows arching in surprise and puzzlement. "How did Solaria manage to find symbols from Earth? And what does it mean?"

"I dunno. If I can take a shot in the dark, I'd guess that it's either Japanese or Chinese."

"Wait, aren't you Asian? I think?"

"Yeah but I'm neither of those two. I'm Filipina."

"Geez, how many types of Asians are there on Earth?"

"Too many, Star. Too many."

Deciding that they wouldn't be getting anywhere with discovering the meaning behind the unfamiliar ensignias, the two decided to put it aside for now and continue reading through the other secret spells.

"Purple Platinum Pegasus Punch, Heavy Weather Devil's Rainbow, Violent Violet Virus Cloud..." Janna read through the names as she shifted paper after paper between her hands. Her eyes widened as she caught a glimpse at something that looked right up her alley. "Yooo Star, check this one out!"

Star shifted her gaze to the spell in question, but quickly averted her eyes when she noticed the distinct, bold dark-purple lettering and an unfamiliar, yet sinister-looking symbol on the top right corner of the page.

"Uh-uh, nooo way!" Star shook her arms and her head in adamant disapproval."Not today, Tom's dad! I am not dealing with any more dark spells. Nope. Not now, not ever. Tear that up and forget it ever existed."

"Hold on now, don't you wanna hear what it does, at least?" Janna asked, attempting to sway her friend's decision. "It's by someone named, 'Celena the Shy'."

"Wait what?" Star made a split second turn back to her desk now that her interest has piqued. Celena the Shy made a dark spell? She would never guess in a million years that someone with that namesake would ever be capable of doing so. Never judge a book by its cover. Or in this case, its title.

"I can read it out loud for you if you don't wanna see it yourself,"

The princess was at a crossroads. Sure, she wanted to distance herself from the darkness as much as Mewmanly possible, but a spell of that type that wasn't part of Eclipsa's chapter was too weird to be true. Too weird to let be. Then there was that whole dream about the Royal Adage and fearing the "Old Arts", which is something she needed to bring up to her mother as soon as possible.

But then again, despite the negative implications, it has so far proved itself to be instrumental in achieving acts of righteousness. It saved Marco twice (albeit it one of them involving the accidental injuring of her own mother) as well as provided a means of combating and killing an ancient beast that was ravaging the kingdom.

Maybe he was right. If given the time and proper care, she can tame and use the powers of darkness for the justice it could potentially provide rather than the evil many think it could only be capable of.

If Celena the Shy was seemingly a queen in good standing, as opposed to Eclipsa, then surely the spell couldn't be that bad.

"Errr... fine," Star finally conceded, loosening herself up and accompanying Janna in checking out the forebidden spell.

 _The Berserker Carapace by Celena Butterfly_

 _WARNING: THE EFFECTS OF THIS SPELL ARE PERMANENT. ONCE IT IS CAST, IT CANNOT BE UNDONE._

 _By channeling the latent dark mana within me that would not exist had it not been for Former Queen Eclipsa, I have given birth to the Berserker Carapace, a spell created in order to significantly enhance the abilities of our knights and bring myself to fight alongside them, rather than selfishly sending them to their deaths as I timidly sit upon my throne within the safety of our walls._

 _To further elaborate, the spell manifests as a full set of armor and reinforces itself by drawing out the caster's most negative and primal emotions. From the very first time the spell is cast, the Carapace will automatically materialize upon engaging in combat and withdraw by the user's will. Its menacing essence overtakes the user's mind, eliminating all feelings of fear and pain. By surpassing the subconscious limits placed on the Mewman body, one gains a tremendous boost in strength, durability, and ferocity._

 _Besides obtaining extreme physical benefits, the Carapace, while active, also allows temporary reparation of incapacitating injuries in the midst of battle. However, the process is more physical than magical, unlike with most healing spells. Sensing the body's mortal wounds, the enchantment automatically emboldens any broken bones and forcibly reattaches separated joints by using spikes and barbs within the armor's interior to puncture the flesh and manually rearrange parts as needed. Despite being given heightened endurance and numbing of pain, it is of utmost importance that one should avoid multiple uses of this function, for it could potentially result in gruesome, untimely death as the armor is constantly performing split-second internal surgery on the body until the very last drop of blood._

 _It is also critical to note that while the armor is immensely resistant, but NOT impervious to damage. While it possesses some level of self-regeneration, it is slow and will most likely not outspeed powerful attacks that are dealt in rapid succession. If enough damage is taken, the armor will withdraw itself, leaving its wearer vulnerable and maintaining any injuries that have yet to be repaired._

 _Because this spell removes one's inhibitions and thus allows their inner demons to surface and linger, prolonged and repetitive usage could lead to severe psychological degradation, afflicting insanity, uncontrolled fits of rage, and the loss of the ability to distinguish friend from foe. This state has been dubbed, 'Berserker Rage', hence the namesake of the inducing this horrific effect, a helm forms around the wearer's head, its appearance reflecting their inner beast. If the wearer's mental faculties are not completely in order, they will lose control of themselves and the armor will act on its own murderous volition. To maintain absolute lucidity while under the spell, the wearer's will and mentality must be sound and unyielding beforehand. No spell or solution exists that can treat the unfortunate mental instabilities the armor inflicts on the wearer. However, regular meditation and high levels of focus and morality have proven to dampen the mental afflictions with varying degrees of success._

 _In order to successfully execute this spell, you must channel the inner demons dwelling within the unfathomable depths of your soul and recite this incantation._

 _I close my eyes and seize it_

 _I clench my fists and beat it_

 _I light my torch and burn it_

 _I am the beast I worship_

 _Use at your own risk. It is imperative to note that this is not so much a spell as it is a curse. A PERMANENT curse that should only be used as a LAST RESORT to turn the tides of a losing battle when NO OTHER METHODS can be found. Please consider the warnings mentioned prior before casting._

 _Rest in Peace Gunther, the bravest and most loyal warrior that ever served the Butterflies_. _My condolences to your wife, Kafka, whose forgiveness is something I can never hope to deserve for what I've done._

After the very last word, the two girls remained in wide-eyed, mouth agaped silence. Each one with their own reasons for looking that way. Janna was awestruck and wanted to see the spell in action, despite all the numerous red flags Celena placed all over the page.

Star was baffled at how the seemingly pure and innocent Celena would even think of creating something that only one such as Eclipsa, Solaria, or even a monster wizard would come up with. She hoped in her heart of hearts that she would never ever have to resort to using this spell at all. If the last several sentences were anything to go by, she could potentially hurt more than she could help.

The wily teen mutely turned towards Star with sparkling eyes and a wide open smile that stretched from ear to ear.

"No," The Mewni princess could not refuse fast enough.

"Oh c'mooon..." Janna childishly whined, slumping her body on the desk. "It sounds sooo coool!"

"And dangerous!" Star firmly declared, her arms crossed. "Didja even read that last sentence? Somebody died because of that spell! I'm not gonna let that happen to me or anyone else. I can't possibly control something like that. Heck, I can barely even control the dark magic I already have!"

As good of an argument that is, Janna knew exactly how to get her to see otherwise. She knew exactly what button to press. "So then what if Marco was in danger again and you had no choice? Would you use it then?"

That struck a nerve. Star could only gaze with furrowed brows and an ajar mouth as she stared daggers at her foolish friend. She was apprehended by a dense combination of guilt and anger. Feelings she wanted to swiftly dash as soon as possible before either of the two do something they might regret.

"Ookayy, I think we're done looking at spells for today." Star finalized as she took all the pages and set them to the side. She started heading to her bathroom. "I'm gonna get ready for mom's second meeting."

"Because I'm right, right?" Janna sharply remarked, trying to get the stubborn princess to concede to her whims. "You're gonna hafta use that spell sooner or later. You'll be driven into a corner and that thing's gonna be your only saving grace. Watch."

Star remained silent. She could only gaze at the somber expression reflected upon her golden bathroom doorknob as she held it between her fingers.

As much as she didn't want to, she had to admit that Janna might be right, which is kinda weird for the kind of person she is. Bright, peaceful days are no longer in the horizon now that Toffee's returned. Nobody knows what could happen in the near future. Nobody knows what they'll resort to in order to survive in these trying times. From here on out, it's just days, weeks or even years of fatal unknowns and uncertainties. The only thing she could do is become steadfast in vigilence and valor, adapting to whatever danger comes her way with a clear head and her feet planted firmly on the ground. Yeah, maybe she could do this after all.

"Y'know, come to think of it," Janna spoke up, contemplatively rubbing her chin. "Since using that dark magic always made you super exhausted afterwards, that armor could make it so none of that would ever happen again. I think it could help you a lot in controlling your dark magic."

"But I hafta learn to control the spell, too," Star dryly responded. She makes another good point, but she has to channel her inner Marco and approach this with a high level of caution. A plan of this magnitude shouldn't be dealt with lightly. Especially if there's a risk of completely losing herself to the armor, without any hope of coming back if that closing sentence was anything to go by. "We'll burn that bridge when we get there. I'll see ya in a little bit."

"Ok, then." Janna waved off as Star shut the bathroom door behind her.

There came a few knocks at the bedroom door. "Janna? Star? Can I come in?" Spoke the voice of Marco.

"Yeah, sure."

The door gave way to the red-hooded teen as he stepped in, holding his laptop betwee his side and his arm. He looked rather cross as he stared at the sly teen with slanted eyes.

"There a problem, Diaz?" Janna asked, unsure of what his deal was.

"Janna," Marco began, a tinge of seriousness evident in his tone. "I get that you like to steal my things and invade my privacy on a regular basis, but if you're gonna look at my... private content. Could you at least close it when you're done? And not leave it exposed for anyone passing by to see?"

For a second, the teen girl raised her eyebrow in puzzlement, but then quickly remembered exactly what he was talking about. A wily grin was slashed across her face. She wanted to break into laughter. "Oh, you're talking about your tentacle porn?"

"Shh! Don't say that out loud!" Marco frantically pleaded, waving his free palm. "Yes, I'm talking about that!"

"Chill out, man. Having porn ain't nothin' to be ashamed of. Hell, I'm a fan of such hentai myself. Why d'ya think I wanted to date your Monster Arm from ages ago?" Janna held a hand to her mouth as she snickered to herself. "Heh heh, so what about it?"

"Well, I've been informed that one of the maids saw that stuff on my laptop when she came to Star's room to tidy it up. She fainted and suffered a really severe concussion. Now she's out for a couple days."

"Pfffttt, hahahahaha!" Janna fell to the ground as her body writhed and roared in hilarity. She rolled back and forth on the solid stone floor as she held her gut.

"Janna that's not funny," The boy pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"Are you kidding? That's hilarious!" The convulsing girl stopped for a moment before continuing to crack up again as it raised in volume and intensity.

"What's going on, guys?" Star curiously asked as she walked out of her bathroom, her bare body wrapped in a towel and her extended, knee-length locks were being handled by various levitating hair care utensils and products.

"Ok Star, get this," Janna was on all fours, her body shaking as she made feeble attempts to suppress her laughter. "Marco's, heh heh, porn. Managed t-to, haha... knock out one of your maids! They hit their head so hard, they had to take a couple days off! Hahahaaa!"

Marco smacked his forehead as Janna continued to vigorously yuck it up. Star began giggling herself upon hearing this development, much to her bestie's dismay.

"C'mon Star, not you, too!" His once tanned face now flashed a faint shade of red.

"I'm sorry Marco, it's just that," Star's laughter wasn't as intense as Janna's, but it added to the boy's embarrasment nonetheless. "What happened wasn't funny. But it's the idea that's funny. Though she did get hurt really bad. I just hope she'll feel better soon."

"Ok, well I'm going back to my room," Marco conceded, fed up with the laughter at his expense. "Lemme know when you guys are set for the meeting."

Before the boy left the room, both Star and Janna simultaneously remembered a mystery they were trying to solve earlier. The laughter ceased almost instantly.

"Wait!" They yelled in unison. JanStar ending confirmed?

Marco quickly turned around upon being frantically addressed. He stopped just short of leaving the doorframe. "What is it?"

"Do you know what this means?" Star asked, showing him the paper she drew the strange images on.

"Zandatsu," Marco plainly answered, without missing a beat. "It's Japanese for 'cut and take'."

Perplexed, the two girls looked at each other, wondering how Marco had the profound knowledge to read such letters and without thinking either.

"Waaait, how did you know what that said like, right away?" Janna asked, skepticism laced in her tone.

"It's kind of a long story. I don't really wanna get into it right now." The boy dryly answered, refusal to explain any further steadfast in his voice. "If there's nothing else, I'm gonna go back to my room. Seeya."

Well after answering one question, several more have surfaced. But one other Japanese related question lingered in one of the girls' minds as the silence following Marco's departure filled the room.

"Sooo what kinda porn did he have?" Star asked out of perverse curiosity.

Now that Janna gave it some more thought, the scenario surrounding the doujin she was reading had some suspicously familiar aspects to it. Almost too much to be pure coincidence. A young girl of questionable age in a school outfit with long, blonde hair having relations with a giant, purple tentacle monster. From what she read, the girl brought that monster upon herself with the use of magic, too.

"Oh, I think you'd love it. It's pretty eye-opening, if I do say so myself,"

* * *

"Another round for our newest Royal Guard member and the future of our Kingdom!" Boomed King Butterfly, holding up a large wooden mug nearly filled to the brim with bubbling golden Mewni Ale. He promptly dunked the drink into his mouth, allowing some of it to slide off the corner of his lips and onto his puffy, blonde beard. Every other knight that sat in the mess hall table raised their mugs as they took a long, hearty swig of their drinks. Everyone was on their third round, soon to be fourth.

Marco, on the other hand, opted for some milk which was still on his first mug. Normally, this would immediately turn him into a target of ridicule among all the soldiers, but their respect for his slaying of a dragon outweighed any judgement they might have for the young knight.

And besides, he's part of the Royal Guard. The highest tier of knight any warrior could achieve on this kingdom. It was surprising to only him that he didn't even get inducted as a squire first. Queen Moon just jumped him straight to among the highest of the military hierarchy. One would think that he'd be a source of jealousy among those who worked their asses off to get the positions they were to this day. However, none of them has ever dreamed of slaying a dragon, much less actually do it.

And besides that, none of them were an object of affection to the acting Princess. This was made plain to them when she was all over him the second he finished the induction process. She took him in her arms in a tight bear hug that would rival their own strength. She would have joined them in celebrating her lover's momentous occasion if she wasn't having a lengthy and crucial conversation with the Queen.

"Marco, my boy!" River turned towards his newest champion, whose drink was barely even halfway finished. "Are you sure you don't want to partake in our excellent Ale? It'll put some hair in your chest, I guarantee it!"

"No thanks, My King," Marco answered, not as hype as everyone else around him. "I told you I'm not old enough to drink."

"And I told you that the fine people of Mewni do not adhere to blasphemous limitations such as 'drinking age laws'." River shot back as he poured himself another near-overflowing cup of Ale. "Oh I see. Perhaps you would rather sip on something fancier and more dignified. Fret not, my young warrior, I might have something in the Royal Cabinet that will tickle your fancy. But first, we must party now, spar afterwards, and have a man-to-man conversation accompanied by such drinks later!"

"Uhh, spar?" Marco asked, bewildered by the short man's plans for the night. "Right after all the drinking?"

A roaring laughter erupted throughout the table as they found Marco's comment to be adorable and amusing. Despite being among hardened and seasoned fighters as well as outranking most of them, he still had much to learn in order to reach the mentality all true warriors strive for.

"Yes, a spar! Part of your initiation, you see," The King clarified. He took another heavy swallow of his fizzy beverage before he elaborated. "The Mewman body possesses a sky-high tolerance for alcohol, Marco. The drink helps release our inhibitions, so that while we're contending with one another, everyone gives their all and holds nothing back, all while remaining lucid in our judgment and stable in our movements. It makes combat that much more bloody and exciting! Why do you think I've been trying to get you to drink with us?"

The hooded knight gulped as River explained the process. A hard brawl plus liver-destroying amounts of alcohol is sure to add up to nothing but disaster. However, it seems that this was a regular event and if people were killed most or all of the time, the kingdom probably wouldn't have this many knights. As far as he knew, that is.

"So uh, how does it work exactly?" Marco asked nervously. His eyes swiftly shifted between the buzzed, armored brutes that sat jovially drinking themselves sick.

River peered at the boy as he downed another round. His eyes squinted at first, but his entire visage quickly softened afterwards as he remembered the boy isn't aware of Mewnian customs.

"Elementary, my dear Marco." The King began, exuding a scholarly air with every word that glided off his booze-tipped tongue. "Each one of these fine knights sitting before you will fight you Mewman to Human, one at a time. With weapons of your choice. Or none at all if that's what you prefer. You will fight them in order from least skilled to most. With me being your final challenge should you manage to beat all of them. Do not concern yourself too much, son. There are no stakes and we are merely fighting for the thrill of battle. And to test your abilities to see if you are worthy of your newly acquired rank."

Marco loudly gulped again. "Uh, with real weapons?"

"Oh heavens, no! We'll be using wooden weapons. They'll still hurt well enough, but they won't cripple or dismember our soldiers. They need those limbs, you know."

"Whew, that's good." Marco sighed in relief as he wiped his forehead. He felt a faint heat deriving from his right arm that spread throughout his entire body. "You know what? This might be fun. Yeah, I'm up for it!"

"That's the fighting spirit I expect from you Marco, my boy!" River happily exclaimed as he poured another drink. This one wasn't his, however. "Drink up, son. Allow the alcohol to flow through and guide your warpath!"

Motivated by a feeling he can't describe, the teenage knight firmly grasped the wooden mug by the handle. He took a deep breath before energetically bringing it to his lips. He merely took a drop before he went into a violent coughing fit as the bubbling beverage proved too potent for his humanly palet. He immediately washed it down with the milk he had near by. Despite the fact that he chugged the whole mug, the strong taste of alcohol stuck to his taste buds and vibrated uncomfortably on his tongue.

The table exploded with hysterics yet again as everyone witnessed their new recruit struggling with common Mewman liquor.

"Hahaha! Marco you are such a riot! We're so glad to have you with us," River joyously remarked as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"Eugh, how muth ahcohaw ith in thath anywaytth?" Marco's tongue stuck out as he spoke.

"Ninety percent, give or take." River answered as he now calmly sipped his sixth or seventh drink rather than chug it down.

"Nahnthy puhthent!?" Marco incredulously lisped, his face stretched to cartoonish proportions. "An you'ff been thwinking whole mugs off ith, thoo! Tha higheth legal ahcohaw by tholume in Ahmewicah is thixthy pahthenth!"

"Heh, no wonder you can barely handle a drop," River smugly stated. The accompanying platoon were chuckling. "Say, why don't you regale us with the story of how you and Star fell that terrible beast?"

"Whithe I'm like thith?" Marco asked, his tongue still feeling like pins and needles from the booze. "When doeth tha buzthing feelthing weah off?"

"I'm not quite sure honestly," River scratched his hair chin as he tried to come up with an answer. "Ah I'm sure it'll fade away as you tell your tale. Besides, your affected speech will make it sound as funny as it would be exciting. Go on, then."

"Well, okay,"

And so for the next hour or so, the Red-Hooded Warrior recalled the events that transpired the previous day, leaving no holes and bringing up everything that happened, down to the very small details and the emotions each of them felt as they engaged in life-or-death combat. Everyone in the table hung on every lisped word, compelled and enthralled despite the speaker's temporary speech impediment. At some point, patrons from other tables gathered round to hear the story as well, listening intently and silently as every hype moment and all of Marco's emotions hit their ears like a catchy warrior's shanty. Occasionally, a listener will verbally respond with an "ooh", an "ahh", or even a "whoa" as the narrative being uttered by the local hero further delved into more hype territory.

When Marco mentioned the part where Star slashed the Rayvern's face in several pieces after yelling "rules of nature" everyone made remarks of pride and approval and mentioned that they had heard those exact words coming from their Princess's mouth as if she was yelling it in their ears.

Speaking of her, he was careful not to mention anything about her dark magic. They didn't want the people to distrust the Butterfly Family even further after that Song Day debacle.

As soon as Marco's engaging recollection ended, everyone gave him a round of applause, cheering, whistling and some even gave standing ovations. Everyone filed out to leave after their little show had ended.

"So that's the power of the God Hand..." Spoke one passerby.

"Looks like Mewni is in good hands," Remarked another.

"We hope to hear more exhilarating tales, our future King of Mewni!"

Marco was apprehended with a feeling of embarrassment upon hearing that last comment. It gets him every time.

"Well, my boy are we ready for your initiation?" River asked, getting up to follow the crowd in their departure.

Marco held his right arm up. With hope and courage wound around his heart, his fist tightly shut as his blue tattoos pulsed in bright, almost-white yellow colors that repeatedly faded in and out. It was in tune with his heart beat.

"Let's do this,"


	18. The Only Thing I've Ever Known

The subtle sounds of the indigenous fauna and the variant colors of the late night sky provided a peaceful and dazzling environment for the makeshift fighting ring composed of a dozen soldiers, their King, and his newly admitted knight. They all stood upon the clearing at the base of the Flag Day Hill. The knights gathered behind River Butterfly, while Marco stood a paltry distance from the rest of them. A massive, wooden chest stood between the two sides.

With booze in their bellies and fire in their hearts, they were all prepared to give their recruit the continuous fight of his life. To make things more casual and friendly, however, every soldier in attendance removed their armor and donned civilian clothes before the gathering. River's short, muscular body was nearly bare, save for a brown loincloth that wound itself around his waist and thankfully concealed his private parts.

The King strolled over to the chest, unlatching its lock and swinging it wide open. A pile of wooden melee weapons lied within, all in various lengths and type. Everyone except for River grabbed their choice without much thought. Marco was the last to do so, taking a while to make his decision as he felt many of them didn't suit his style.

"C'mon, what's takin' so long?" Complained one soldier, tightly gripping his wooden Halberd.

"We ain't got all night boy. I wanna test ya already!" Commented another as he excitedly hopped up and down in anticipation.

"Now now, everyone, show some patience." River calmly commanded, quelling the rabble with a raise of his hand. "Give him some time to find something he's comfortable with. Surely you'd like him to be in favorable and fair conditions when you get your turn, correct?"

Everyone grumbled in agreement and begrudgingly hushed themselves.

Meanwhile Marco was still digging through the dense, splintering pile of arms. There was one particular weapon he had hoped to find, but, at the same time, he knew it was very unlikely that it would be there.

He was soon proved wrong as he reached near the bottom of the huge container.

A wooden katana, or a _Shinai_ as they called it in his old school, was deeply buried beneath a pile of broadswords, maces, axes, and polearms. As he slowly removed it from the large chest like Caliburn from the stone, he held it to the sky, its entire length enveloped by the pale incandescence of Mewni's Moons.

One soldier jokingly sung an angelic choir in a falsetto voice, spurring laughter from the rest, much to the teen lad's embarrassment. With another wave of the King's hand, the laughter ceased.

"Huh, I didn't realize that was in there," River remarked with slight surprise. "Well, if that's your choice Marco, who are we to judge?"

"S'a rather thin blade, ain't it?" Someone remarked, tightly gripping his wooden claymore. "If it was real, I bet it could barely cut butter,"

"Least he ain't compensatin' for anything," Another sharply responded as his wooden mace leaned over his shoulder.

"Oi! Wassat mean!?" The first guy defensively bit back. Both were gearing to have a go at each other.

"Men, men!" River turned around, having it up to here with his unruly group. "I understand we are all severely inebriated and itching for bloodshed, but please. You are engaging Marco, not each other. Direct your violent energy towards him."

"Aye aye, sir," Both men flatly responded.

"Excellent. Marco?" River looked towards the boy, expectantly.

Without a word, Marco got into a stable and disciplined fighting stance, just as he was taught what seemed like ages ago. His feet were planted firmly as his legs were slightly apart and facing perpendicular from one another. He tightly held his wooden blade directly in front of him, its tip pointing diagonally upwards.

Marco gasped and his eyes widened when he remembered a very crucial detail that he learned in this very same area.

"Wait!" He screamed, immediately breaking his stance as he outstretched his palm. Everyone stopped and looked at the boy with confused glances.

"Is there a problem?" River asked, arching an eyebrow.

The young knight's eyes shifted back and forth as he recalled the color of the Rayvern's aura before he and Star defeated it. It was red. Level 3. He didn't know whether the difficulty level increased or remained the same upon its death, but he definitely didn't want to find out.

Either way, the advice Glossaryck gave him on that hill during one lonely night rung loudly in his ears.

Gulping his pride down, Marco rapidly dropped his weapon and his body onto the grass as he stood on all fours, much to the bemusement of everyone around him.

" _Onegai shimasu_!" He pleaded as his head bobbed up and down in profuse prostration.

Once he ceased, not a sound stirred but the brisk Mewni winds and the ringing crickets that surrounded the men standing beneath the towering hill. Everyone stared in shocked silence as they witnessed this dragon slayer grovel before them. River was more intrigued than anything.

A subtle snicker arose from the royal barbarian's throat, then it snuck past his lips, breaking the awkward silence. His snickers intensified until they became quiet chuckles.

"Hhhh...haaaa! Hahahahhaaa!" River broke into wheezing laughter, the actions of his new Royal Guard Member proving too much for his regal and hardy composure. Soon, his soldiers behind him joined along, whether to jump on the bandwagon or if Marco's act had a genuine impression on them is uncertain. The laughing soon gradually faded as everyone sighed and coughed at the end of their lengthy fit.

The boy got up from his mercy-begging. His red face illuminated in the night as he nervously tried to join in the hysterics and scratched his hair in discomfort. He knew this was the only way to make things easier on him and not force him to actually fight for his life in a friendly bout. Even if it comes at the expense of his ego and image.

"Oh Marco, you are simply too much for us," River warmly commented, wiping a joy-laden tear from his eye. "I'm not even sure what you said, but you gave us quite a hoot nonetheless. Ahhh... Alright then. Shall we?"

"Uh, heh heh.." Marco gave an awkward chuckle as he clumsily shifted his body back into the same combat position. "Let's uh, do this, I guess."

"Indeed! Sticky! You're up first!" River called out.

"Aye aye, sir!" Sticky obliged, running forward to his commander-in-chief's side while grasping a wooden short sword. "Permission to ask why I'm always first, sir!"

"Because you're the worst of the best. Now get out there, lad!"

"Aye aye!"

And with that, Marco was up against a lanky, yet muscular young man who looked to be in his twenties. As he had hoped, Sticky emitted a hazy green aura, signifying that he was currently at his base strength and skill. However, he knew it will all change as the night carries on. He couldn't bring himself to throw a few fights because he would end up letting everyone down. Whatever happens, he'll just have to adapt and deal with it as they come.

For the next hour or so, Marco faced a nonstop gauntlet of variably sized and skilled soldiers that clearly towered over him and held way more combat experience under their belts. They were as brutal and tenacious as they were trained to be, giving Marco a few hard blows and visible, yet sustainable injuries. After he managed to reign victorious over one soldier, another immediately took his place, allowing no time to breathe or even think. Indeed, it was quite an ardous struggle for the young boy, but not anything he hasn't dealt with before.

Despite this, the teen managed to hold his own against all of them, relying on his heightened agility and strength against each of his foes. He remembered the training with Sensei back on Earth as well as the years of training he experienced in Hekapoo's dimension, though his memories of the latter were somewhat foggy in his mind. Luckily however, the fundamentals remained, quite evident by the severe ass-kicking he dealt to every one of his opponents. He didn't even have to use any of the abilities added by the God Hand whatsoever, and he dared not to waste a Roulette Move on what's supposed to be a battle of sport and friendliness.

After the last knight, they all sat or laid on the grass, painfully groaning, while holding and rubbing their injuries.

"Geez, that God Hand is no joke," Strained one man, hugging his gut.

"He can really toss a blow, can't he?" One other spoke, laying on the grass in an attempt to alleviate the splitting headache.

"So about that blade not being strong enough,"

"Shut up!"

Marco wasn't any better off himself. His hoodie was ripped and torn in several places. Numerous bruises and cuts were spread all over his face and neck. His lips and one of his eyes were swollen. His breathing was strained and his heartrate went beyond its normal pace. Every limb, every joint, and every part of his abdomen sharply ached as he fought to keep himself steady and sturdy.

Despite this, he still stood in the same stance as he did prior to the whole battle. He kept his ground, but he seemed to be on his last legs. He regretted not bringing any fruit to mend his injuries, but that probably wouldn't sit right with everyone else as it would count as cheating.

No, he has to learn that from there on out, it's survival of the fittest. He has to adjust to the fact that War will never give him a break no matter how much he wanted or needed it. It'll be nothing but a constant struggle to survive as the universe indiscriminately threw everything it had towards him in frequent attempts to break his spirit, suppress his will, and take his life. In the shared words of a body-separating cyborg ninja and a callous, sapient flower, it's "Kill or be Killed,"

"I must say, that was quite a good show. Good show, indeed." River commended, walking forward to present himself as the final boss. "I, as well as everyone you see in agony here, expected nothing less from the bearer of the God Hand and half-slayer of the Rayvern himself. Now then, shall we have this dance?"

Marco grasped at air as he tried to catch his breathe. He was beside himself with fatigue, but at the same time, he had enough in him for one more fight. Just one more. And he already knew it was gonna be a battle of epic proportions. He was going to be pushed to his very limits tonight.

"W-where's... your weapon?" The young knight laboriously breathed, realizing that River himself hasn't made a choice in the beginning while everyone else grabbed their own piece of wood.

"Why, you're looking directly at it, my boy!" The barbarian king beamed, pointing to his bare, hairy chest with his thumb. "While I do often fancy myself a Zweihander or a warhammer, a warrior's true weapon is his body. What use are these sharp and blunt pieces of metal if your inherent combat prowess isn't up to snuff to wield them?"

"Yeah... I get it," Marco was a man of the sword and the fist. He could relate to that philosophy. Hell, he _had_ to fervently adhere to it in order to survive for many painstaking years.

"Now, then," River raised his fists and parted his legs in a threatening stance. His aged face wrinkled in ferocity and fearlessness and his eyes burned with a desire to show his foe what a Johansen was made of. "Show me a fight worthy of a legendary knight!"

With that, the two unrelenting forces ran forward with the sole intent to beat down their opposition. A savage cry emanated from each of their throats, though River's was loud and bombastic while Marco's was hoarse and crackly.

The warriors clashed as Marco took a swing at his foe, but it was quickly parried by his meaty forearm. He slashed again from a different angle, but to no effect. Another. And another. Then another.

In spite of his exhaustion, Marco's strikes began desperately flying at speeds that nearly rivaled his punch rushes, minus the battlecries that usually accompanied them. Yet, River's defenses managed to keep up, deflecting every single, scattered blow as naturally and easily as breathing.

Bored with testing and toying with the boy any longer, the barbarian grabbed his wooden blade between his palms as he attempted a downward strike to his bald head.

"Hmm," The king intensely contemplated in the midst of battle, much to Marco's bemusement.

Then, without even giving it a second thought, River tore the top half off of his wooden blade in the blink of an eye. A split-second after, a fist was powerfully driven into Marco's face, sending him several feet away and landing hard on the grass.

As he propped himself up, he felt blood trickling from his nostrils onto his upper lip. They were swiftly wiped off as he returned to his feet and shifted into a more defensive stance.

Horror was drawn all over his face as he noticed that River was shrouded in a bright red aura, much like his wife a few days ago. Just like the Rayvern yesterday.

"Not bad, son. Not bad." The king remarked as he menacingly walked towards his new recruit. "Your form is disciplined and elegant. Your dexterity and stamina are impeccable. Although, I had some suspicions as I witnessed you sparring with my men. As our strikes made contact, I noticed quickly that my suspicions have been raised to near-confirmation."

Marco's body was electrified as he was hit with the realization that this was a repeat of his previous scuffle with Tom. After reigning victorious over a hard-fought battle, he was immediately outmatched by a new challenger as he seemed to do nothing but evade his strikes and annoyingly analyzed him.

"Don't get me wrong," River spoke, solemnly. "I can still feel the tenacity and power behind every strike, even though you've just bested some of my strongest men with all of your strength and effort. It felt as if I was your first and only opponent."

Without another word, Marco threw a high-speed fist towards his enemy's bearded face, without any wind up or warning but still held enough strength to do some serious damage. Unfortunately, it was instantly caught within River's beefy, sweaty grasp.

"However..." The barbarian began, before effortlessly tossing Marco high into the sky by his arm. At the apex of his height, his body was momentarily bathed in the pale essence of the moons. Everyone's eyes followed Marco as his screaming form flew a dozen feet in the air then rapidly plummeted to the ground.

When Marco landed on the ground, he was caught by the collar of his hoodie as his face was forcibly dragged towards his opponent's. River's lips were curved in a somewhat dejected frown. As he locked eyes with his best friend's dad, he noticed that they held a sort of warm, fatherly shine to them.

"...you deny your weapon its purpose."

Those were the last words that struck his ears and the king's barren cranium was the last thing that filled his vision before everything instantly dissolved into soundless blackness.

* * *

He was close. He could feel it. Literally. Sixteen years of hunting down those damned clones gave him some sort of sixth sense for them. Whenever one or more of them were within a mile or so, he could feel a dull heat in his head. As he got closer, the heat grew more and more acute until the feeling vanished altogether when he managed to catch sight of her. He never discovered the real reason this happened. Maybe he incidentally breathed in an essence of her flame after spending eons blowing them out.

He was determined, but relaxed. He casually rode on the back of his dragoncycle, Nachos, as they flew across the pestilent, grayish green skies and followed his senses down a straight, seemingly endless road surrounded by arid badlands.

Nachos gurgled. She looked back at her friend with glistening eyes.

"I know girl, I know," Marco agreed, scratching his head. He gave his friend a headpat of assurance. "She's getting close. It's the real one, I just know it."

The riding reptile joyously murmured and clicked, her ears flapping as she did so.

"Right?" Marco beamed, his excitement growing from Nachos's poignant speech. "Imagine all the adventures we could have with those scissors. Just think of all the cool dimensions we... could travel to... and..."

His voice trailed off as he was gripped by an unforeseen, sharp pang of sadness. He felt his heart drop and something tugged hard at his subconscious. He couldn't place the source of his sudden apprehension, but it didn't go unnoticed by the flying reptile.

Nachos whined and purred as she sensed her companion's anxiety. She looked back with a pensive glare, nearly identical to that of a needy puppy.

"I dunno, Nachos," Marco said, scratching his head in perplexity and distress. "I feel... like I forgot something... important... and now I feel really, really terrible that I did. But I don't know what it is, and that's what's bothering me."

Rather than continue the conversation, Nachos loudly growled as she dipped down towards the road, causing Marco to yelp in response to the abrupt descent.

He soon realized exactly why his cycle did what she did. He spotted the distinct, colorful figure of Hekapoo standing in the middle of the road. The original. The creator of all the clones that served as constant, cruel reminders that he was never getting any closer to the real one. The one he so viciously hunted after for over a decade and a half.

There was someone she was conversing with. His blood boiled and his heart quickened as he noticed that it was... him.

As they touched down, Nachos slid down the road on her wheels, then she slowed to a halt just a few yards short of the two figures, whose attention was swiftly grabbed by the rugged, bare-chested man and his dragon.

"Ah, Marco Diaz. So glad of you to join us." The man affably said while his arms were wide open in welcome. "We were just talking about you,"

"Yang..." Marco seethed. The name was like acid on his tongue.

The man in question was a blue leather trench coat-clad young swordsman around Marco's age. His distinct appearance included bright yellow skin, misty blue eyes, a prominent scar across his left one, shimmering white hair tied in a ponytail and pointy ears like an elf. In fact, he _was_ an elf, or so he vehemently claimed. From the dimension of High Rock, he said.

Oh, and that accursed sheathe that hung from his hip. An unorthodox, gas-powered, spring-loaded device that basically shot his sword at the push of a trigger whenever he wanted to perform fatal, split-second strikes that no one would ever see coming from miles away. Many of Marco's blades were broken as a result of this advanced technique, resulting in multiple extensive and expensive repairs.

Yang too sought the dimensional scissors and willingly became a player in Hekapoo's game. Ever since the two met at the Hana Blue Shadow School ten years ago while targeting the same clone, they became ardent rivals, racing for the clones and colliding steel at every chance they got during every fateful encounter.

"I'm surprised you haven't snuffed her out yet," Marco coldly commented. "You were expecting me here, weren't you?"

"Somethin' like that," Hekapoo answered in Yang's place. "Thought it'd be be nice to have a little chat before we wrapped things up."

"Before it's decided who's worthy of the final flame," The elf added, shooting a sly grin at his human nemesis.

"Oh so that's what you want?" the hooded swordsman directed his ire towards the smug elf. "To finally kill me in front of the real Hekapoo? Isn't it enough that you just get those scissors?"

"It's not just about the scissors, Marco," Yang chided, his face hardening in seriousness. "I'm talking about purpose. Ideals."

"What?" The hooded man was confused by his words.

The opposing elf heaved a great sigh at his foe's naivete. "We never really spoke often during our time together haven't we?"

"Only through clashing blades and vulgar insults," Marco flatly answered.

"Well then." Yang gave a facetiously warm smile as he spoke. "Let this be the first, last, and only friendly conversation we'll ever have.

Marco could only arch an eyebrow in suspicion as he kept his rear firmly planted on Nachos' back. For a decade, the two have done nothing but make attempts at each other's life every time they were even within a mile of each other. Every meeting, there was always a Hekapoo clone on the line, and neither of them gave the other time to breathe or even think. It was just a tiring, heart-racing routine of fight, run, chase, hunt, defend, win, lose.

Because of their wide gap in skill, Marco was never able to get one single hit on the cursed elf. In fact it was always Yang who left the man escaping with inches of his life. What really made him especially rage-inducing and demoralizing, was that the elven man could have killed Marco at any point had he any inclination to, but refrained from doing so. As if to taunt him by saying,"Your inferior human blood isn't fit to coat my blade," That isn't to say that Marco didn't get any victories in apprehending a clone before he did, however.

In addition to all the environmental, geographical, and murderous obstacles that Marco had to overcome to survive and catch a clone, Yang stood alongside Hekapoo as a constantly consistent threat throughout this whole ordeal as well as an issue he could delay but never truly resolve. And now he wants to talk? To have a moment of peace and amnesty? Like they were the best of besties? While his guard is down?

His dragoncycle turned her head and whined at Marco with those same puppy eyes. Nachos always knew how Marco felt even if he didn't convey it or tell her himself. Whenever he was down in the dumps, she always tried her very best to bring him back up. Whether it be taking him on really fun, barrel-roll filled rides, lovingly nuzzling her snout against his face or giving him sweet words of encouragement and support. In fact, it reminded him of... ugh, there was that awful feeling again. He wished he could get to the bottom of this so he can stop it as soon as possible.

Now it was Marco's turn to sigh. He rubbed the reptile's head and scratched behind her ears in reassurance. "Yeah you're right, girl. Ok. I'll hear 'em out."

Marco hesitantly rose from his seat, picking up his sheathed blade as he did. He stopped just a short distance between his trusty steed and his untrustworthy foe.

"Tell me, Marco," The elf implored, an arrogant aura surrounding him as he he lightly pinched his pointy chin. "Why are you here?"

That's an easy one.

"Because I tracked her here and I gotta put out her flame," He answered, pointing at Hekapoo. She merely smiled and shook her head.

"No, I mean why are you here? In this dimension?" He repeated, more seriously this time. His arms spread themselves wide to give Marco a better sense of scale.

For what else?

"I came here for the scissors. She dragged me into her little game all those years ago," He pointed again, more firmly this time. She responded with a palm to her face.

"Oh my goodness, you dense son of a-" Yang trailed off as his forehead drooped onto his palm. He was beside himself with annoyance towards the man's obliviousness. "I _know_ you're standing in this very spot for her flame. I know you're in this dimension _because_ of her and the scissors. What I want to know, is _what_ you're doing all this for. Why have you been fighting me and everything else impeding your path all these years? What's your purpose in all... this?"

Marco ran out of simple, short responses. In fact, that dreadful feeling returned once again, with greater intensity now that the question posed itself loudly in his ears. What _has_ he been fighting for? Surely he spent all that time and effort for a pair of those scissors just so he could travel to different worlds and have awesome adventures with his kick-ass dragoncycle.

But deep within his heart of hearts. Deep within the far reaches of his mind, he knew... it was more than that.

Oh god, did he prove that suicide-encouraging, blue spirit right?

Has he actually _forgotten his purpose?_

He gave a silent gasp and bugged out his eyes as realization washed over him like a bucket of cold water. That's what's been plaguing his mind these past several minutes.

But now that he's figured out the why, he needs to discover the what. Therefore, his anxiety still lingered in his mind as his brain desperately searched for an answer. Maybe it was something in his heart that his brain couldn't find.

"You know what? Forget it. Oh wait, you already did!" Yang threw his hands up. He was fed up with Marco's narrow-mindedness. "Whatever reasons you had for coming here couldn''t be all that significant or even legitimate if you can't even bring yourself to recall them,"

"What!?" Marco yelled, his hand immediately grasping the handle of his blade and curving his body in a stiff, lower stance. He didn't know why he was infuriated with the wretched elf's biting comment. It might have something to do with the unknown purpose. At the very least, it had to be something meaningful if he had that type of kneejerk reaction.

"How strange that you got so offended over something you can't even be arsed to remember," The elf arched an eyebrow in fascination. Marco still stood there, angrily baring and grinding his teeth as Yang's words pierced his tanned skin like sharp pins. "Would you like to know what your biggest problem is? Actually, you don't, but I'll go on anyways."

"Ooh, ooh, I'd like to know!" Hekapoo perked up, hyperactively hopping in place and raising her hand like a primary school student with an answer they were sure about. "What _is_ his problem, Mr. Yang?"

"Well I'm glad you asked, Miss Hekapoo," The elf shot her a bright grin as he couldn't wait to lay into his target's sense of self-image. "You see, our dear Marco here has no purpose behind any of his endeavors. Or at least, nothing worthwhile that he can recall at the moment. Or it was something he simply abandoned after a while and is currently repressing it for one reason or another. And I remember, a very long time ago, when we had our first altercation, that I had told him something that he should keep at the forefront of his mind every waking moment since then. Tell me, my friend. What were those exact words, again? Unless you forgot about them, too. That would be disconcerting."

"You ssaid..." Marco answered, through grit teeth and slow, heavy exhales. "I... My blade... it..."

Dissatisfied with the hesitation of his response, Yang rolled his eyes. He and Hekapoo shared a dry, half-lidded look as the man standing before them struggled to remember his rival's words. Actually, it wasn't a matter of memory. He just didn't want to bring up those words that irked him for so many years. Words that he denied for so long. Words that were invariably true no matter what mental gymnastics he used to futilely avoid them.

"Well, since our friend here is suffering from a bad case of cognitive dissonance, I'll answer on his behalf." Yang cleared his throat as he prepared to recite his words loud and clear as to give his nemesis a cruel reminder. "You-"

"Were suppressing my blade's full potential," Marco swiftly finished, feeling like he just removed a knife from his chest. In fact, a visible scar was evidence that he did just that. His body was no longer bent in a stance. Instead, it stood straight as the man despondently looked to the coarse, dirt road beneath his feet.

" _Di molto_!" Yang joyously shouted, pointing at his rival in satisfaction. "I knew you took those words to heart! You see Marco, I'm fully aware of how excellent of a student you were at Aoikage's. Hell, I'd even say you are just a few steps shy of my skill level. However, learning and memorizing everything that was taught to you isn't enough. You have to apply those strategies and concepts in real, dire situations. One-hundred percent. Without any barriers, whether mental or physical. And therein lies the problem."

Marco remained silent, his expression plain and unreadable as he sat through this lecture. A lot of words for a guy who, up until this point, only communicated with him through vexing taunts, angry insults, and swings of his sword.

"You don't go one-hundred percent. In fact, you don't even go one/one-hundredth of a percent. You may have fooled every instructor and your fellow students by acting as if you can properly project _sakki,_ but you've never had any to begin with. I knew this. Dai-sensei definitely knew this, but he let you graduate anyways because he 'respected your due diligence and your innovative subversion of expectations'. Bah. What a softy unfit to run an academy of highly trained killers. Despite what a decorated piece of paper and an esteemed teacher might say, you will never truly master the ways of _Satsujin-to._ "

"Sake?" Hekapoo gazed up at Yang in confusion. "Isn't that type of booze?"

"No, not Sake. _Sakki._ " Yang corrected. "In the swordsman's business, it is also known as the Death Lust. The murderous intent that gives drive to every single strike."

"Ohhh,"

"So what do you want from me then!?" Marco raised his voice, thowing his arms down in frustration as his rival's lecture was starting to get on his last nerve. "If you want to fight, let's throw down right now instead of talking my ear off with all the dumb shit coming out of your mouth!"

"Heh heh heh. Settle down, boy." The elf cackled, amused by his rival's ignorant eagerness." You know, I've heard talk of your good deeds around the world. You saved a few civilizations, averted a few disasters. Heck, I've seen them firsthand when you've given up on chasing a clone or fighting me when someone was in need of rescuing from one entity or another. That is something I've noticed. That unyielding willingness to help others out of the kindness of your heart regardless of the risks that may follow."

Marco was cautiously flattered when he heard the very first genuine compliment coming from this guy who's done nothing but grind sharp edges with him so many times in the past. Well, technically it was the second, but that first one was backhanded, so it didn't count.

"Remind me again Marco what your exact words were that prompted my memorable response. The words that ended up being your greatest strength, yet your most fatal weakness."

Oh this, Marco can definitely answer with two-hundred percent certainty. He felt his lungs expand and his heart flutter as the words that he so strongly, almost blindly followed to a T throughout these stressful, trying years, began rising up his throat with such energy and ease.

"My blade is a tool of justice." He solemnly spoke, bringing a tight fist to his heart. "I bear this blade to protect the weak and those I hold dear. It will never be used in anger. Not used out of malice. Nor out of vengeance."

Both Yang and Hekapoo began half-facetiously, half-seriously clapping as Marco's theatrical performance concluded.

"Beautiful," Hekapoo simply complimented. A genuine, unironic smile formed across her lips.

" _Bellisimo_." Yang jovially beamed as his clapping slowed to a halt. "See, that's the kind of hope and determination found in many great warriors. Despite that I often see you as a bumbling idiot who wildly swung sharp metal as if he was trained improperly as a joke, I have come to respect you and your endeavors over time."

Marco blushed and bashfully scratched his face as he was genuinely moved by his longtime rival's words. Sure, there was an insult snuck in there that didn't go unnoticed, but he felt a sort of gratification to hear that the man who did nothing but respond with hostility with every encounter held some degree of admiration for him. It was strange, but it was a good kind of strange.

"But what I can't respect," Yang's tune made a dramatic 180. "No, what I refuse to _accept_ , is a sword without its _mekugi_. A war without a justifiable cause to follow. A man with no Will to Power. A predator who aimlessly wanders the land, trying to adopt a life of vegetarianism in a foolish attempt to defy the violent and carnivorous tendencies rightfully given to them at birth."

Hekapoo could only look aghast as Marco was abjectly assaulted by the elf's morale-crushing speech. And immediately after he so affably commended him, too. She wanted to make a clever joke about Marco getting burned, but she didn't want to ruin the flow of brutal emotional destruction. She simply stood silent, her mouth in a constant "o".

"OK FINE, YOU'RE RIGHT! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW!?" Marco shouted at the peak of his lungs. He was fed up with Yang's fickle verbal treatment. "So what if I can't kill a single person? Big deal! I never wanted to do that in the first place! Why are you even telling me all this!? Just so you could piss me off when taking multiple opportunities from me wasn't enough!?"

Yang couldn't help but subtlety snicker to himself. He wanted to break out into laughter actually, but he was afraid the boy would explode from his rising blood pressure before he would get a fight out of him.

"Heh y'know, I don't need your admission to confirm what's objectively true." The elf confidently stated. "As for why you're hearing this after all these years, well... since it seems you've been denying the truth for so long, I figured I should give you a chance to take it a step further and actually debunk that statement. Prove me wrong in a final battle that determines which of us is worthy enough to go forward. To be the one to wander the True Warrior's Way. History and Hekapoo will bear witness to the victory of he who ends up being right. End of discussion."

After suffering through a seemingly unending wall of text, Marco finally smiled and agreed with the deplorable elven man on a course of action the two found equally favorable. If there was anything else they found common ground on, it was their burning passion to finally end their long-standing blood-stained feud and discover who truly has what it takes to wield those scissors.

Without another word, Marco's head swung to the side, directing Yang's attention towards the barren, gravel-ridden clearing that would serve as a proper dueling grounds.

As they both began walking towards their silently agreed-upon designated area, Nachos loudly cried out to her friend in concern.

"Yeah Nachos, this _is_ necessary," Marco responded, still walking and locking hazel-to-blue with his opponent. "I don't care what anyone thinks. I have cause enough to beat him here and now."

"Heh heh. Simple and immediate. But it's a start at least," Yang chuckled, half-serious. "Indeed, it's a vast improvement from before, I'll give you that."

The two stopped just several yards from the main road. They stood facing around the same distance from one other, each man fairly providing their foe enough space and time to steel their wills and clear their minds. Hekapoo briskly skipped on over to a short rock just far enough to be safe from any danger but close enough get a good show.

Not a sound stirred from anyone in attendance. The only things audible were the cold wind blowing parallel to their positions and the soft crunch of gravel being crushed beneath them as the soles of their boots anxiously rubbed against the ground.

Like a classic western, the two duelists faced one another, their arms slightly parted from their sides as their fingers wriggled and twitched. An out-of-nowhere tumbleweed rolled between the two.

In the blink of an eye, the oppositions drew their katanas with an instantaneous shing. Each of their blades were held firmly in front of their bodies, ready to cut flesh and draw blood.

The blade of Yang's sword, despite it having no enchantments whatsoever, was a vibrant, solid azure color that glowed just very faintly. There wasn't even a sun for it to reflect light from, as it is occluded by the dark gray smog that complimented the noxious green skies.

"Wait wait wait!" Hekapoo loudly interjected, holding her hand out to deter any further actions. She summoned a portal close by, and heaved out a rather humongous boom box. "Gotta set the mood, dudes."

She pressed the play button with a quick click and-

 _I LIKE. BIG. BUTTS AND I CAN-NOT LIE! YOU OTHA BRUTHAS CAN'T DE-NY!_

The two swordsman merely glared at their self-appointed DJ in perplexity and annoyance as the song loudly played, making the air that surrounded them thick with discomfort.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Hekapoo hissed as she frantically pressed the pause button to turn off the inappropriate tune. "Dammit Betty, why'd ya leave your mix tape in here?"

Hekapoo swiftly ejected the cassette and tossed it into another portal, possibly unaware of where it may have ended up. She opened another portal and her arm shifted around as she dug through perhaps a pile of cassettes in search of a more fitting track.

"A-ha!" She said, finding what she was looking for. She inserted the tape into the boom box, and promptly pressed play. A series of heavy, industrial-style guitar riffs echoed from the speakers.

Marco and Yang dismissively shrugged and their daunting gazes were immediately affixed to one another once more as they slightly lowered the tips of their blades.

"I'm ending this here," Marco fervently declared. His tone was laced with venom and his eyes shimmered with determination. His hand squeezed his blade so tightly, he could potentially break its blue gauze-wrapped grip.

"Ha haa!" Yang was amused by his opponent's disposition. The prominent scar that bisected his left eye wrinkled along with the rest of his yellow face. His body bent itself lower as he held his sword in both hands, keeping the blade behind him with its edge facing the ground. "OK, Mars! Give me a fight worth dying for!"

The fight instantly commenced as the contenders sped towards one other with readied strikes and murderous intent.

 _MEMORIES BROKEN, THE TRUTH GOES UNSPOKEN, I'VE EVEN FORGOTTEN MY NAAAAME!_


	19. Shine On You Crazy Diamond

**A/N: I highly recommend re-reading the previous chapter (if you've read it originally) for I have made some hefty changes, most notably in the second half, that include a very crucial detail that I neglected to include initially.**

 _ **Wakaremashita onegai.**_

* * *

Ah, the late evening. A nigh silent time where the busy bodies of Mewni rest their weary bones from whatever obligations, responsibilities, or lack thereof they were dealing with prior to their much desired rest.

However, while the most civil and law-abiding of them take advantage of this lengthy reprieve, others use it as... a sordid opportunity of sorts. No matter what city, nation, planet, or dimension you go, the dead of night is where the freaks, the ghouls, and the degenerates arise and express themselves to the fullest in a myriad of ways unseen by the general public. Whether such acts are harmless or harmful is quite the gamble for the unfortunate and lucid who wish to travel during these hours out of their nocturnal nature or because of an important task they are bound to fulfill.

Fortunately for Glossaryck, he is unbound by such biological and mental limitations. Dude's lived far too long and saw far too much to be bothered by anything the night can dish out at him. Anything of this physical realm that is.

But there is one particular weirdo in the night that always rubbed him the wrong way. Not to the point where hostilities or a tight guard were necessary, but it would be nice if she didn't act the way she did.

Unfortunately for him, he had to meet up with this weirdo. Besides Marco and Star, she too was an important piece to this Five-dimensional Backgammon he's been playing with forces beyond comprehension. He's lost a few crucial pieces of his own already, but he wasn't out of the game quite yet. He refused to King them. That's how Backgammon worked, right?

But of course, dealing with this particular piece was never easy. Not since the harrowing ordeal she went through all those years ago. Tragic are the common fates esteemed veterans such as she. Was it the bloody horror of her actions? The traumatic sights she's seen? The subsequent loss of purpose? No one knows for sure.

Found it. It would usually escape the naked eye, but Glossaryck's eyes were anything but. He managed to catch just the faintest sliver of light coming from behind a slab of rock that nearly blended into the mountain side it stood against.

It was a feat impossible as dictated by the Laws of Physics, but Glossaryck, of course, defied such meaningless restrictions and managed to slip through the miniscule crack with relative ease and without any pain. It was like trying to squeeze an entire fist into a coin slot.

The wafer thin mouth of the cave led into a near blindingly lit corridor that stretched several meters or so, its walls and ceiling filled to the brim with firefly lanterns and torches. Lying scattered on the ground awaiting possible intruders were various hazards, like caltrops, bear traps, makeshift landmines, pitfalls concealed under conspicous piles of leaves, and the occasional Lego. Figures. At the end of the corridor was another, more wide-open passageway, shrouded by empty tin cans hung by string. Presumably, that was where Mina Loveberry currently resided. Faint, indescribable noises echoed throughout the cave. As Glossaryck drew closer, he could make out the sounds of explosions, blades clashing, and unnecessarily drawn-out attack names.

With her back turned to the entrance, Mina was lounging about on a dingy red couch, casually stuffing her face with popcorn and watching low resolution anime on an archaic television. How she was able to get any reception on Mewni is a mystery, but Glossaryck didn't dwell on it too much.

He barely even touched a single can before the former soldier sprung into action.

"Who goes there!?" She frantically demanded as her couch tilted over on its back and acted as her last line of defense. She poured out the remaining popcorn and used the empty, oily bucket as her helmet. "I don't know how you got here without setting off any traps, but that's as far as you'll get!"

"Mina, it's me, Glossaryck," He answered, pushing his way past the jingling tin cans.

"A likely story!" She wasn't buying it. While still behind her cover, she brandished a lithe, purple-bladed saber seemingly out of nowhere and pointed at the floating blue man. "How do I know you're not an Apostle of one of... _them?_

"Uh, because I'm not?" He shrugged. "We have literally known each other for years, woman. I most likely would have attacked you by now if I was one of _them._ "

"Alright then," Mina stood up, still on guard with her blade standing strong in front of her body. "If you really are Glossaryck, then riddle me this: What's his favorite snack?"

Rolling his eyes as he was getting tired of this shit, he breathlessly answered. "Pudding,"

In a split-second, Mina dropped her sword and held her face as she gasped. Her body blurred over the couch as she was suddenly in a prostrating position.

" _Sensei! Onegai shimasu!"_

If he rolled his eyes any more, they'd end up unscrewing themselves out of his socket. With an annoyed sigh, the magical mentor rubbed the pink jewel on his forehead. "Alright alright, that's enough of that. Get up, I don't have time for this."

"Er, sorry," Mina arose, sheepishly rubbing her cheek and chuckling. "It's just, heh heh... y'know my origins and..."

"Yes yes, I get it. Nefcy has a boner for anime. It's absurd, but I get it. Now can we move this along?"

"Oh, yes of course!" Mina perked up and stood at attention. "What brings you here, Sen- er, Master Glossaryck?"

He almost regret coming here, but he had no other choice. She was the best hope for things to run smoothly in his favor as she was the only survivor of those events following the conflict between Mewman and Monster all those decades ago. Though whether it was fortunate or unfortunate was never determined by either of the two.

He had just elucidated Marco's role in all this. Surely, he could do the same with her. Surely she can prove herself just as reliable as he is, despite her current... ailments.

"Alright,so," He began, taking a deep exhale as he did so. "I'm not gonna sugarcoat this. The MHC has gone kaput."

Mina's eyes widened, but she made no attempt at a verbal response. Though one could surmise that she, like many others who know of this information, was overwrought with bewilderment at how such powerful beings were felled so easily.

"And even before that, Magic has been slowly draining from the Universe. You know what that means, right?"

She made a firm, almost angered expression that gave Glossaryck his answer.

"She's going to be set free, isn't she?" Mina growled as her voice was considerably quiet. Like something flashed in her eyes to illicit such a hostile presentation of her response.

The floating blue man could only gravely nod.

"How?" Her voice raised slightly. "How is this happening?"

"Toffee," He spared no time to answer.

"What? What does he have to do with all this?"

"Who do you think wiped out the MHC?"

Without breaking a sweat, Mina leaped back over her overturned couch and deftly picked up her fallen blade, raising it once again.

"Where is he? I'll take that lizard's head right now! Let me at him!"

"Whoa, slow down there." Glossaryck held his hands up in deterrance. "Let's not get hasty here. Right now, he's got all the essences of everyone from the MHC."

"Good, it'll make my victory and the following presentation of his severed head to the masses all the more sweeter!"

"Mina, the guy gave you a run for your money back when you were at your prime. You think you stand a chance now that he's all powered up? I don't think using _that_ spell would help you, either." Glossaryck said matter-of-factly, sternly crossing his robed arms.

Now she was at odds with herself. After so many years, she was finally given a path to get rid of the harrowing issues that plagued her for years as a result of that incident. All that pent up rage and sorrow that drove her insane over the years finally had a proper outlet.

On the other hand, Glossaryck always knew best. Guy was close to omniscient, but not quite there. And while his methods seemed baffling and his words were always cryptic, things usually worked out one way or another.

"So what then?" She decided to heed Glossaryck's warnings as she lowered her blade.

"Well, Eclipsa's bound to come back at some point. Sooner than we would all expect."

"And there isn't any way I could stop this?"

"Not in any realm of possibility I could see,"

"Then what's my role in all this?"

Glossaryck paused for a moment, therapeutically rubbing his beard. He was a gambler who never sweat over any losses, but when many lives are bound to be sacrificed, it's not like it didn't weigh on him personally. Though he resolved himself long ago that you can't make omelets without cracking several eggs. It's what pushed him through all this for so long.

"You know Star and Marco, right?"

"Mud sister?" Mina fondly remembered the time she and Star spent together that one sunny day. Ah, the lessons and wisdom the two bestowed upon one another. Good times. She wished every day was more like that. "I know who she is, but who's Marco?"

"Tan skinned fellow who's usually with her? Makes an effort to only wear that red hoodie every day?"

She thought for a few minutes as to who that might be. Then she remembered there was always a boy with that same description following the two around as they made their mark on the dimension known as "Earth".

"Oh yeah!" She snapped as she paired the name with the appearance that was a bit murky in her mind. "What does he have to do with all this?"

"I'll explain after you agree to help me with this."

"Ok, so I ask again: What am I supposed to do?"

"You'll know when that time comes. You'll feel it. We all will." He sounded almost too serious for it to be legitimate. The implications obscured by the ambiguity of his speech was like acid rising up his throat. "When the event that I think will happen actually happens, you need to make absolutely sure that Star and Marco make it out alive. Don't bother with anyone else. They'll be beyond saving."

Mina was initially puzzled, but her face quickly fell into that of horror when she caught on to what he was referring to.

"No... it's going to happen again, isn't it?"

"Yes,"

"Everyone in the Butterfly Kingdom will be a part of it?"

"Presumably,"

"I'm the only one who can get in there when it happens."

"Exactly,"

"You do realize what happens to those who survive such an event right?"

"I'm looking at one of them right now, and I think they'll be fine."

That struck a nerve. Memories that were all but repressed came crashing back into her. Memories she had hoped to keep behind her, but it seems she'll have to face the past once again. For the first time for as long as she knew Glossaryck, she was defiant enough to question his reasoning without giving it a second thought. "What makes you so sure about that? You think their barely adult minds could handle all that goes on when yours truly can barely live as a functioning member of society?"

"Look." He saw how riled up she was getting and had to assuage her impending rage with the most calming fatherly tone he could muster. "Star and Marco? I think they could do it. Separately? Of course they wouldn't stand a chance. But as long as they're together, we can win this fight. They'll bring the justice this universe so desperately needs and brighter days will follow. The Blood Moon has made sure of that."

The veteran raised an eyebrow towards that last comment, but something tells her all will be explained throughout the rest of the night. Glossaryck was almost never serious whenever he spoke to anyone, but it was three times this night where such an attitude rose to the occasion. It put Mina on edge, more so than usual. This was a different kind of edge, however. The kind that signaled the coming of something that'll change everything forever. The kind that would push retired, down-on-their-luck heroes back into action.

She sheepishly chuckled as she flashed a weak smile towards her floating guest. "You really have high hopes for them, huh?"

Glossaryck smiled back, though more genuinely than she did. "Of course. I'm aware I've made plenty of unclear assumptions with results that vary, though usually favorable in some way or another. But if I'm really sure about something, then shouldn't you take it as a good sign? And besides, they'll have one of the greatest heroes of Mewni assisting them on their journey. With you by their side, Toffee and those who follow him will bend to their knees."

"Hmm. Well, I can't argue with that." Mina shrugged, her mood vastly improving as a result of her reinvigorated purpose. "Ok then Glossaryck. I shall lend my blade for Queen and Countrymen! I'll fight till the very end. Against those who stand against the glory that is Mewni. Physical or otherwise!"

"Heh, reminds me of the guy I just got done talking to,"

And with that agreement, Mina had no further questions or concerns for Glossaryck to respond to. She put her couch back upright and sat upon its ripped, dusty cushions. She absentmindedly took a handful of popcorn from between the seats and downed them in one, somber gulp.

Glossaryck floated nearby, taking a seat and splaying his diminutive form across one of the cushions, feeling just as mentally exhausted as she was. He took some couch popcorn and proceeded to dump them in his mouth as well.

"How did it all come to this?" Mina sighed as she blankly stared at her television screen. It was playing nothing but static.

The miniature mentor simply peered up at the former warrior before taking a hefty sigh of his own.

"It takes two to Tango."

* * *

"You piece of shit!" One loud voice

A kick to the gut. A stomp on the tail. A sickening crack.

"You think you could just walk around here like you're an actual citizen!? Huh!?" An obnoxious other.

A steel-toed boot to the mouth. Some teeth might've fallen out. Blood trickled down the chin.

"We should've just went in and slaughtered you all." An angry third.

Claws crushed. Might've broke. Couldn't feel them anymore.

Eye swollen shut. Vision fuzzy. Could barely hear.

Throat in pain. Couldn't scream. Wanted to, though.

"Excuse me! What are you doing!?"

"P-Princess Moon!?"

A young woman came. Help maybe? Bright blue hair. Pink dress. Holding a staff-like thing that was blue and gold. Looks angry. Sounded loud, too. Crown on her head. Royalty perhaps?

"I demand to know what is the meaning of this!"

"Uh... we apprehended this vile creature. He... he was th-threatening us, y'see?"

"Yeah yeah! That's it!"

"Was gonna kill us if we ain't done anything, y'know?"

"Mm-hmm. While he wasn't even armed or capable of magic?"

"Er, w-we... well,"

"H-he had claws! And... and teeth! Yeah! And look at the size of him, too!"

"J-just get out of here! I'll take care of this!"

Ran away. Scared of the girl, most likely.

"Oh my goodness, are you ok? I'll punish them whenever I get the chance."

Said some things. Couldn't hear. Probably nice things. Assurance.

"Here,"

She bent down. Offered a hand. Could barely lift an arm. Fingers bent in wrong ways.

"Oh, right."

Got back up. Pointed vibrant staff downwards. It glowed blue.

"Shining justice burning in me. Good as new will this body be. Unbreakable can we only aspire. Let the voice of love take us higher!"

Covered in blue light. Suddenly felt warm. Everything was getting better.

All of his scattered bones snapped back into place. His eyes were no longer swollen. His teeth returned to their proper places. All the blood cleared itself from his face. His sight and hearing normalized.

"Now then," The young mage asked as she radiated a caring smile. She offered her hand again. "Are you alright?"

"Never better," He answered, now smiling back. She took her hand in his as he got to his feet. "I can't thank you enough for that."

"I can't apologize enough for them. I really wish I could stop this from happening all the time. I guess people just can't change, can't they?"

"Eh. It happens. Can't really do much about it."

They both went silent.

"So, what's your name?" He asked, nervously rubbing his shoulder.

"I am Princess Moon Butterfly, Future Queen of Mewni," She announced formally and with a bit of fanfare.

"And you're showing me kindness and mercy?" He asked, incredulously.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"Well," He sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. "Your family doesn't take very kindly to my people. Most of them, at least."

"Well, I'm different!" She energetically responded as she pointed a thumb to herself. "I think everyone deserves a chance! Regardless of where they're from or who they are. It's only fair."

"If only everyone else thought that way."

They shared an awkward chuckle.

She realized something.

"Wait a minute, aren't you a Septarian? Derived from the Royal Family?" She asked, pointing at him. She remembered reading about them in the history books. She recognized his specific species.

"Yes, what of it?" He shrugged.

"Then that means you're able to-"

"Yes,"

"And you could've-"

"Indeed,"

"Well then, why didn't yo-"

"It wouldn't have done any good. I would've proven them right and made it worse for myself. You and I would've met on much worse terms."

"Hmm... don't you also have regenerative abilities?"

"Yes, but since my body tried to heal as quickly as they delivered their blows, I couldn't muster enough energy to do so."

"Oh, I see."

Another uncomfortable pause.

"Sooo..." She broke the ice. "What's your name?"

* * *

"C'mon Toffee, it's this way!" Shouted the spry, young Princess Moon, waving a beckoning gesture to her sluggish best friend. She vigorously continued higher up the hill and into the Flower Fields of Fallen Fighters. Her lean figure cut through the dense sea of pink flowers and dodged around the discarded swords that were strewn about and jutting out of the flower-obscured ground.

"Heavens girl, slow down!" the lizard shouted back, heaving labored breaths as he struggled to keep up. That young royal would be the death of him someday if she kept this up. He was a fit and able lad in his own right, but the two have been traversing the vast, gradually inclining meadow for close to an hour with no breaks in between. How this slim sixteen-year-old was able to perform such a task without so much as lower her speed or break a sweat is a mystery of the infinite Multiverse.

"Why couldn't we have used your scissors?" Toffee yelled ahead, his legs feeling like they could give out any second.

"Got too excited! Forgot about them!" Moon simply shouted back without showing any signs of waiting for her friend at all.

The lizard's pace settled down as he reached flatter ground, possibly the apex of the hill. His torso bent over as he braced himself on his knees to chase after his breath. After recovering, he stood straight back up and noticed that Moon had finally stopped.

He noticed she was blankly staring off into the distance. Walking up right next to her, he saw dejection burned across her face.

"What seems to be the matter?" Toffee asked, attempting to make himself sound as comforting and reassuring as possible.

"It's... it's not... Th-the..." She vaguely squeaked. Her speech was fragmented.

Raising an eyebrow, the lizard looked forward to see what she was on about.

In the midst of a seemingly endless expanse of vibrant pink flowers and masterless swords, was a lone, wilted tree stripped of nearly all its leaves. A depressing sight fallen from grace that clashed with the vibrant, lively landscape.

"Is it the tree?"

"Yeah..." She flatly answered, her voice breaking as she spoke. "I found it a week ago... It was so beautiful... I wanted to show you when we finally had time to see each other... It was gonna be our secret place and..."

Without another word, he passed by the Mewni princess and sauntered straight towards the dying tree. His reptilian eyes were affixed with a sort of stoic motivation. The very same that Moon always witnessed whenever he put his mind to an immediate goal. Usually those of utmost importance.

He stopped in front of the tree's bark and his head raised itself to thoroughly scan every one of its branches. He clicked his tongue as an idea came to him.

"Toffee?" Moon soon caught up. She stood behind him to try and interpret his thoughts and actions, but to no avail. His intentions were always murky whenever he behaved this way. It was a bit concerning in a way, but at the same time, it was a sight to behold. Something of an admirable trait that shrouded him in an air of mystique which captivated her so.

With a raise of his hand, a red flame was ignited upon his palm. Moon's eyes widened in panic and her gloved hands lightly touched her diamond-painted cheeks.

"What are you doing!?" She shouted, afraid that the lone tree would go up in flames. He may be an inherently gentle soul, but there was a faint, yet noticeable ruthlessness in him that would commonly be seen among fierce warriors like those of the Johansen Clan. She wanted to stop him, but fear was quickly overwritten by morbid curiosity as it binded her in place and forced her to wait and see what would become of this.

Toffee merely turned to face her, a sly grin slashed across his scaly lips. He gave a quick wink before his gaze returned to the tree. The flame on his palm burned brighter and expanded slightly as he drew his arm back. He calmly and briefly murmured something under his breath that Moon couldn't hear clearly. A second after, he plunged his burning palm into the base of the tree.

"Toffee, n-"

Her exclamation was immediately halted by the dismissive waving of Toffee's other hand. Much to Moon's surprise, the tree did not go into a blaze as she presumed it would. Instead, a radiant, golden light slowly developed where his claws lay and gradually enveloped the rest of the tree. When the glow reached and traveled along the entire lengths of the branches, slowly and steadily, the pink buds that have long departed returned once more. The ground surrounding the base was darkened by an expansive shadow as the branches were completely covered in the vibrant pink flowers it was meant to have, rejuvenating the tree to the lively, gorgeous state that Moon was so vehement in showing her friend. That which was meant to be the centerpiece of their special spot.

"Wuh-what did you... h-how did..." The young lass sputtered as she was grasped by overwhelming feelings of awe and wonderment.

"Elementary, my dear Moon," Toffee scholarly spoke, pointing a claw towards the sky. "My family's Flame is far more than the danger and destruction you're used to seeing. It is a source of light and a symbol of life. A blessing left behind by the-Oof!"

"Oh, thankyouthankyouthankyoouuu!" The lizard's torso was immediately assaulted by the tight embrace of his royal friend. He felt the air leave his lungs as his abdomen was slightly crushed beneath her lean, yet powerful arms.

"Err..." He was taken aback, but greatly appreciated the intimate gesture. He gently ran a hand through her long, silky hair. "It's nothing really. You went through the trouble of leading me all the way here, so I figured it was my turn to repay you. But then again, there was more effort on my end to follow you."

With an innocent giggle, the princess released her tight grip and proceeded to lean against the bark of the tree. Her body slowly slid down to a seating position. She let her eyes droop as she immersed her entire being in the softness of the flowers and the coolness of the shade. Toffee shortly followed suit, his scaly arm delicately rubbing against hers as he sat closely adjacent to her.

For the next half-hour or so,the only noises being made were the chirping songs of passing birds and the gentle, howling breeze that lightly caressed their bodies. Finally, Moon thought, a serene spot where barely a soul can bother or judge them. A quiet place isolated from the hustle and bustle of a constantly active society. An area where life and death coexisted in pristine, perfect harmony. A place without the pressure and worries of everyday life and obligations. In this former battlegrounds from a bloody echo of history, turned makeshift cemetery, turned into undisturbed, uncharted territory, was now the hangout of these two tightly knit comrades. There was no concept of conflict nor fear in this very area. Only friendship and peace.

"Hey, Toffee?" Moon finally spoke up after a while. Her eyes opened and shifted towards the lazily lounging lizard.

"Hmm?" His eyes remained closed as he basked in the tranquility of their chill afternoon.

"Why did this tree die so fast?" The teen girl asked. "A lot of other trees usually last way longer than this. Usually months or even years."

One of Toffee's eyes slid open as it shifted towards his friend. He found her naivete adorable as a soft smile formed across his lips.

"Do you know what type of tree this is, Moon?"

"Hmmm...no," She admitted, shaking her head as she did so.

"This is a Cherry Blossom Tree. One that grows only in Spring. The spell will maintain it forever, but its flowers normally fade shortly after they bloom."

"Why is that?"

He took slightly longer to find an answer. Both of his eyes opened and he turned to face the Mewni princess, ready to give her his patented "Toffee Answer".

"Perhaps it is nature's allegory for the beautiful things that are fleeting in this world." He eloquently spoke, his voice stable and calm. " Dreams. Fortune. Happiness. Relationships. Life itself. All of it can vanish just as quickly as they appear. Such is nature. Such is fate. Oftentimes, we can do nothing but let it run its course and hope something better comes along to fill the void."

Moon remained silent as she sat up and peered at her lizard bestie with puffed cheeks and pouty eyes. Toffee noticed this and merely deepened his grin before closing his eyes once again.

"Well then, smarty-pants," Moon teased, defiance strong in her tone. "If the tree lost all of its leaves because of... fate and nature as you say, then why'd you bring them back and give the tree eternal life? You could've easily just left it be if you wanted to."

"But I didn't." Toffee responded, his voice laced with sincerity. "First off, it pained me to see you so dejected after putting us both through that long, tiring trek to get here."

"Awww..." The princess's eyes sparkled as her cheeks were flushed with red.

"And second," He raised a claw to the air again. "I abhor the repetitious quality of existence and history. If fate has ordained that injustice be dealt repeatedly to those who didn't deserve it. To those whose precious lives have been unreasonably degraded or cut short. To those whose ambitions and potential can never be fully realized, then I will continue to fight tooth and claw against it. Even if I lose myself in this never-ending battle,"

"Like what my people have been doing to yours..." Moon quietly spoke up as she somberly stared down upon the flowers.

Toffee shot up from his seat. He walked a short distance away from the bark, but remained within the shadows. He gazed longingly to the distance.

"Do you remember what my dream was, Moon?" Toffee asked, his view unchanging.

The princess tapped a finger to her chin in thought. She recalled the event when they were together one silent, moonlit night. They were skipping rocks across the river as they spoke on and on about whatever came to mind. They didn't care what, they merely enjoyed the company of one another. As the night went on, their conversation became more meaningful and Toffee heatedly spoke of his dream as he stared longingly at the determined visage reflected on the river's murky surface. She could only listen with starry eyes and stunned silence as she was enthralled in the fervent unraveling of his heart.

"As if you told me just yesterday," Moon longingly stated, her heart fluttering as she recalled the passion she felt from every word that smoothly glided off his tongue. Words that rung in her ears and resonated in her heart. "Can you tell it again?"

He nodded, still looking forward as he did so. He pointed a claw high towards the heavens. As if he was making a formal declaration to any deity who could be listening.

"My dream..." He began, losing himself in his dauntless conviction."... is that one day, I will walk a nation where everyone is happy. Free of oppression and inequality. Where everyone can coexist, without fear of their livelihoods and loved ones being threatened. Where every person can meet another with friendliness instead of prejudice. With welcome instead of hostility. With handshakes instead of violence. Between Mewman and Monster."

Moon frowned when his speech concluded. She frowned back when he gave it the first time, too. He was correct when he mentioned that dreams were fleeting. Despite being inescapably enamoured by his charisma, she couldn't bring herself to tell him how hopeless it was to suddenly change the stubborn minds of a people who ardently held a grudge against the monsters for several generations. She couldn't do it then nor can she do it now. Besides the future responsibilities that weighed on her shoulders for the longest time, this too was a heavy burden to bear.

"And that's where you come in," Toffee turned around, pointing at his mewman friend. "Before you know it, you're going to be crowned queen. And when that happens, you have the power to change things. For the benefit of everyone. You can make my dream come true, Moon! And hey, once the changes get underway, maybe I can be ki-err..."

The lizard stopped himself before things got weird. Both blushed profusely as a dense silence and the unspoken implications hung over them.

"Ehh, you know..." Toffee nervously continued, scratching the back of his neck. "Maybe uhh... I don't... have to be king... You can be with whoever you want... Maybe I could just be an advisor or a Royal Guard member or... something. As long as I get to partake in bringing the justice this nation so desperately needs, I'll be happy."

Moon reflected for a moment. She was stricken with grief`as she caught a certain detail in his speech.

"Is... is that why you're still friends with me?" She asked, her eyes shimmering with sadness. "Because I'm going to rule the nation one day?"

Toffee held his chest as he felt legitimately attacked by her statement. Of course that wasn't the reason. He held genuine affection for the girl the moment they first met two years ago. He barely even notices a crown on her head or a Royal Wand in her hand whenever they were together.

"How could you think that?" He shot back, now facing her with a pensive glare of his own. "I like you because you're different from the rest. You've never fallen victim to the pestilent dogma that has plagued your people for ages. You think and act out of your own will. Sure, you're still bound by the ancestral duties ordained by your family, but I know, deep in my very soul, that it will all change with you."

Moon's disposition warmed up once more as she was reassured of their real, unbreakable friendship. Her fears were subsided as she came to realize that his kindness wasn't out of reverence for her as a princess or the future queen, but out of sheer adoration for her qualities as a person.

"Well then," She started, now getting up to meet her best friend. "Shall we prove fate wrong by showing it that our friendship isn't fleeting?"

Toffee peered down at her, his scaly lips curving into a smile. It warmed his heart that their paths were one and the same. A bright future for Mewni casts its promising light over the horizon. He could feel it.

"We'll show fate that dreams aren't fleeting, either," He added, conviction steady in his heart and his tone.

They both locked bright blue with light green as a palpable, intimate silence formed a solid, yet undivisive wall between them. Toffee's heart held an unextinguishable hope within. In unseen contrast, Moon fought hard to maintain her facade of truly believing in her bestie's dream. How long and how well she could maintain it until the time came was a powerful uncertainty.

She cared immensely about him and would do anything in her power to help him realize his dream, but if she walked even an inch in his path when the leadership invariably falls in her hands, it would prove catastrophic for her kingdom. A wave of distrust, tumult, and eventually rebellion would result in the collapse of the Butterfly Kingdom. It would be at the expense of her title, her family's image, and possibly her life when the masses begin demanding her head. She couldn't let history repeat itself after the disaster that was Eclipsa's era.

This was a cruel fact that her parents dropped upon her as her friendship with the Septarian escalated over time. The momentous event drew near, and she had to be aware of and accept this reality sooner or later.

"Oh wait," Toffee broke the meaningful silence they were sharing. He began rummaging through his pockets. "I actually had something for you,"

"For me?" Moon gasped, holding her cheeks in her hands in suprise. "Aww, you shouldn't have. But I'll take it anyways."

"Ah, here it is," A purple, egg-shaped amulet dangled from his claws. It seemed like it was supposed to have a face, but every feature was haphazardly strewn across its body, as if it was molded by a blind person. Upon beholding it, one would anticipate that, at any second, it would spring to life, pry its eyes open and start screaming bloody murder.

"Uhh, what is it?" She asked, cautiously scanning every inch of the egg's surface. Her finger poked at every piece of its "face" assuming it would react.

"I'm not quite sure myself," Toffee confided, casually scratching his neck. "The gypsy that sold it to me said it was an extremely rare gift worthy of royalty and capable of godly power. I figured not only would it befit an up-and-coming queen such as yourself, but perhaps you could look into it with your magical instructors or your expansive libraries."

"So, then this is more like homework than a gift," Moon teasingly remarked, shooting a sly expression at her reptilian friend.

"Well, I guess so if you put it that way."

"Looks a bit creepy, to be honest," She commented, spinning the egg-thing back and forth. "There's something about it that feels a bit...off."

"Well, I didn't really give its appearance much thought," Toffee justified. "The sentiment provided by the gypsy was what really sold me on it. Someone of royalty that holds great magical and political power? Of course I immediately thought of you. And besides, aren't you one to not judge a book by its cover and think 'everyone deserves a chance'?"

"Hmm, you got me there," Moon conceded. She wrapped the amulet around her neck. "I think it's absolutely sweet that you thought of me while you were getting this. You had to have worked hard to get a rare treasure like this. And who knows? Maybe it could help with my training if it does have some sort of power. Thank you, Toffee. I'll keep it close to my heart at all times."

Toffee's heart eased and he smiled warmly as his best friend accepted his gift. During the lengthy period of time the two spent away from each other as a result of Moon's royal duties, he took to numerous, various odd jobs around the wilds of Mewni in order to save up for a gift for when they would finally be able to meet.

If he was being honest, the amulet too unnerved him when he first laid eyes upon it, yet it held an unseen aspect of it that captivated him and exuded something... dormant. While the gypsy's sales pitch somewhat drew him initially, perhaps it was its potential for something extraordinary that truly captured his interest. And Toffee was not one to carelessly brush off such a notion regardless of their origin or appearance.

"You know, sometimes," The Septarian began, his voice seeped in firm sincerity. "Whenever I'm with you, I forget all about my dream. For but a brief, fleeting moment, I'm happy enough that it became irrelevant."

Moon didn't know what to say. A blush reared its ugly head upon her face and her lips reflexively curved in a flattered smile. However, her gratified, flushed visage betrayed the guilt that piled on her mind and soul as her sense of duty was at odds with the desires of her heart. How would he feel if she wasn't able to bring his dream to reality? Would he stop being friends with her? Would he hate her? All the pressure from her kingdom and her parents weighed on her shoulders as it ominously and constantly hung over and threatened to squash their much cherished friendship

"Wait, what time is it?" Moon frantically asked, simultaneously out of genuine concern and the desire to quell the internal conflict bubbling within.

He deftly pulled a pocket watch from his garb in response.

"2:20,"

"Goodness me, I almost forgot!" Moon raised her voice, holding her temples in both hands. "I'm supposed to be sparring with Mina in ten minutes!"

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Toffee asked, lightly chastising the girl for her inattentiveness. "Go on and meet your friend. I'll be right here, enjoying the rest of the afternoon,"

"Right then. See you later, Toffee! I hope we can meet here again soon! Thanks again for the gift!" She took him in another loving embrace. He reciprocated the hug fully this time.

"Likewise, I-"

And before he knew it, her body was out of his grasp, leaving him to hug the air. Her petite form was already a blue dot in the distance as she hurriedly ran back to her kingdom.

"Heh, she'll make it with ten minutes to spare at that rate," He chuckled to himself. He made his way back to the base of the tree with his back to the bark and his rear upon the flowers.

He grabbed a cigar from his pocket and promptly lit it with a pinch of his claws and a spark of his magic. He took a hefty huff and a sizeable cloud billowed from his muzzle. At several occasions, she blatantly voiced her disapproval towards his smoking. It wasn't good for either of them, so he made an effort to refrain from doing so in her presence. He couldn't completely stomp out the addictive habit altogether, however.

A stray Cherry Blossom petal delicately fell upon the lit tip of his cigar. It burned away almost instantly.


	20. Dark Side of the Moon

The ornate, decorated fireplace burned brightly within the King and Queen's bedchambers, providing not just the only source of light in an otherwise pitch black room, but the only source of sound in an otherwise uncomfortably silent chambers. Star and Moon Butterfly sat upon a small table in front of said fireplace. A wooden box and a tall glass bottle of grape wine accompanied by a slim, nigh-empty glass stood between the two.

Moon tipped the end of the bottle towards the lip of the glass, once again refilling its contents with the smooth, dark-purple liquid. It was her seventh glass that night.

This was the opposite of what Star expected the circumstances around their conversation to entail. In fact, they haven't had any at all. Not a one since she pulled her mom to the side after Marco was carried off by the company of soldiers to the mess hall in celebration of his induction upon their ranks.

The second the inquiry "Can I talk to you about Eclipsa?" escaped Star's lips, Moon's calm neutrality sunk into a grave frown, then she silently beckoned they both head to the bedchambers. They walked the quiet, moon-bathed corridors without a single utterance. Even when Star tried to ask more questions, she was met with a frozen shoulder.

Once they reached the bedroom, the queen pulled a wooden box from under her bed and grabbed a sizeable bottle of wine from the "Royal Cabinet". After they took their seats, Moon commenced drowning her suppressed sorrows in alcohol, not once allowing her fingers to let go of the stem of the glass. She seemed to be deep in thought as her starry, yet somber blue eyes mindlessly followed the vibrant flames that licked and lashed from their log pile. This went on for ten minutes.

Star found the sight to be... unnerving to say the least. For these past few days, she witnessed the layers of her mother's regal composure peel away by the mentally slicing stress of recent disasters. She knew her father could drink an entire squad's worth of liquor, but never would have guessed in an eternity that her mother was capable of the same thing if one considered the alcohol content of common Mewman booze.

Fed up with doing nothing but witness her mom drink herself into a coma, her patience finally crumbled. Star quietly spoke up. "Are you gonna talk to me orrr..."

Her Highness said nothing. She caught a momentary glimpse of her daughter's inquisitive visage before gazing back into the fires and taking another soft slurp.

"Mom," She called out more firmly, slapping the table light enough as to not knock over the fragile contents that laid on its surface.

For once during the ten minutes they spent so far, Moon gently placed her glass upon the table and released her dainty, three-fingered grip. She didn't even bother putting out a coaster for the beverage, which was also fairly unlike her. It seems her rigid and courteous appearance was merely a front to conceal the tortured soul that screamed in agony within.

"How did we get here?" She nearly whispered after heaving a great sigh. She wasn't sure herself whether she was asking Star, herself, or the flames.

"I'm... not sure what you mean, mom," Star responded to her rhetorical question. "You talking about that whole thing with you and Toffee?"

She simply nodded, still not facing her daughter. "I was just... thinking about how a simple friendship that shared the same ideas turned into... pardon my speech, for I lack a more appropriate term... a shitshow."

Star's head drew back slightly as she felt stung by her mother's sudden crass language. She wasn't sure whether to find it cool or frightening. One thing's for certain, however, was that she was definitely being enlightened on her mother's true, more uncaged form.

"So," Star tried to move things along, briefly disregarding her mother's behavior. "How come I was never told about the Royal Adage?"

Moon finally looked back at her daughter, the pensive look in her eyes remaining. "Did Glossaryck not tell you? Did you not read it in the spell book at some point?"

Star shook her head. "It just... came to me in a dream last night. About Eclipsa. It was dark and I couldn't see a thing, but I heard her talking to her mom before leaving and they recited the whole thing."

The queen wordlessly peered back towards the light. She's really addicted to that thing, it seems.

With tired, exasperated sigh, she began. "We are born of the Arcane."

Star joined in. "Made whole by the Arcane."

"Undone by the Arcane."

"Our hearts have yet to unravel."

"Our minds remain lucid."

"Our souls continue to shine."

"Fear the Old Arts," They concluded in unison.

No further noises other than the crackling of the fireplace were audible for a few more seconds. Not caring for any more time being wasted on unnecessary moments of stillness, Star continued.

"So, why haven't you or Glossaryck told me about it?"

She exhaled once again as she explained. "A myriad of reasons, Star. To start with, it faded into obscurity a very long time ago. Presumably after Eclipsa made her own chapter in the spell book. They must have figured it would beneath them if they still strongly promoted the Adage all while having easy access to part of the 'Old Arts' we were so against."

"And?"

"Well, it is still written somewhere, just deeply hidden and not anywhere you'd expect it to be. As I hope you'd figure by now, the tome isn't as organized as we would like. The table of contents is in the middle of the book, for goodness' sake."

Star's heart sunk and her body winced as she realized, once again, that she would've discovered it had she read her spell book more frequently and diligently. She soon eased up as she resolved herself to the tried and true proverb of "better late than never".

"On a more personal level," She continued, her tone dampening to that of somber remorse. "I thought it'd be more hypocritical of me if I told you the Adage if I ended up not following through with it myself. Deep in my heart, I had hoped that you would find it on your own and succeed where I failed those many years ago. Since you found it anyways through rather... unorthodox means, the results have apparently not been favorable. I haven't told you of the specific circumstances surrounding my conjuring of the 'Darkest Spell' haven't I?"

"Uh-uh," Star answered, shaking her head. "You were pretty vague when you were telling that part of your story. Like you were keeping yourself from getting too much into detail or something."

With that, the wooden box that's been laying dormant for all this time swung open as Moon rummaged through its contents. After finding what she searched for, she held up a cord that was connected to a purple egg-thing with various facial features jumbled around its shape. It was like someone made a rubix cube out of someone's face.

"What... is it?" Star asked, visibly creeped out. Her shoulders shifted as she felt unspecified dread towards the strange object that hung before her.

"This," Moon's tone became more grave as her volume was barely above a whisper. "As I have discovered on the very same day I casted that accursed spell, is a Behelit. A means to summon one or more members of the God Hand."

"Wait, wait, wait. Back up." Star repeatedly pushed her palms forward to signal a mighty need for clarification. Her mind became just as scrambled as the face of that egg thing. "There's something _else_ called the God Hand that I have to worry about? Not just the weird arm thing Marco has that we've kept under our castle for who knows how long?"

"I was just as confused as you are," Moon responded. "Whether or not the two entities have any sort of relation to one another or if it's coincidence, is a mystery I've never been able to solve to this day. When I asked Glossaryck about the Behelit upon first receiving it, he seemed to know a thing or two about it, but was ultimately vague and dismissive when I inquired further. I suppose it didn't matter, since I ended up discovering the answers the hard way. "

"And he still hasn't told you anything more than what you found out?"

Moon shook her head.

"Figures..." Star was trying to gather her thoughts and wrap her head around everything she just heard. She waved her hand towards the amulet. "Ok so, what's _this_ God Hand? And what does it have to do with you casting the spell?"

The alcoholic queen responded by pouring herself another drink to prepare herself for the rest of the night.

* * *

Smoke and the screams of fighting and dying Mewman and monster soldiers alike filled the air as the throes of battle scarred the open plains. The dusky sky and the crying nation it loomed over were ablaze with war.

The acting queen of Mewni knelt upon the grass, bruised, bleeding, battered, but not yet broken. Her foe was indeed a formidable one, but she stood fast, not allowing herself to yield even an inch to his advances. Not allowing herself to surrender her home to the whims of this wretched enemy. She trained and worked far too hard and sacrificed far too much to die here and now. And yet, a moment of sorrow overtook her as the gravity of all that led to this even dawned on her.

"Why...?" A question with no target in mind or no precedence in mind. She could only stare at his feet as she couldn't bring herself to peer up at his face, whether out of physical or emotional fatigue was uncertain even to her. "Why are you...doing this? All of this?"

"Have you learned nothing?" Toffee coldly remarked, standing over his injured, former best friend. A sickle was gripped firmly in one hand while magic fire was burning brightly in the other. Other than his ripped dark-blue leather gear, there was nary a scratch on him. "The kind of person I am... You of all people should know."

"Please... just stop all this..." She had desperately hoped to evoke... something from him. Anything to cease any more senseless violence and murder. Anything to stop the pain and suffering. But it was all hopeless. "I promise if you surrender, I won't execute you... I'll just... just..."

"Just what? Exile me? Lock me up? After all I've done, you still try to show me mercy? Even though you're the one on the ground? Even after all that I've done up to this point? All your soldiers? You mother? Moon, no matter what you do, I'll never be able to atone for all the atrocities I've committed. And repentance is nowhere on my list of priorities, either. If I show even a hint of regret or even a small desire for forgiveness, it'll all be over. My dream will fade and I will never reach that place."

Oh, she knew this far too well. Far more than possibly anyone in existence could know. And it's because of this that she has no choice but to fight. To protect her kingdom. She wanted to reach his dream as well, that much was true. It always was. But not this way. Not with all this blood on her hands and all over the lands. And she refuses to let another drop soil the nation.

"And besides, you know what I'm capable of. You've seen it firsthand. Yet you continue to resist. Just surrender already. Right now, the only thing standing between me and the realization of my dream is you. A shattered mess who can barely even lift her wand, let alone stand."

"But I..." Reinvigorated with her kingdom in dire straits in mind, she tried to speak through labored breaths, though it made her stoic rebuttal segmented and less effective to the lizard. "... Refuse... Th-the only thing... I'd rather do... than die by your filthy claws... is keep on fighting until you cease to be... to protect my people and our kingdom... by any means necessary!"

The rebelling reptile could only smirk at Moon's valiant, yet feeble words. "How courageous of you. I can't say I don't commend your efforts, but the fulfillment of your promises will be lost to the winds. From royalty to a martyr is your legacy. It genuinely pains me that it has to be this way, but you've left me with no other choice. Goodbye, old friend. Say hello to your mother for me."

He lifted his sickle high to the sky, preparing to behead the Mewni queen. Ready to end it all in one fell swoop. In one decisive strike that determines the fate of the entire nation as they know it. All her efforts, all her emotional turmoil, her suppression of her desires will be all for naught. Everything she ever gained, whether significant or trivial, would vanish in an instant.

"NO!" She shouted as her body shot straight up and emitted an unseen force, sending Toffee flying several yards across the field.

Her limbs shuddered beneath her as she slowly stood back on her feet. Every active system in her body worked to their very limits as they struggled to maintain her hunched-over stance. Her eyes were filled with murderous intent, her brain was getting injected with adrenaline and her rapidly beating heart surged with determination.

In a brief, yet decisive moment, all of her thoughts were discarded and replaced with one singular, simple desire: To completely obliterate Toffee. The memories of their former friendship no longer filled any semblance of space in her mind. She didn't even think about the kingdom or the citizens that depended on her either. She just wanted him dead. Gone. To no longer exist on this plane of existence.

"AAAAHHHHHHH!" Moon was knocked out of her momentary, homicidal stupor as a blood-curdling scream pierced the air. She felt a low rumble against her chest as the fabric of her shirt softly shook.

She pulled at the cord that wrapped around her neck. The inanimate egg-shaped amulet she's kept for nine years straight has finally sprung to life. The facial features that were once individually spread throughout its form all converged to create one cohesive, yet disturbing face. It looked frightened. Distressed. Its visage was completely awash with blood pouring from its "eyes".

"What the-"

The flaming, corpse-strewn battlefield was instantly dissolved into a desolate, white, rocky wasteland with wide craters arrayed about the surface. The cloudy, orange sky turned into what appeared to be a black, endless space filled with an infinity of stars. Like the late afternoon shifted to late evening in the fraction of a second.

"Wha- what is the meaning of this!?" Toffee yelled from the vast distance he stood from his opponent. He was far too stunned and befuddled to even act upon his anger. "Moon, what did you do!?"

"I...I..." Moon was speechless. She couldn't make heads or tails out of what was going on or if what she was seeing with her own two eyes was actually happening. She was hoping this was all a terrible dream and she would soon wake up in her bed back in the safety of her castle at any second.

But it wasn't a dream. This was real. All of it. A nightmare and a reality blurring and blending into her view. Everything that happened actually happened. Many lives were still lost. Her kingdom was still in danger. She was still locked in deadly combat with Toffee. And now they were standing on what appears to be one of Mewni's moons.

Moon stared in silent, wide-eyed horror at the now alive amulet that rested upon her palm. It continued to sniffle and weep as its crimson tears overflowed and fell off her white-gloved palm.

A dark-purple rift slashed itself open between the two contenders, like someone was using a rather sinister set of dimensional scissors. Emerging from the bleeding, spacial scar was the imposing form of an other-wordly woman. Spanning from her back were a pair of wide, leathery black wings that resembled that of a bat's. She wore a modest, light-absorbing, darker-than-black dress that billowed in the nonexistent wind. In contrast, the skin on her exposed arms, shoulders, and face were so brightly pale, it almost acting as a source of light.

Both Moon and Toffee almost didn't recognize the being that hovered before them if not for the pink spades painted on her cheeks and that fancy, iconic hat that crowned her black, curly-haired head.

"Eclipsa..." They both whispered under their breaths in debilitating awe.

"You seek an audience with Cimmeria, Queen of the Black Sun and Sixth Member of the God Hand," Solemnly spoke Eclipsa, her thundering, omnipresent voice reverberating with each spoken syllable. "You beckon my presence to the Interstice with a Behelit of my design. Your crystallized convictions and ardent desires were not lost on me, mortal. In order to fulfill them, a sacrifice must be offered."

Moon could do nothing but stand in stunned silence. Her head was reeling from all the emotions that mixed and boiled within, all the information flooding her senses, and all the questions that ran infinite laps within her mind. From what stories she's been told or what she's read in libraries, a common thread was that Eclipsa did something quite unspeakable, as in it was forcefully forgotten, and she abandoned the kingdom, never to be heard from again. Moon assumed that they might have been exaggerating her acts of demanding equality for the Monsters and taking one of them as a lover, but as it was evident by the altered form of the old queen hovering before her as well as her speech, something told the new queen that there was something more to the story than what was initially let on.

"Lady Eclipsa, I beseech to you!" Toffee loudly pleaded, going so far as to drop his weapon and bow down in prostration. "I followed in your footsteps. I wanted to free monsterkind from their oppression just like you did!"

Eclipsa shifted her gaze towards the lizard. Her expression was coldly apathetic and unfeeling. "As per my role as one of the God Hand, I must remain indifferent in all of my dealings. Regardless of any ideals or opinions I currently hold. Any attempts to evoke emotion from me will prove fruitless as I no longer possess the capacity for such a thing. Have patience, mortal. Causality shall bring justice to those who deserve it just yet."

Toffee wasn't sure how to take that. On one hand, he wanted to believe her words considering she has ambitions that fell in line with his, though it's uncertain if she still follows them now. On the other hand, it is apparent that she was currently on Moon's side and is about to make a deal with her. A deal that he can only assume would end up greatly damaging him in some way or another. But what could he possibly do? The Eclipsa he knew from all the tales he's been told was a mage that held an unparalleled amount of skill and power. The Eclipsa that floated before him now was most likely beyond any conceivable scale.

The questions piled higher and higher upon Moon's already-addled mind as more time lapsed. God Hand? Was that not the top-secret super weapon her family was tasked with guarding for many generations? Now there was another entity with that very same name? What is going on? How can this day get any worse or more confusing?

The entity returned her glare to her client, whose pupils were pinpricks and body visibly shook as the Queen of Darkness ominously floated before her. A subtle, barely noticeable smirk was barely visible on her face.

"Hmm, how quaint." She commented in clear curiosity, the thick air of neutrality still orbiting her being. "I was beckoned by a distant descendant of my former self. Who is currently in battle with a Septarian. One of many overarching races of Monster that I was so devoted to saving. Cruel poetry if I do say so myself."

"W-what are you... going to do?" Moon finally spoke, apprehension and fear remaining unabashed in her voice.

"Grant your wish, of course," Eclipsa simply answered. "But first,"

Dark energy began materializing around the floating goddess in the form of spiraling ribbons until her form became completely obscured. Moments after, the ribbons began unwinding, presenting a different image of the Queen of Darkness. An image most reminiscent of her portrayal on one of the tapestries that hung in the Tapestry Room. An image more recognizable to and remembered by those that knew her and currently know her. An image that went down in infamy as a constant grim reminder of one of Mewni's biggest downfalls.

"As Cimmeria, I cannot impart even a negligible piece of my power to your cause without disintegrating the entirety of your being and your Royal Wand." Sincerely spoke Eclipsa as she now walked towards her still-shaken client. "Unfortunately, I must devolve myself in order for our transaction to take place. I must become she who is prominently known as Eclipsa."

The now-mortal queen removed her elbow-length glove, revealing a black-purple forearm that was dark enough to absorb light, not unlike her dress from moments ago. She outstretched her bare hand towards Moon, whose entire body recoiled with wary reluctance.

"What must I sacrifice in return?" Moon asked, keenly recalling the self-proclaimed deity's initial words upon her summoning.

"Hmm," Eclipsa pondered, rubbing a spade on her cheek as she did so. "Normally, a God Hand member would demand the blood and souls of those you hold closest to your heart. However, I find this current happenstance quite... interesting."

"What is it that you want from me then? What can I offer that would remotely begin to pay the debt you would impose upon me?"

A more egregious crooked grin was slashed across the normally aloof goddess's face. She seemed to be drinking in the noticeable stress her client was currently experiencing.

"My blessing passed down from your generation and onward. The dark mana that lay dormant within every one of my descendants shall become exceedingly malignant upon your children's and your children's children's coming of age. From your reign and beyond, all shall bear witness to the true power of the Butterfly family. This is your Equivalent Exchange."

"You want me to curse my entire bloodline!?" Moon shouted at her malevolent dealer, defiance steadfast in her heart and tone. She backed up a couple steps to emphasize her refusal. "Forget it! No deal! Go back from whence you came, monster!"

Without warning, a series of images and events played in her mind and replaced all that was in her view. She witnessed her own death by decapitation beneath Toffee's sickle, who then proceeded to disrespectfully place one foot on her headless body and triumphantly present her severed head to all in attendance. The event melted into another where Toffee and his army marched into the Butterfly Lands, massacring cowering civilians and resisting soldiers alike. Next was what appeared to be the aftermath of the ensuing battle, with the mangled corpses of government officials and her family hanging from a gallows. Another shift in scenery and there were a group of men with their wrists tied and lined up facing the Kingdom's walls. The napes of their necks were then pierced by arrows as their bodies sluggishly slid down the stone surface. Then an event played out where children were getting their arms and legs chopped off as their throats were getting slit. Her view fast forwarded to an event where women were...

"PLEASE! STOP!" Moon screamed at the very tip of her lungs as her view instantly returned to that of the cosmic landscape. Her mind and her heart couldn't take the horrifying imagery any longer. "No more! Please! I'll do whatever you want! Just stop all this madness!"

Eclipsa's smile stayed strong as she was sickeningly gratified by her client's despair. Such mental persuasion worked every time.

No further words were spoken. Instead, the God Hand member extended her arm of absolute darkness towards her client. Moon followed by taking it in hers.

Her entire physical being, no, her entire soul was gripped with a severe, electrifying sensation as ethereal ribbons begin winding around her arm. When they reached the base of her shoulder, the rest of her body was soon enveloped.

She felt herself sink as she was being forced to Dip Down against her will.

"Let the words of Spacial Erasure etch themselves to your soul." Eclipsa wordlessly spoke as each word echoed within Moon's mind. "Peer deep into the Abyss as its gaze locks with yours. Let its energies course through your astral veins as it graces you with its all-encompassing embrace. Pierce the barriers within and give in to your greatest desires. Now release."

"NO!" Toffee shouted as he desperately unleashed a relentless spire of fire towards the two Butterflies. An invisible force caused the attack to immediately fizzle out as it drew near. He feebly proceeded to shoot several more barrages of fire, but those were negated as well.

Whatever other decision Toffee wanted to execute quickly died in its inception as he witnessed Moon hovering several feet in the air. Her eyes shined blank white as a cloudy purple aura surrounded her entire being. She pointed her wand towards her enemy. Black-purple slime began engulfing the once-shimmering blue crystal heart that crowned the Wand. Soon, the entirety of the Royal Wand was completely obscured, its authority and luster no longer recognizable beneath the thick, flowing corruption.

With no favorable options in sight, Toffee frantically made a break for it. He had no destination in mind, but he hoped that, wherever or whatever it was, he would be far, far away from those two Butterflies.

Regardless of how sore his body was, how labored his breathing became, or how rapidly his heart raced, he just ran. Ran so far away. Or at least he had hoped it was far away. He saw nothing but barren white gravel and gaping craters as far as the eye could see. No matter how much distance he covered in his fear-driven sprint, nothing seemed to change. He wasn't anywhere close to safety or even his own planet, for that matter.

Toffee was in mid-run when he found himself spontaneously frozen in place and appearing directly in front of Eclipsa and Moon, who still remained in the same positions as before. Try as he might to activate his bodily defensive system, he just wasn't able to. It was like all of his magic completely shut down on him. He could do nothing but watch as his life flashed and his dream faded away before his eyes like vapors in the air.

"I call the darkness unto me," Moon began reciting, her voice as ever-present as Eclipsa's was. Upon the first verse, misty purple energy formed a bubble around the tip of the wand, and gradually expanded with each pronunciation of the incantation. "From deepest depths of earth and sea. I pledge my soul and crush my heart. To summon forth a deathly power to see my hated foe devoured."

This was it. Just like how Toffee was about to deliver the final blow, fate decided to turn the tables and hand the privilege to Moon instead. As if the planets and stars have aligned, The queen had the greatest opportunity to end her foe as well as this war. No further lives will be lost and all the citizens under her watch would remain unharmed. Safe to live out the rest of their lives in peace. If the vision from earlier which swayed her decision to make the ultimate deal was destined to be, then Moon has successfully fought against Fate itself. Everything- all the losses, the heartache, the stress- has led up to this very moment. If her own family down the line was at risk, then so be it. Surely it would be all worth it if Mewni can sleep soundly for another night and draw breath for another day, right?

So why did she delay?

Much like the traumatic vision she watched prior, her consciousness was overtaken by rapidly-moving fragments of memories with Toffee. Joyful memories. The happiest moments she's ever been in her entire life thus far. She saw everything flash by her. As the intangible images flashed by, her heart became overwhelmed by a raging hurricane of emotions. Sadness, joy, excitement, love, loss, desire. Everything flooded into her like a heavy torrent of rain crashing upon her soul. It all pooled into subconsciously overflowing tears that streamed down her face.

The memories began slowing to a crawl as it stopped to a certain event. The one that became the catalyst to all that's currently going on. The spark that ignited the flames of war she walked upon. The memory was brief, but played out as vividly as possible. As if she was a mere spectator standing within feet of the display.

The argument.

The heartbreak.

The guards taking him away.

The regret.

The year of self-suppression.

A shift to another scene.

She went deep underground.

She found a shell of his former self.

They parted ways.

War was waged years later.

Her mother was killed.

She had to get involved.

Now they were here.

It was because of her that he was like this.

It was because of her that they were fighting.

It was all her fault.

She never wanted this. She never wanted any of this. She never wanted to be queen. She never wanted her life run by a destiny that has been passed down from one mother to the next daughter, over and over again. She never wanted to hurt anyone. She never wanted to kill anyone. She especially didn't want to kill the only one that ever meant something to her.

But it didn't matter what she wanted.

"NO!" Moon screamed as the aura surrounding her wand reached its peak. Her body slightly convulsed as a narrow stream of magic tore from the tip of her wand and sped towards its intended target.

What was meant to hit Toffee dead center in his torso went wide and hit the middle finger on his right hand instead.

The invisible force that restrained him released its magical grip as the lizard fell to the ground. He writhed and raved on the pale gravel as he held his right hand in agony. A tiny plume of smoke rose from the stub on his hand.

Moon gently landed upon the ground as she emerged from her Dipping Down. Every variety of accumulated strain immediately caught up to her as she too collapsed onto the ground. All of her internal systems worked their best efforts to keep her stable and lucid.

Even though her body threatened to shut down with every slight motion, she managed to get herself to her feet, though not without extreme difficulty. She wanted to lay on the ground and distance herself from reality for... ever. But as he so passionately pleaded to her long ago, she had to stay strong. For herself. For her people. For him.

"Interesting," Commented Eclipsa, who rubbed her chin with a gloved finger. "Your convictions completely faltered at the very last moment. No matter. The deal cannot be undone."

"W-what did I do to him?" Moon frantically asked, pitifully looking at her downed, convulsing enemy.

"The purpose of Spacial Erasure is to completely destroy the physical and astral body," The dark queen explained. "Had you hit him directly in the heart, the spell would spread more thoroughly and he would simply cease to be. Mortal or spiritual, no semblance of him would remain. However, since you only grazed a minor part of an extremity, that particular part as well as his astral body have been severely impaired. All magical abilities, whether inherent or learned, are now disabled."

The queen couldn't do more than breathe a heavy and physically drained sigh. She was guilt-ridden, yet also relieved. She may have averted a crisis towards her kingdom as well as the death of someone she held dear, but it came at the cost of practically crippling the subject of the latter.

She had learned on this day that nothing will ever work out the way one idealizes in their head. One hundred percent happy endings are nigh impossible to achieve. The peace and safety for many will almost always end up being the strife and misery for one, few, or more. Or vice versa. Being a leader of an entire nation has, is, and always will be about sacrifice, always having to give someone or something up for the advancement and benefit of the whole.

This will be the life she leads from there on out.

"Well then," Eclipsa waved, signalling her preparation for departure. "Since our bargain has concluded, I must return to my plane of the Realms Beyond. Salutations, Queen Moon. May the people of Mewni forever remember the darkness that is-"

Any and all further thoughts and decisions halted at the piercing sound of a surprise magical blast. Before anyone could percieve it, Eclipsa's entire being was instantly frozen in a near T-pose as she was suddenly trapped in a cramped, impermeable block of crystal. The area that was, in theory, one of Mewni's moons reverted back to the smoky and bloody grasslands where the decisive battle should've been taking place.

Moon could only stand comatose as the dark Goddess that effortlessly altered reality and temporarily bestowed upon her such god-like power was captured in mere seconds. It was quite the surreal turn of events for all in attendance.

"Yeah! Got her!" Victoriously shouted a gruff, husky voice from several yards behind. "Take that, villain!"

"Whew, got here just in the nick o' time, too. Sorta." Flatly spoke a young, female voice. "Better late than never I guess,"

"Ba-aaa-aaah-ah-ah!" Loudly bleated a... goat?

"Good job sensing something was up, big guy," Congratulated the familiar, casual voice of Glossaryck.

"All part of the job, Glossy," Boomed an echoing, omnipresent voice much like Eclipsa's while she was under the guise of Cimmeria. "Always gotta act when my Multiverse senses are a-tinglin'."

"Alright, everyone. You know what to do," With a nod from all four members of the Magic High Commission, they all quickly dispersed to execute some unsaid directives given to them by their creator, and by extension, leader.

"Glossaryck!" Moon looked back and immediately ran towards the protection and comfort of her royal mentor. "Where have you been!? I could've used your help with this!

"Busy, of course," The wily blue man vaguely answered, as he was known to do far more often than anyone would like. "How're ya feeling, kid? Had everything taken care of?"

That was a question of the millenia. So much stirred within Moon right now that she couldn't just pick one emotion or thought to express nor was there a word in existence that could coherently describe a combination of them all.

"E-eclipsa... made a-a-a deal!... Go-God Hand... Astra- Astral... Spa-Spacial...!" The confounded Queen babbled and waved her arms around like a mental patient, but Glossaryck, who can potentially exhibit such insanity of his own, understood her crystal clear.

"Look, let's just focus on what's ahead rather than what's behind for now, yeah?" The magical mentor resolved, not wishing to explain any further now or ever. "Right now, we have to help everyone in the area and figure out a way to cover all this up."

"C-cover what up?" Moon asked, confused by her teacher's words. As if everything else that happened wasn't already perplexing as it was.

"Listen, kid," Glossaryck's tone became grave. His seriousness was almost jarring as his student's attention was quickly affixed to him. "When Eclipsa... manifested in this realm, it caused quite a catastrophe throughout the entirety of the Multiverse. Many dimensions that relied heavily on magic had severe "Arcane Blackouts" and their foundations were close to collapsing. The leylines that linked the various dimensions to one another disconnected, preventing any interdimensional travel for the duration of Eclipsa's stay. Luckily for us, Hekapoo had some complex workarounds that helped us get here. Needless to say, we were a few steps away from a really bad Magical Fritz. Something that hasn't happened since... Eclipsa became what you saw when she first got here. Heavens, what a mess that was. The lengths and time it took to tie up all those frayed ends and keep it all under wraps... You have to understand that we cannot attribute any of what just happened to you, for your sake and your Kingdom's."

"So..." Her head ached from all the information forcing itself into her mind and she could barely bring herself to hang on every word, but she managed to the gist of what's going on. Sort of. "How will all this be explained to everyone then?"

"Depends. Do you see your ex anywhere?"

Moon felt her heart sink as she remembered being in the middle of a violent conflict with Toffee. She turned around to see if he was still in his pain-stricken seizure. Nary a scale nor a hair of him was anywhere in the vicinity. He had simply vanished. How long he was gone was uncertain, but one could speculate that he disappeared upon the MHC's arrival.

"He's gone..." Moon dismally pointed out.

"Good. That'll make it easier to pin part of this on him. We'll classify him as an Entropy level threat. Make sure everyone knows the unspeakable evil known as... Toffee, you called him? Yeah. Real big threat, right there."

Another idea flashed itself in Moon's thoughts as she pulled the cord wrapped around her neck and brought her Behelit, as Eclipsa called it, to the outside world. It seemed to be no longer active as its facial features were randomly scattered once again.

"Here," Moon removed the amulet from her person and handed it to Glossaryck. "So far, this thing has been nothing but trouble. Please get rid of it."

The Spell book patron could only stare at the weird object with a raised eyebrow. He then shook his head and put a blue hand up in disagreement. "I can't."

"What do you mean, you can't?"

"I mean what I mean," Glossaryck replied, more matter-of-factly. "Even if I took it to an alternate universe, that thing will always find a way back to its owner. Which is you. You're better off keeping it."

"What do you mean, 'it will always find a way back to its owner'?

"Moon, I dunno how to make this any clearer to you." He began rubbing the jewel on his forehead in slight annoyance. "I've been nothing but straightforward with you since I began speaking minutes ago. It is what it is. You can't destroy it, ditch it, issue a restraining order against it, nothing. It'll be with you till your very last breath, I'm afraid.

"What!?" It was baffling how an esteemed entity, who possessed eternities of experience with magic, magic accessories, and magical byproducts, won't even lift one if his twelve fingers to begin finding a way to dispose of such a sinister and disastrous item. Like everything that had happened didn't even matter. "Glossaryck, this thing nearly caused a universal disaster. And it also brought Eclipsa here in the first place!"

Glossaryck shined a sly smile as he gave his rebuttal. "Yes, and it ironically lent itself to her inevitable capture as well. It was pretty risky, I'll admit, but I knew things would work out in the end. All thanks to you, kid."

The young woman's head was primed to explode any second now. She was a ticking time bomb of anger, sadness, confusion, and pretty much every other bewildering and befuddling emotion under the sun. So many questions, comments, and concerns piled one after another to create an insurmountable mountain in her jumbled subconscious. As she dug and dug in the large pile for a decision to make or a sentence to say, she immediately found something standing at the very tip of the pile that craved her attention and the desire to be addressed.

"So you knew all of this would happen, didn't you?" Moon heatedly asked, as if she had discovered the Holy Grail of answers. "That's why you let me keep this accursed thing rather than toss it away. That's why you just happen to get here right after Eclipsa and I made our deal."

Glossaryck looked taken aback, almost offended even, at Moon's venom-tipped assumption. But he quickly loosened up and his smile returned, frighteningly brighter and toothier.

"Eh, don't think about it too hard." He shrugged, giving that same casual indifference that made him an irksome character to deal with. "Causality, y'know?"


	21. Goodbye Blue Sky

**A/N: Hey, 'member when I changed this to M? 'Member? You 'member!**

 **This wasn't the reason why, but it sure is up there. Wew lad.**

* * *

How painful it must be for them all to live forever in unending stasis, where their main activities include staying in place and acting as unwilling, unknowing spectators to the daily lives of Lekmet and Rhombulus. All day, every day. One has to wonder how the two could possibly live comfortably with all these crystallized bodies strewn about their home. In fact, it was less of a home and more of a prison for inmates who were unfortunate enough to get in the path of Time-out guy's trigger-happy tantrums. Inmates from different dimensions all over the universe, of different races, species, shapes, sizes, and alignments whose lives and ages were preserved by Rhombulus' Crystal Magic. Their consciousness put on hold until the day they are set free.

And that day has come for one particular convict.

"I must say, this is some impressive work you put in," Toffee admired, knocking a knuckle against one of the crystal prisons. It held some sort of bloated, red crab creature in blue clothing whose pincers were pointed upwards and his slender, pointy tongue stuck out.

"Aw shucks, thanks Master Toffee," Beamed Rhombulus, who waved a snake hand in bashfulness.

"Reminds me of such potent magic by a certain Scaleless dragon from a legend I've heard." The lizard began as he and his companion walked among the sea of crystal containers. "His name escapes me, though I recall him being a scholarly sort who partook in quite a number of questionable experiments. In addition to the discovery of powerful sorceries, he also discovered the secret to immortality. However, his hubris resulted in the tragic loss of said secret and was afterwards felled by an unnamed warrior. Do you know who I'm talking about?"

"Err... No I don't think so. Do you guys know?"

The two snake hands immediately perked up as the familiar tale was brought to light.

"You talkin' bout the _bitch?"_ Spoke up the right snake.

"Aww snap, I think he's talkin' bout the _bitch,"_ Replied the left one.

"Excuse me?" Toffee was taken aback and confused as to why a dragon of such esteem was being regarded in such a crass and derogatory fashion.

"Yeah, because he had no scales. Or legs."

"And he betrayed his own kind because of his insecurities."

"Wow, he sounds like a real loser." Rhombulus commented, oblivious to the irony of his statement.

"Nah, he wasn't a loser. He gained quite a lot, actually. But he was still a bitch,"

"He was also a pervert, too."

"Ah, yes he had relations with some fire god's daughter or something." Toffee recalled. "Then they ended up sealing their resulting child away in some other dimension."

"I dunno, that part was always kinda murky. Like it was never clear how that child came to be."

"She was cute though."

"Totally."

"'Abomination', my nonexistent ass, if I had hands I'd pet that fluffy tail all day,"

"Hell yeah!"

"We found her," Toffee raised a hand to signal a ceasing of any further actions.

The two (or four) came upon a wide. circular clearing that seemed to be presenting the imprisoned Eclipsa to all those who arrived. It would've been unwise to just haphazardly place her among the common prisoners considering how much weight and impact she holds to the Universe at large. That being a former Queen of Mewni and a member of the God Hand.

"Yeesh, even frozen and seemingly unconscious, she gives me the chills." Right Snake shuddered.

"But we were the ones that froze her, dude." Left Snake replied. "'Member that?"

"I 'member!" Rhombulus added as he raised Right Snake and waved him around. "I was such a hero that day."

"Well, you should feel like a bigger hero for all the change you're going to help bring to this nation," Toffee said. He bowed and extended his arm to present Eclipsa's prison to his gem-headed comrade. "Would you do the honors, Sir Rhombulus?"

"Oh, with pleasure, Master Toffee."

"Woah, woah, woah hold on!" Right Snake said with great apprehension. "Did she freakin' move!?"

"Aw snap, she did!" Left Snake affirmed. "She got her glove off and moved her arm somehow!"

"I mean, you two do realize she's currently a reality-warping being that's a few steps short of godhood, right?" Toffee reminded, not seeing what their deal was.

"Yeah and there was a Fritz goin' on," Rhombulus reminded his living appendages. "At some point my crystals became like rock candy. And like Master said, she bends reality and stuff."

"Big guy, didja forget everything we did right after we imprisoned her?" Right asked.

"Yeah after all that, there's no way she'd somehow wake up. And even if she did she can't just move through solid matter like that,"

Toffee blatantly ignored the concerns of the reptilian limbs. "Heh heh, all the more reason to let her out then. Shall we?"

"You bet!"

Much to the snakes' reluctance, Rhombulus pointed their gaping mouths straight towards Eclipsa's position, and began to engulf some magical essence out of her crystal. As this went on, the crystal began melting from the top, slowly unveiling the Dark Queen's form to the outside world.

Once the massive gem was completely dissipated, Eclipsa's body and glove slowly floated to the floor as if the gravity surrounding her was low. Reality and consciousness returned to her as she stood on all fours upon the cold, hard ground, allowing her bodily functions to catch up and adjust to her long-awaited freedom. After some time passed to recover, she put her loose glove back on and arose. She adjusted her eyes and took in the sight of a few familiar faces.

"Lady Eclipsa, it is an honor to stand within your presence." Toffee took a knee in reverence to the one Mewman he admired. Rhombulus immediately followed suit.

"Curious," Thus was her first word upon being freed after so many decades. Thus was also her first emotion. "My last encounter with you resulted in your magical crippling. Yet you stand here before me, partly responsible for my freedom."

"I cannot bear animosity towards one who's bound by obligations beyond their control." The kneeling lizard respectfully retorted, still trying to maintain a tone of reverence.

"Our philosophies and ambitions are also synonymous." Eclipsa perceptively added. "And I take it you seek my power to assist in accomplishing your goals, correct?"

"I must concede to this claim, yes,"

Eclipsa turned her intrigued attention towards the muscular, gem-headed gentleman behind the lizard. She noticed the small green flame that lied within his translucent cranium.

"Hmm, and you were the one who freed me, despite also being the one who incarcerated me in the first place. And that flame..."

The former queen was stirred with a hefty blend of pride and fascination. This Septarian that knelt before her was capable of such prowess, which allowed him to achieve feats that nearly rivaled hers during her mortal, mundane days. A warm, almost frighteningly gentle smile creeped into her face as it stretched from spade to spade.

"Arise, if you both will,"

They did as requested. Toffee professionally held his hands in front of his waist, with his left clasping over his right. Rhombulus' hands began whispering to one another, possibly about how anxious they must be to encounter the Sixth God Hand member in the flesh.

"Toffee was your name, correct?" She asked, pointing a gloved hand towards him.

"It is not, but you may refer to me as such if it pleases you,"

"Fair enough. May I see your right hand?"

Without resistance or another word, he fulfilled her request, presenting the glowing green half-crystal that adhered to the flat of his palm.

"Ah, so that's how you were able to heal yourself." Eclipsa observed, her interest growing ever higher as she thought about all the leaps and bounds he must have taken to get to this point. "I can only imagine the methods you've used and the strategies you've executed to get this far. Having a piece of the wand. Coercing the Magic High Commission into cooperating with you. With a collusion of your magic and mine, no less. I must say, I am quite amazed, Toffee. Quite amazed indeed. Never has a mortal had such a poignant effect on me. Well, not since my former lover, but I was amazed for different reasons."

"Please, my lady, you are too kind." Toffee calmly replied, trying to be modest, but deep within, he's hopping up and down like a kid in a candy store. "They are but small steps towards a brighter future for Mewni,"

"Ah exquisite. Another soul who grasps the true meaning of sacrifice in order to reach seemingly insurmountable heights," Eclipsa remarked, treating the lizard as somewhat of an equal. "How would you feel about making another sacrifice? One that greatly advances both you and myself?"

Toffee couldn't help but slightly break composure as a sinister smile slashed across his alligator maw. Not only was a hero of the monsters praising him, but she was also willing to collaborate with him. Oh, if only he could let himself dance in unbridled giddy. Maybe when no one's around. He has to keep up appearances after all.

"What do you have in mind?"

Eclipsa reached into her petticoat and rummage through her interior pockets. After a moment, she pulled out a rather familiar object. An object that acted as Moon's gift, which turned out to be a blessing and a curse. That which brought Eclipsa back into this plane of existence and indirectly trapped her in it. That which is now being bestowed to Toffee

"A Behelit?" He curiously raised an eyebrow, taking the purple egg in his claw with a slight degree of hesitation. Even after not seeing it for so long, it still disturbed him just a tad. He could swear he saw an eye peer up at him. He honestly didn't think his interaction with Eclipsa would end up like this. He thought it would be much simpler.

After that whole debacle with his former best friend, he fled the moment the "Interstice" faded back to the real world upon Eclipsa's capture by the Commission. He dwelled in the shadows and in isolation for years, researching and planning his due vengeance against the Butterfly kingdom. During that lapse in time, he failed to find any inkling of information about the group that called themselves the God Hand, or anything about Behelits, much less finding another one. Everything and anything he knew associated with any of those all came from his last meeting with Eclipsa.

However, he did discover the existence of a universe that goes beyond the Physical Plane. The Realm Beyond, they called it, which was an endless space that surpasses the bounds of the Multiverse. That where various, countless, unidentified ethereal beings made their abode. He also learned that the Interstice was a small pocket dimension that acts as a bridge between the physical and the astral realm. Though how one could possibly access the Interstice or even the Realm Beyond was never specified in the tome Toffee had thoroughly read through.

"Hold on, what am I going to sacrifice with this?" He reflexively questioned, remembering how it worked from his last experience being on the recieving end.

"I understand your doubts in utilizing it, but I assure you it will be of great of benefit to you, Toffee," Eclipsa assured, sounding as warm and friendly as she could. "Tell me, what is most valuable to you at this very moment?"

He immediately thought of his primary target. He would have set his sights upon it after his deal with Eclipsa was done. Speaking of which...

"So that's what I'm sacrificing, huh?" Toffee asked, assuming Eclipsa knew what he was insinuating. With her near omniscience, of course she did.

"It holds great importance to you, does it not?"

"Certainly, but I don't see how it would 'advance' you in any way. I would assume you've already reached your peak as a God Hand member."

"Perhaps your confidant would like to elaborate on that." Eclipsa shifted her darkened gaze towards Rhombulus and his snakes, whose huddled whispers broke off with a cowardly yelp from all three as soon as they were addressed.

"Er, well, you see, uhhh..." Rhombulus nervously spoke, but couldn't find it in him to continue coherently.

"We were kinda siphoning mana as we kept her here," Right spoke on his host's behalf.

"Yeah, so she doesn't transform and mess things up again if she ever broke free." Left added. "Though I guess that plan's a bust now."

"Oh I see," It all dawned on Toffee right away.

"Yes, so now you understand your next plan of action," Eclipsa solemnly stated. "Remember when I said that causality will deliver justice to those who deserve it?"

Oh he remembered it alright. Justice. That was a word he kept on his tongue and in his mind and heart for as long as he could remember. It was a concept he couldn't wait to serve to those he spite and bring to those who suffered. A cure he couldn't wait to inject into the veins of Mewni in order to exterminate every cell of the disease that infected its inhabitants for eons.

Indeed its karmic light will shine upon the Kingdom, immediately resonating throughout the rest of the nation, and then the Multiverse.

It will all be brought forth by a Black Sun.

* * *

"How could you be so thoughtless!? I trusted you! I poured my heart and soul out to you and for what!? When were you going to tell me it was all hopeless, Moon? Huh?"

"I'm sorry, Toffee... I just couldn't bring myself to tell you. I didn't want you to find out... like this."

"Don't call me that. You've no right to refer to me as such anymore. You're just like them. A slave to your society. What's even worse is that you're doing this for ideals you don't even personally follow. I thought you were different..."

"But I..."

"I wouldn't have minded if you'd have told me it was futile a long time ago. We wouldn't even be having this conversation and we'd interact in secret just like always. I'd have accepted that. What I cannot allow, is being led on and having my hopes and dreams used... to fulfill someone's sick desires. You're disgustng."

"...You know it wasn't like that... "

"Oh? So the moment we shared the night of your birthday with you telling me how we had the same dream afterwards wasn't just a thinly veiled solicitation for more? How could you even sleep soundly with this in mind whenever we..."

"Stop it! Please!"

"No, Moon I will not stop it. I-"

"Oi! Whas goin' on here!?"

"Wha- Oof!"

"Whaddya doin' near the Princess ya filthy beast!?"

"Urrgh... let...go of me! I'm friends with her, dammit!"

"Likely story, lizard. Yer Highness, d'you know this thing?"

"Moon, tell these two to unhand me! Please!"

"Well, yer majesty? You friends with this foul creature er wha?"

"N-no..."

"What!? Moon, what are you doing!?"

"Whatcha want us to do with it, then?"

"We can get ridda it on the spot, right 'ere, Yer Majesty."

"Don't... just... get him out of here. Out of the kingdom."

"Alright then. You heard the Princess. Let's get goin' ya filthy monster!"

"What? No. NO! Stop!"

"Ugh, shut up!"

"Agh... Moon! MOOOON!"

"What'd he tell ya!? He said, 'shut up'! And don't you dare speak the Princess's name in vain again!"

"Juss knock 'im out already,"

"Right then,"

"..."

"Yeh, das better,"

"Off with ya, then.

...

...

...

"I'm sorry... Toffee... I have to do this... For both of us... For everyone..."

...

...

...

"Good evenin', my Queen. Fancy yerself an evening stroll?"

"Quite. I see you've apprehended a horrid beast on the premises. Heaven only knows how it got here."

"Aye. We're just takin' out the trash, Yer Highness. Off the Lands it goes."

"You know, I have a more specific place in mind you can toss him off to. A locale befitting bloodline-tainting scum such as that. It's quite a journey from here, but rest assured, you'll be more than compensated for your efforts."

"Your Majesty, you're not talking about-"

"With that nutter?"

"Exactly. In fact, I'll pay you even more to keep this secret from my daughter."

* * *

 _Snap._ The stinging crack of a whip. His limp, emaciated form hung off the damp stone wall with his wrists bound by tight, rusty chains. Visibility was limited. The only source of light was the lantern that loosely hung and swung in front of him. Even then, the rest of the room was absolute black and only his bleeding, mangled body was illuminated. He forgot what life was like outside of this putrid, isolated room.

"Hee hee hee, a whole year an' I neverr get tchired of dissh!"

 _Snap._ Another one. Couldn't feel a thing. It stopped hurting a long time ago. It's just routine now. It's part of his life now. Morning, noon, and night. Barely any breaks in between. Constantly covered in scars, scabs, and blood. He gets washed regularly, though.

But then it started back up again, negating the half-hearted bathing. Until it came time to go to sleep. That fleeting reprieve was used to rest his mind and let his body rejuvenate. Then, once again, it all became meaningless the next day. Over and over again. He stopped hoping someone would come down here and put an end to it all. Nothing would change. He ended the self-inflicted insanity as soon as he lost all feeling in his body.

"Why don't ya shcream anymo' bud? Got nuffin left in ya? Dassh not ash fun."

 _Snap._ One more. It didn't even knock him out cold anymore. A long time ago (Who knows how long?) he used to black out from all the excruciating pain and anguish. Then he was abruptly awakened with freezing water and it all resumed again.

Whipping, lacerating, fracturing, flaying, scalding, bludgeoning. It all blurred in his mind. Regardless of what method, it all led to one constant. Pain. So much needless pain that eventually numbed over time.

Sometimes, he could get a little too touchy. He put his tools down and removed his...

No, no, no. Happy place. Think of the dream. Think of her. All the good times he had with her. The trauma quickly melted away. Better thoughts took its place as they were the only things keeping him occupied in order to distance himself from the excruciating reality he faced every waking moment.

"Ohh, but yer shkin comesh back. Dassh my favorite part. I'll never run out of schkin to flay. And itsh sho shmoove, chtoo. Even with all the shcars and blood. When I open up dat beautchiful body... the meaty, ssshhiny mushcle that peeksh through the wound... yer shkin and flesh are one in a thoushand. No... One in a million...Yer my favorite."

 _Snap. Snap. Snap._ He just wanted to see his skin peel off and stick itself back on. He loved it. At least one of them was happy with the current circumstances.

"Nyee hee heeee. The Queen gave me da besht job everrr! I'm sho glad they kept chu alive!"

A longer barrage of whip cracks. His green skin flayed and the dent on his body immediately closed as his regeneration worked itself. He didn't know why he bothered anymore. He barely ate or drank nowadays. Brief thoughts of his dream and memories of her were the only things keeping him alive.

 _Ker-chunk._ Followed by a piercing, elongated creak.

Wait, the door is opening? But he's still here. No one else has come here since he was first brought in.

"Huh?" The torturer turned around. Just as confused as his victim. "Who'sh there?"

Without warning, his head was instantly split open by a battle axe, down to the lower jaw. He tried to gurgle something in distress, but once his body realized it was dead, the bloated, sweaty pile of flesh fell to the floor with a resounding smack.

His heart skipped a beat as someone surprisingly came to his rescue. The hope he thought he'd lost long ago was reinvigorated from the last additional piece of hope he didn't know he still had.

"Oh my goodness!" A mortified voice cried out. The worried, caring tone of someone he knew. Someone he used to care about. Used to trust. "Toffee... I'm so sorry... I didn't want this..."

 _Her._

She grabbed the jailer's key and undid his cuffs. He fell to the ground, his weakened, emaciated form sliding down the wall and folded itself onto the sickeningly moist floor. He could barely move a muscle. A coherent word could barely escape his lips. He could only make low, gutteral moans in response.

"Toffee... I'm... I had no idea this was happening. I just overheard some guards talking about a lizard being tortured at the Tower of Rebirth for a year straight. If I'd have realized it sooner..."

With a dismal sob escaping her lips, she embraced him. Closely and tightly, like her life depended on it. Her tears slid from her cheeks to his neck. It caused him a great deal of pain. Not physically, but emotionally and mentally. It was like a kick directly to his heart.

In response, he made a feeble attempt to strangle her. His first thought was to kill her for the daily physical and mental torment he had to endure for a full year. He wanted to make her pay. Make them all pay. He couldn't do it, though. His severe debilitating injuries deterred him from successfully wringing her neck no matter how hard he tried. She didn't notice.

After a few minutes, her body parted from his. She raised her wand, a soft, blue hue surrounding its glimmering crystal heart.

"Shining justice burning in me." She began reciting those familiar words. It felt like ages ago since he last heard them, but they remained fresh in his mind. "Good as new will this body be. Unbreakable can we only aspire. Let the voice of love take us higher!"

In the thick darkness, it illuminated brighter and so did he. How familiar.

His body steadily returned to how it was a year ago. Before the perpetual persecution and the unending agony began. Before he was dragged a few miles underground against his will. Before he was stopped by the Queen and his fate changed course.

Now that his body was back to its smoother, muscular self, he didn't feel any more hostility towards Moon. All violent intentions were instantly superseded by the refreshing, relaxing feeling that washed over his entire being.

"Thank you..." He meekly said. His gratefulness belied the betrayal and anger that burned in his soul.

"You're very welcome. Now let's get out of here, shall we?" She announced as she brandished a pair of dimensional scissors. She cut into the air and tore open a teal and white rift in space. With no time to spare, she hurriedly immersed herself in the portal.

He went to grab his clothes from a corner of the room. They haven't been washed or tended to for a year, but he slipped into them anyways. He entered the portal once he was properly dressed.

As they reached the other side, they both ended up in front of a Cherry Blossom tree surrounded by an expansive field of pink flowers and unused swords that stuck blade-first into the ground. The Flower Fields of Fallen Fighters.

Toffee went momentarily blind as his eyes touched sunlight for the first time after months and months of empty darkness. As his sight adjusted to the vibrant, colorful environment, his heart fluttered as he vividly remembered this very place. He remembered all the lazy, silent afternoons he spent here with her on this very spot. A spot that promised everlasting love and peace.

Without another word, Moon walked to the bark of the tree and sat herself down, basking in the cool, relaxing shade. The free lizard followed behind, sitting closely adjacent to her with their arms just a hair's short of making contact. For once, he felt relaxed. He had nothing to worry about. No daily torture to look forward to any longer. He could turn off his brain without it having to be a coping mechanism.

Stillness. Silence. Neither of the two budged the slightest inch nor stirred a single sound. There weren't any birds that day. There wasn't any wind either. Just... nothing. The two merely sat there, letting the days events and everything that led up to that moment settle uncomfortably in their minds. Neither of them had any idea what to do from then on. Do they continue like normal and just meet in secret on a regular basis again? Do they agree to part ways from there and never cross paths with one another again?

For Toffee, neither of those options were a choice he was willing to make. He couldn't simply disregard everything that occured in the past year or so like none of it ever happened. The discovery of the cruel, cruel truth brought him to the cusp. The needless imprisonment was what finally pushed him over the edge.

"Toffee..." Moon finally spoke up. Her voice was low and held a tinge of juvenile longing.

"Hmm." The response sounded firm and lacked the usual friendliness whenever he replied that way. He couldn't bring himself to face her, either.

"Let's run away." The princess boldly decided. "We can live the rest of our lives at your home. Just the two of us. We can be together without anyone saying otherwise."

An acidic compound of emotions pooled and bubbled within Toffee's being upon hearing this. She wanted to run away from her kingdom and abandon everything just for him? Abandon everything she ever gained through sheer effort, endurance and strong suppression of her core self? After everything that unfolded? Just like that?

No. He couldn't allow this. No matter how sweet and brave it was that she was willing to give everything up for him, he couldn't continue to spend time with her and look her in the eye after all that occured. Not after the betrayal of his trust and the exploitation of his need for validation of his dreams and intimate companionship. While his prior unnecessary, cruel and unusual punishment wasn't entirely her fault, he still couldn't forget about it. He couldn't let that go. Not one bit.

Instead, he'll work to make them pay. All of them. He refused to preserve the lives of the family and people that made him suffer for a year and made his people suffer for even longer. Although he won't specifically target Moon, he won't hesitate to confront her should she make any attempts to impede his vengeful path.

"No," He firmly answered.

And thus her heart was split in two. Tears welled up within her and her voice broke apart. "W-why...?"

"I... I couldn't..." Now it was Toffee's turn to maintain a facade. His sincerity and care for her well-being betrayed the vengeance and scorn that burned in his heart. "I can't let you abandon everything for my sake."

"I don't care about anything anymore!" She shouted, tears flooding her face unabated. "You're the only one that matters to me above all else!"

"Moon..." He was a tad exasperated, but he did well to sustain his calm, comforting demeanor. "Please, just... let me go... for the time being."

"No! I can't! The year I spent without you was nothing but absolute pain and misery!"

That comment cut deep and hard into Toffee's being. Deeper and more painful than anything that torturer could've possibly dished out. What did she know about misery? Or of pain? She was never trapped underground and had a year of her life taken away, never to be returned. She was never constantly brutalized to the point where all feeling in her body and all hope in her mind were lost. She was nowhere but the safety and luxury of her own castle, free from such traumatizing horrors. The worst she's probably ever had to experience was her tea being too hot or her tax collections being too low.

"Moon," He called out again, more seriously this time. He held her by the shoulders firmly, but not enough for his claws to dig into her flesh. "You need to stay strong. You need to endure all the emotional and mental strain that comes to you. Just like always."

"But... but I..."

"Look," His soft, narrowed eyes locked with hers. "Your people. They need a leader when the time comes, alright? Everyone would be counting on you to be a keeper of peace and prosperity. It'd be a great disservice to them if you just abandoned everything you worked your fingers to the bone for. Would you want to be another Eclipsa?"

"No! I will not end up like her!" Moon yelled, the comment offending her just as much as Toffee's rejection. "I won't even be half as worse as her!"

"Perhaps not. But regardless, it would still result in the same detrimental effects to your kingdom at large. Especially since you still possess the Royal Wand."

"Then I'll throw it away! I don't need this dumb thing!" She was being irrational at this point. The wand was chucked to the ground with the intention to break. It landed upon the flowers, still as whole as it was before it left her hand."

"Moon please, you're nineteen years old, yet you're acting like you're nine years younger."

"Why won't you let me do this for you, Toffee!?"

He couldn't take it anymore. With a flaming storm erupting within, he effortlessly tossed her several feet away, illiciting a frightful shriek from the princess. She landed just out of reach of the tree's shadow.

She could only stare mortified at her beloved, who held such a wild, feral look in his eyes. Something that she couldn't say that she's ever seen before. At least, not from him. Such eyes would be seen on predatory beasts like starving wolves. At the same time, she could feel the familiar, ruthless aura he exuded whenever he was dead set on a goal.

And she seemed to be in his path.

"I'm not going to ask you again." His voice was low and void of any perceivable emotion. His fists were tightly clenching, much so that the cracking of his bones and the stretching of his flesh were almost audible. "Leave. Now. Live your life the way you always have. Within the safety of your kingdom and away from me and my ilk."

He deftly lifted the wand off the flowery ground with his foot, then tossed it towards the still-shaken Moon.

"If you set foot anywhere beneath this tree, I will not be responsible for whatever happens to you," He coldly threatened. "However, I have given you the chance to defend yourself should anything happen."

Her jaw was still agape as she failed to find any words to respond with. What could she possibly say? Whatever happened in that horrible place apparently changed him dramatically. No longer did she see the gentle, charismatic, methodical, caring friend that cherished her and made her forget all of the problems and pressures of her royal duties. She was staring at an entirely different person. A living, breathing embodiment of suffering and hatred.

Or perhaps this was what dwelled within him the whole time. The rage and contempt he held for the Mewman race was a layer beneath his skin that bared before her as his normally calm and caring guise was worn down by the days, weeks, and months of constant, unbearable torture. All ideas of affection, hope, and happiness have long departed his soul, replaced by awful, negative emotions that constantly festered and beat against the walls of the hollow shell that was his body.

He just needed a hug, that was all. A display of affection that signifies that he is not alone. To tell him that everything will be all right and nothing else can hurt him as long as they had each other.

"Goodbye." He simply said, breaking the long silence that loomed between them. He turned around and began walking away. She couldn't accept this.

Without another word, she broke off into a brisk sprint in his direction, her arms outstretched, hoping to quell the rage that boiled within him.

She only got within an arm's length from him before he instantly turned around and sent an unrelenting fist to her face, stopping any further advancements. A sickening crack echoed throughout the fields of flowers and swords, which faded into a tangible, unbearable silence.

Normally, a punch with that amount of force behind it would surely knock one off their feet and even pop a jaw off its hinges.

However, Moon stood firm as Toffee's scaly knuckles were embedded in her delicate cheeks. Her arms were held firmly to her sides as she gazed upon him with unbridled dejection. Tears lined the edges of her eyes as they threatened to further flood the rest of her face. It wasn't the physical strike itself that was painful. It was the fact that he did it without holding anything back and likely without any regret.

"Why?" Was what her despaired visage asked. She silently begged and pleaded for an answer to his behavior and her Toffee back. She wanted to go back to the way things were. Where there was nothing but friendship and smiles regularly shared between the two. Before all this.

But it wouldn't.

In the blink of an eye, Moon found herself with her back to the ground, straddled by what she used to to call a friend as two sets of claws tightly wound themselves around her neck. He bore and clenched his sharpened teeth as he did what he intended to do the instant her form vexed his eyesight after his imprisonment.

She choked and gagged as her lungs gutturally begged for air. Her vision flickered in and out as consciousness threatened to leave her and her body threatened to shut down. Permanently.

With as much strength as she could muster while in this position that compromised her life, she extended both arms to his face. Her gloved hands gently glided from his cheek down the length of his maw, as if she was contently accepting her demise by the hands of her former lover.

The image of the pristine, blue sky and the bloodlusted, seething gaze that attempted to burn holes into her being began to blur. Spots of black emerged and expanded in the distorted sight as it soon filled her entire vision with nothing but blank, black darkness. The oxygen from her lungs, and simultaneously, her brain, faded away, leaving behind a limp, lone body that seemed to blend seemlessly with the rest of the landscape.

"Another day, perhaps. But not today," Toffee nearly whispered as his grasp upon her neck released as did her grasp on reality. He walked away from her comatose body, numb to the severity of his own actions. Never to see her again for a long time. If he could, he'd do it a thousand times over it if meant keeping her away from him. But it wasn't her time. Not yet.

After some time passed, Moon awoke to the sounds of birds chirping and a brisk wind lightly brushing against her face. Her body shot bolt upright as she resoundedly called out his name, with no response other than the echoing of her cry being carried off to the winds and falling on deaf ears. He wasn't coming back. No matter how many times and how loudly she'd scream his name, he wouldn't come back. Not by her demand anyways.

As hopelessness crawled into her very being, she dragged her legs to her chest and quietly wept into her knees, comforted only by the pink flowers and discarded blades that surrounded her.

Contrary to what Toffee declared earlier, something within Moon still ended up dying that day. It burned away into an unrecognizable pile of soot, with no recovery in sight.

And from the ashes of her scorched hope, birthed a new life to be led for the remainder of her existence.

Sure, she eventually moved on and became queen. Presided over a nation with a firm, yet fair rule. Overcame ardous ordeals that laid the foundations for her individual progress as a person and a leader. She even met someone else and bore a wonderful, yet tiresome daughter.

Despite all this, the current Queen of Mewni remained eternally haunted by a past undaunted.


	22. Last Night, Good Night

"Jeez..." Star slumped in her seat as her mother's narrative concluded, melancholy following closely behind. The more fleshed out version of her earlier story was quite the hefty weight to take in. Janna probably wouldn't have been able to handle this, because it wasn't one of her messed up, fictional horror movies or books. This was pure, unfiltered reality. Straight from the Queen's mouth.

"Indeed." Moon could simply say. She uselessly tried to refill her drinking glass, repeatedly tapping the bottle's neck against the lip of the cup, but the bottle could barely bestow a drop. It was a depressing sight, really. It looked as if she was attempting to imbibe herself into an early grave.

"Too bad you ran out," Star sheepishly joked, trying to lighten the mood as much as possible. It didn't help much. "I, uh, kinda wanna drink of my own to deal with all that, y'know?"

Moon could only sigh as she placed the bottle back on the table. She shot a weak, disingenuous smile towards her daughter, trying to match her slightly higher spirits, but both of them knew it was pretty futile attempt to pretend that everything was all fine and dandy.

"Someday, Star. Perhaps not tonight, but someday." Moon rose from her seat as she scooped all the items off the table. "It is getting late. Maybe you should get to bed and find some sort of reprieve from... all this."

"Ehh yeah, maybe I should." Star got up from her seat and made her way to the door. "G'night, mom."

"Good night, Star." She plainly responded as she disposed of her empty wine bottle and moved on to return her wooden box to its abode underneath her oversized bed.

As Star's hand made contact with the knob, she stopped dead in her tracks. There was a flash of... something that momentarily rose in her heart. Something that she felt like that she just had to do in response to all that she heard. Something for the both of their sakes.

As Moon stood back on her feet from sliding her box beneath her bed, her torso was squeezed by the slender, embracing arms of her daughter. The intimate gesture shook her at first, but she quickly reciprocated the hug, resting her head upon Star's and caressing her blonde, knee-length hair as she valiantly fought back the urge to weep. She needed this. She most definitely needed this. She desperately needed assurance that she wasn't alone in all this. That brighter, sunnier days were just yet looming over the horizon. That the last glimmer of hope she held in her heart was all but lost.

"I love you, Mom." Star sincerely said as she buried her face in her mother's shoulder.

"I... I love you too... Star." Moon responded, tears cascading down her cheeks despite her best efforts to prevent them from doing so. Her emotional walls broke down further as her breath hitched and faint, squeaky gasps escaped her lips.

The two stood there in each other's arms for an amount of time that neither bothered to measure. They were lost in the comfort of one another's embrace as they allowed all the accumulated stress and despair pass over them during their tender moment. At some point, Moon's weeping ceased and she continued to hold her daughter for dear life in solemn silence. Star didn't cry herself, but she more or less shared the burden with her mother for the duration of their hug.

After what felt like a while, the two slowly parted from one another, most likely getting all that they needed from such much-needed affection.

"Thank you, Star... I... quite needed that." Moon softly spoke as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck.

"I know," Star simply replied. "We all need a hug every once in a while. But I think you might need a whole lot more after all you've been through."

"I agree," Moon warmly smiled, genuinely this time.

"Oh, and Toffee most _definitely_ needs a hug, too." Star joked, taking advantage of her mom's rejuvenation of happiness.

"Heh heh, Unfortunately, I think he's well past the point of spontaneous intimacy. Believe me, I tried."

"Hee hee, well he's never had a hug from yours truly," Star remarked as she pointed a thumb to herself.

The two shared a hearty giggle as the formerly dark and gloomy room was filled with some much needed levity. If laughter could illuminate a room, one would go blind.

The mirth soon faded and the two Butterflies bid their farewells as they prepared for slumber.

As Star traversed the various hallways and reached the corridor that held her room, she caught sight of her father down the hall carrying an unconscious Marco as his limbs and head hung loosely off his meaty arms. His forehead was wrapped in bandages as the rest of his body looked battered and bruised.

Concern seized Star's body as she frantically ran towards the two. River stopped in front of Marco's room door as he noticed his daughter sprinting towards him and bearing a rather alarmed expression.

"W-what happened?" Star asked, worriedly gazing at her dad, and then to her bestie with wide, blue eyes.

"Oh, the boy merely bit off more than he could chew, is all." River flatly stated, peering at Marco with an unreadable expression. It was clear he wasn't worried, at least. "You should have seen him. He put up quite a fight against all of my best men, beating every one of them in the process. Though, his winning streak was cut short with me."

"Dad..." Star softly spoke, wanting to chide her father for being the one to knock Marco out, possibly giving him a concussion, or worse. She ultimately chose to refrain from doing so however, as she understood this was one of many risks that came with one of these weird "Military Traditions".

"Fret not, my dear," The king assured, putting on a fatherly tone in an attempt to assuage his daughter's worries. "For a human, he's a rather sturdy sort if he was able to endure such relentless beatings from highly-trained Mewman knights. I believe that, with some rest, he'll be in tip top shape come the next morning. Now would you kindly open the door for me?"

Star obliged, letting River into Marco's room to place the boy upon his bed.

After that, the King gently closed the door behind him as to not disturb his comatose soldier.

"Now then, how was that conversation with your mother?" River asked, a warm, calming smile emerging from his bushy facial hair.

"Eh, pretty eye-opening, I guess," The mewni princess answered, casually rubbing her arm. "Now I feel like I know what's going on."

"Well, that's good to know," her father responded, his smile unabated. "Alright then, off to bed we go. Good night, Star."

The two shared a brief, loving embrace before River sauntered off towards the Master Bedroom.

"Uhh, dad?"

River froze in his tracks and made an about face. "What is it, dear?"

"Umm, could you... give Mom like, the biggest hug for me? I think she really, really needs it."

Her father raised an eyebrow, slightly puzzled by his daughter's request. Then a wide, suggestive smile creeped across his golden, flowing beard.

"Oh I'll give your mother far more than a hug, all right." River remarked, winking as he did so. He turned back towards his intended path, with more hop and pep to his step.

Star shuddered as the implications crept up on her. But at the very least, her mother can have some moment of bliss from all the hardships she had to endure up to this point. She was glad her room wasn't right next to her parents'. Whew.

As she entered her semi-dark bedroom, she noticed an unusual absence of a certain Beanie-wearing, occult-loving teenage girl. She gave some thought as to where the little rascal could possibly be at this time.

"Oh right," Star remarked to herself as she remembered Janna left the Kingdom earlier that day accompanied by a small squad of knights. Something about meeting up with a guy named Ulrich.

After doing some business in her personal bathroom and slipping into her comfy, blue pajamas, Star leaped onto her oversized, plush bed. She gently rested her weary head upon her pillow, expecting to fall asleep and immediately immerse herself in dreamland, in the hopes of giving herself a well-deserved reprieve from the mind-expanding narrative weaved by her mother.

But alas, slumber failed to envelop her as Star's eyes were hopelessly kept open. Despite how her bed was maintained in a constant state of soft, cozy, and clean, her petite form tossed and turned all over, from rolling side to side, to hopping on every inch of her bed to find a relaxing position worth dozing off to. This went on for about half an hour to an hour.

She briefly considered knocking herself unconscious like how Marco was currently.

Hold the phone.

A light bulb flashed above her noggin as a crazy idea wormed itself into her addled brain. It was an idea that she probably could've executed for the longest time because she's had every opportunity to. An idea that parents would most likely never approve of. In fact, she'd be lying if she said this was the first time this ever crossed her mind.

With no other viable option in sight, Star slowly crept out of her bedroom door, making sure to push her door open and closing it as delicately as mewmanly possible as to not alert anyone of her actions. Checking for any unneeded, oncoming attention, she looked both ways before sneakily crossing the hall and into the room that faced hers.

As she entered her bestie's chambers, she quietly closed the door shut behind her. Various questions and concerns rapidly ran laps around her mind as her mental processes chased around for answers and solutions.

Would Marco even be ok with her doing this? How would she explain this to her parents if they find her in the morning, just hanging in his room?

And more importantly, if Janna ever found out, how long until she will ever let either of the two live this down? Because there's absolutely no legitimate justification for sneaking into a boy's room in the middle of the night.

Bah. Do now and worry about it later. That motto carried her throughout her entire life. She got this far, might as well go big or go... back to your room and suffer a current fit of Insomnia.

"Psst, Marco. You awake?" Star whispered as she strolled over to his bed. It was sketchy enough she was sneaking into his room, so she at least had enough integrity to inform him that he was getting an unexpected guest.

Her question was answered when the upwards-facing, lightly breathing sleeper failed to respond accordingly.

"Marcoooo..." She quietly called out again, an octave higher than initially.

Still nothing.

"Marco!" She loudly hissed, her tone sharp enough to cut butter. That should've been like a punch to the eardrums and it would have, in theory, been enough to stir him awake.

But it didn't.

That tears it. She had no choice but to resort to the most drastic of measures. Something she had hoped it didn't have to come to. The final push to bring him back to the waking world.

She must boop him awake.

Star channeled her inner Kenshiro and unleashed the Secret Technique of the Hundred Crack Boop as her fingers rapidly assaulted her friend's slumbering face at blinding speed, yet gentle intensity. Minus the "atatata" battle cry that usually follows, of course. Had she actually possessed the aptitude for _Hokuto Shinken_ , this motion would prove to be a fatal mistake because his head would subsequently explode as every pressure point present in his face would be punctured. Marco _wa mou shindeiru._

But of course, Star couldn't elicit even a single response from the boy, much less blow up his cranium.

Her heart-covered cheeks puffed up and her arms crossed her chest as she silently pouted to herself and to an unaware Marco. She tried everything and nothing worked. Or at least, everything that's more calm and rational than casting a spell or dumping a bucket of ice-cold water on him.

So what to do now? Certainly she didn't want to go back to her room and lie awake until the following morning, then become frequently lethargic during the day. Unless there was an absolutely good reason, like accidentally turning your best friend's arm into a touchy monster appendage, she wasn't too fond of the idea of a night without rest.

An errant pair of blue eyes shifted their longing gaze back to Marco as Star became keenly aware of his body, accentuated by the moonlight basking the entirety of his exposed, tanned figure in its pale, bright luminescence. His hoodie and jeans were removed at some point, so he was left wearing his usual gray t-shirt and his boxers. It seemed as though his sweater was removed in haste as his shirt rode a bit high, unveiling just a teasing glimpse of his profound, slightly buff abs. His bare limbs were extended wide, their lean, muscular forms almost inviting one to be wrapped in warmly and tightly. And while only a fleeting, sordid thought brushed against her mind, she dared not to look at or even think further about what lied beneath those undergarments.

Being the hormonal teenage girl that she was, Star succumbed to her juvenile temptations and nearly plunged herself into the bed. However, she possessed enough restraint to instead quietly and carefully slide right next to him, placing her head upon the pillow nearby with her neck resting upon his left forearm.

Oh man, she was practically overflowing with giddy at that moment. Maybe she wouldn't be able to sleep after all. Never had she ever been this close to the object of her affections. Well, in terms of general distance, she's been much closer, but this was different. More intimate. This was the kind of thing that only lovers did, and for right now, they were definitely not at that stage in their relationship.

She felt a bit dirty doing this unbeknownst to him. Who knows how awkward it would get if he were to wake up and find this girl just laying in his bed completely out of nowhere and for seemingly no good reason? Who knows how he'd react?

But again, do now, worry about the consequences later. She needed this. Whether to just fall asleep or find some moment of bliss in an otherwise stressful point in her life is a shot in the dark even to her.

After what seemed like ages since she entered the room, Marco finally made a movement, much to her surprise. She softly squeaked as his body turned in her direction with his face laying inches away from hers. He was still fast asleep, with seemingly no hope of waking until the next morning.

The distance between them was so short, she could feel the periodic huffs and puffs of his breath lightly caressing her mouth in a steady rhythm. It was enticing. Tantalizing. She felt an unseen force pull her towards him as another pushed her even further.

Star gulped as she inched herself ever closer to his face, drawn in by his heated breaths and his cute, dreaming face. Her heart threatened to burst out of her chest and she panted frantically as she threw caution to the wind, unmitigated by any barriers that were physical, mental, or spiritual.

Just one. A quick one. What he wouldn't know won't hurt him, right? And hey, if she got lucky, she could push it further for a longer one.

 _Do it,_ Spoke a feral, yet familiar voice from within. She didn't think much of it. If anything, she felt more encouraged by it. _Make him yours._

Yeah, why not? After all, she felt as though she earned this. She's been patient and supportive enough throughout their time together. She's saved his life countless times, while risking her own. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that was practically presented to her on a silver platter, and she'll be damned if she didn't accept it.

"Star?" A groggy, barely audible whisper hit her ears right when their noses were within a hair's width.

Her eyes shot open to cartoonish proportions as the sleazy nature of her thoughts and actions was like a punch to the face. It was like Marco's voice instantly sobered her up after being intoxicated by her own primal desires.

If she panicked now, things would get even worse. She had to play it cool. She had to keep calm and play it off like she wasn't just about to commit a crime against societal norms and personal boundaries. That calm aura she exudes would rub off on him and the two could rationalize this compromising scenario like the civil young adults they were.

"M-M-Marcooo..." Star nervously addressed, her composure crumbling well before she could even set it up. "Ha-h-How's it goin', b-buddyyy?"

"Erm, what are you doing in my room?" He asked with half-lidded eyes. Whether it was because he was sleepy or annoyed with the current turn of events couldn't be determined. "And more importantly, why are you in my bed?"

At that moment, she wanted to disappear. She wanted to curl up into herself until her form blinked out of existence. She hoped that the exponentially growing speed of her heartbeat would lead to cardiac arrest and the two could forget about this whole experience right away. So many options ran through her head on how to escape from this nightmarish moment, she froze in place, unable to pick even one.

But she couldn't run. Even if she could instantly teleport back into her room, the memory of being caught would shadow her for quite a long time and the uncomfortable feelings from before would reemerge and hover over their heads once more. Then they'll make efforts to avoid each other again, they wouldn't be able to cooperate, and at that point, they might as well go to Toffee himself and commit sudoku right before his eyes, practically handing him the throne to the Butterfy Kingdom and the keys to Mewni.

So no. Running and all of its variants were not options with any favorable results in sight. She must face this problem like she has with so many others before. Head-on and balls deep. She had to be an adult about this. Otherwise, how can they move forward with this burden weighing on their shoulders as they go on with their lives?

"I, um... couldn't sleep... A lot of stuff on my mind." Star meekly answered. It was kind of a weak excuse, now that she thought about it, but it wasn't a lie. "I just thought... being here with you would make me feel better, y'know?"

"So, you thought sneaking in here without me knowing would be the right solution?" Marco asked, maintaining a low, plain tone. His expression was too vague for her to get a read on his current emotional state.

"To be fair, I did try to wake you up moments ago," Again, she wasn't lying. She didn't completely lose herself in her own self-serving desire for nocturnal companionship. At first.

He only blinked and stared at her in silence. It was hard to tell whether he was buying any of her responses or not. It was hard to tell whether he was uncomfortable, frustrated, or... what. It was making Star far too uneasy not knowing how he's taking all this. She ended up assuming and expecting the worst.

"I'm... sorry. I think I'll just go." Interpreting his unbearable silence as ardent disapproval, Star promptly got up and commenced her departure, mentally kicking herself for even coming up with such a dumb, sleazy idea in the first place. She asked herself how she thought that he could possibly accept any of this and not see her as some sort of pervert looking to satisfy herself in some way while he was asleep and unwitting.

Right as her feet were about to swing off the side of the bed, she emitted an alarmed yelp as her body was dragged closer to his without any warning. It happened so fast, it was as if time skipped and she instantly found herself with her torso wrapped in his arms and her back leaning against him. The slow ebb and flow of his chest lightly pushed against her as well as his steady heartbeat despite the two layers of clothing and the one layer of flowing blonde hair between them.

Star was at a loss for words as she was dumbfounded by this unexpected twist of fate. She couldn't think of what to do now that she was in this unforeseen, yet comforting position. This was probably how her mom felt when she gave her that spontaneous hug.

And much like her mother, she leaned her head against his cheek as she gave in to the intimate gesture. Immediately, she lost herself in his warm embrace, enjoying the moment for what it was and accepting what was given to her during a period of weakness and personal strain.

However, she couldn't help but be keenly aware of how unusual it was for him to commit such a bold act without at least lecturing her on the importance of personal space and consent. The impulsiveness was startling, but simultaneously charming.

"I am so confused right now." Star simply stated, still laying against her best friend.

"How come?" Marco obliviously asked, still maintaining a gentle, caring hold on her.

"I... literally just tried to take advantage of you again." It left a rather bitter taste in her mouth admitting it, but she just had to. The fact that he was still accepting of her after that made her heart sink as she felt as though she didn't deem herself worthy of forgiveness. "And you're treating me like _I'm_ the victim."

"But you wouldn't have done anything." He calmly replied with such frightening confidence, that it nearly made her jump out of his arms.

"How could you be so sure? I was practically in your face and everything. I really, really wanted to... you know."

Marco couldn't help but chuckle, eliciting even more confusion and a negligible bit of agitation from as he called her out on her "all bark and no bite" aspect. She wanted to get up and ask what was so funny, but she instead opted to puff her checks up in a small pout. Even with all this doubt in her mind, she was compelled to remain in his arms.

"Star, you said it yourself that there wasn't a whole lot you wouldn't do to me just yesterday." Marco recalled the time they spent together playing video games. He had mixed feelings about the whole thing, but he ultimately enjoyed the lengthy period of levity they shared, even with the existential crisis from that game Glossarcyk provided. "And I was awake, too. But I doubt you wanted to do anything with me then, and you definitely weren't gonna do anything now. I know you care about me too much to do anything like that."

She remained silent as she failed to find words to express her gratitude at how amazingly tolerant he was of all of her shortcomings, whether severe or trivial. A resolved smile drew itself across her face as she realized that she wasn't giving herself as much credit as Marco always did. Maybe that should change soon. She'd be a lot happier that way.

Rather than say anything further, she silently gestured the both of them to shift towards the headboard of the bed in order to get in a more comfortable position. After moving some pillows around accordingly, Marco angled himself against the headboard while Star laid on her side against him, resting her weary head upon his chest and listening to the soothing tempo of his beating heart. Despite how hardy it was, his body was more comfortable than any bed she's ever rested on. It was more of an attraction towards the intimacy rather than the general physical comfort.

"You know, it's not like I haven't had any thoughts like that, too." Marco casually commented, much to his best friend's bemusement.

"Wait, what?" She shot back, as a blush painted her pale face and her eyes went wide with a combination of shock, bashfulness, and joy. Still didn't get up though.

"Yup. I mean c'mon, I'm a budding teenage boy living under the same roof with a girl my age. Even if I was pining after Jackie for the longest time, that thought comes up every once in a while. But then I immediately shoot down any... provocative thoughts that followed because I didn't want to mess up our friendship."

"Huh." She simply stated, her tone difficult to read. Though deep inside, she was jumping for joy toward the prospect of even a tiny piece of reciprocation of her feelings. It was retroactive and she wasn't sure if he still had the same thoughts even now, but it was nonetheless a small victory among a streak of prior losses topped by a major one that stood out from the rest.

Regardless, she had to assuage her gnawing curiosity and ask anyways.

"Sooo... do you still have those thoughts orrr..." The question seemed suggestive as she glided a finger up and down a spot on his torso. She wasn't sure what she wanted the answer to be, however.

"Hmm... no, not really." Well that dampened her mood, sort of. But still, at the very least he didn't completely reject her, so there was that possibility she anticipated.

"Aww." The response almost sounded playful, but there was perceptible tinge of disappointment in her voice that didn't go unnoticed, which evoked another light laugh from her friend.

"Well, I can tell you this, though." Marco said, a bright smile rooted itself on his face as he began to reminisce, with a fluttered heart. "On the night of that Blood Moon Ball, when I saw you in that dress, I was like, 'Man, this girl is living under my roof, and I haven't done a thing yet? What is wrong with me?' And those thoughts and feelings kinda reached their fever pitch, in a sense. But again, I had to suppress them, because you took priority. And as you'd imagine, that didn't last very long."

"Heh heh, kinda like me." A timid giggle escaped her lips as she came to grips with how history seems to repeat itself, albeit with different people caught in its cruel cycle of hapless romance. "Well, maybe not that much."

"Eh, maybe more than you think." He absentmindedly stated, arousing even more bewilderment and interest from the Mewni princess.

"Wait, what?" The second of possibly many. After spending the whole time kept in place, she peered up at him this time.

"I did mention I'm kinda grappling with my conflicted feelings at the moment. But I haven't been given the time to really sit down and think about 'em, y'know? What with all that's been going on as of late."

"Oh, right." No further words after that were spoken between the two. Star didn't want to sway his decision in any way whatsoever as to not make any of it disingenuous whenever he eventually came up with an answer. Though she had to count herself lucky that none of this was swaying him one way or another, either. No matter what happens, she'll have to accept it with an open heart and wide arms like the adult she has to be and move forward with her life with whatever outcome fate decides for them both. It was only the right thing to do, even if it may result in a heartbreak or two.

Eventually, the two ended up dozing off while their bodies clutched closely against one another. Star never did get any further than just this simple contact, but perhaps it was for the best. After all, the two needed their rest to prepare themselves for the painstaking journey that lay before them and the depths they're about to plunge themselves into.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey all you people. I'm here to tell you that you're nobody until somebody loves you. And that somebody is me. I love you. Everybody loves somebody sometime, and that sometime is now.**

 **No really, your kind words of encouragement and praise haven't gone unnoticed. It sustains me and motivates me to keep going. And that's what we all need, right? Those little glimmers of light to get us through even the most dismal of days to remind us that life isn't all that cruel and hopeless.**

 **Never take them for granted. Because there'll come a point where those moments will be in great scarcity, possibly to the point where they no longer occur. At that point, we have only the memories of brighter days that have long passed to keep us lucid and push us to survive and thrive in order to see such similar days once more.**

 **So go hug someone near and dear to you. Let them know you cherish and appreciate their presence and all the good things they've brought to your life. If you don't have someone like and the internet is all that keeps you company, well, laptops and computers are warm. But don't hurt yourself, though.**

 **Here, I'll give you a hug. Bring it here. (\\(^.^)/)**

 **No matter how high the mountain of despair looms over you, just know that you will always be able to rise above and witness sunnier days shining over the horizon.**

 **Let the voice of love take you higher.**


	23. Black Sun Over Paradise

_O sentient life_

 _Ye insolent lambs bound by the shackles of mortality_

 _The moment of reckoning draws nigh_

 _As is decided by the laws of causality_

 _All shall be baptized in the darkness brought forth_

 _Following the ascension of two souls_

 _One that once was_

 _One that has yet to be_

 _O sentient life_

 _Give yourselves to the greater good_

 _Let the blessings of the Six guide your path to salvation_

 _And when that time arrives_

 _Thou shalt bask in the warm embrace cast by the hand of God_

 _As new life will be given birth_

 _So too will the Black Sun rise again_

* * *

The two teens laying against one another groaned and stirred as the morning sun reared its celestial head through the tall windows and shrouded their interlocking bodies in its brilliant, waking glow.

Resting her head upon his chest, Star slowly peered up at Marco as they shared a groggy, half-lidded look. Subtle smiles rested upon each of their faces as the sleepiness slowly departed and replaced with gradually rising awakening.

"Feeling better now?" Marco asked, as he rubbed his eyes.

"Much." Star responded dreamily as she resisted the urge to snooze on his solid chest for five more minutes. "How 'bout you? Are you still hurting all over? What about your head?"

For the most part, his body felt relatively better other than a few faint pains here and there. As for his head, he gave it a test as he rubbed the side of his temple. It still felt a touch sensitive as it lightly stung upon first contact, which caused a quick, sharp "ouch" to escape Marco's lips. This didn't go unnoticed.

"I'm a bit better. Not a hundred percent, but I think I'll live. "

"Hmm." Star's mouth moved to the side as she seemed to be mulling over something. Then her face brightened as a flash of inspiration came to her. Like she remembered something important.

Much to the boy's shock and bemusement, his best friend's body shot instantly upright and she began straddling his stomach. Further unease overtook him as her hands planted against each of his temples. His face reddened profusely as she shut her eyes and slowly drew her head closer to his. While some part of him desperately wanted out of this, some mysterious force besides the feathery weight of his friend compelled him to remain in place. Perhaps morbid curiosity towards how this would play out. He expected the obvious, but for some reason, he wasn't inclined to stop her.

Rather than doing what he reasonably assumed, Star raised her bangs with one hand while still holding his head with the other and gingerly brought her bare forehead against his bandaged one. His face rose in temperature in response to this strange, yet comforting contact.

"Hmmmmm..." An elongated hum emitted from Star as their foreheads were closely clasped against one another. A low rumble was felt between the two of them. Confusion remain steadfast in his mind, but he kept still regardless since weirdness such as this was common when dealing with an oddball like her.

"Uh, what are you-"

"Shh-hmmmmmmm..." She deterred any more verbal responses and continued with her... thing for a few more minutes. The subject of her unusual ritual remained affixed to his position.

Finally, she arose and stared down upon her bestie and shined a smile of assurance. "So how is it now?"

Raising an eyebrow in skepticism, Marco took a couple fingers to the side of his temple once more. To his pleasant surprise, the slight pressure didn't cause it to sting this time.

"Huh." He simply stated, rubbing both temples to further reinforce that whatever she did actually served its purpose. "What'd you do? And how did you learn that?"

"Eh, it was just something I saw on TV once. Something about 'good vibrations' or whatever." Star casually shrugged as a proud, wide smile formed on her face. "I honestly didn't think it would work, but it was worth a shot."

"Well, I'm kinda glad you did... whatever that was." Marco remarked, flashing a friendly grin. "Thanks."

"Aw, it was nothing." She waved off. " Anything for my bestie!"

The two exchanged a prolonged look of sincere, tranquil happiness as each of them reflected over the importance of one another's presence. Star thought about how pivotal Marco was to her life and that she wouldn't know what to do if she ever lost him in some way or another. She would be lost without him. Simultaneously, Marco thought over the fact that, despite all the danger and stress he's been through because of Star, he couldn't be any more glad that she's enriched his life with all the excitement and adventure that resulted in the emergence of his confidence and true power.

Suffice to say, they improved each other with every waking moment within one another's vicinity.

"Marco, my boy?" The muffled voice of River Butterfly pushed through the door as he gave it a few knocks. "Are you awake and decent?"

The two teens' eyes shot wide and their mouths shrunk to dots when they heard the King call out. Frantically, the two removed themselves from their compromising position, then Marco got off the bed to hastefully slip into his hoodie and jeans.

"J-just a minute!" Both of them shouted at the same time, followed by an immediate exchange of frightened, wide-eyed, mouth gaping glances. This was the worst time for that quirk to pop up again.

"Star?" The King called out. Though the full breadth of his voice was suppressed, one could detect a hint of alarm coming from the other side.

Right as the two sat down at an inconspicuous distance from each other, the door swung open. River shot the two with a burning, wary glare as he barged into the room.

"Hey Dad/ Your Majesty, how's it going?" Their voices overlapped once more as the two sheepishly waved at him in unison.

River said nothing, opting instead to narrow his eyes towards them. He caught wind of the fact that Star's hair was moderately unkempt and her pajamas were severely wrinkled. Then it was noticed that Marco's hoodie wasn't zipped to its entirety like usual and the fly on his pants were wide open. He commenced walking towards the two, still without a single utterance. Once again, the King flaunted his Supermewman physical abilities as he walked through the tremendously dense tension with little to no resistance.

River stopped in front of his daughter, eliciting an blatant, unnerved look. His eyebrow arched in response as the gesture roused further suspicion. He then started to gaze deeply into her eyes, as if he was searching for something specific within the confines of her pupils.

After seemingly assuaging his doubts, his expression softened and a grin rose from his large beard. As if relief washed over his entire being.

"Hmm. While your appearances say otherwise, it would seem that nothing has happened between the two of you." The King confidently concluded. A hint of pride and satisfaction laced his words and his tone.

"Err, what was all that about?" Star curiously asked, trying to sound as calm as she possibly could. Internally, she celebrated the fact that her speech wasn't synced with Marco's again and that her father didn't assume she was doing anything improper with him.

"Well you see, there's a certain glint in your eyes that would reveal itself during the aftermath of any... relations. Why, your mother just recently-"

"Ok ok Dad, TMI." Star cut her father off as she raised her arms in a signal to stop. "I don't wanna know what you two did last night."

"Heh heh, fair enough." River chuckled as his daughter's embarrassment seemed to amuse him.

"So what brings you here, my K- er, I mean River?" Marco corrected himself, remembering his humble request from a few days ago. He was still somewhat shaken by the debunked allegations against him, and he didn't want to arouse any further animosity from his Commander-in-Chief.

"I'm aware of what I asked of you some short time ago, but I must demand that you refer to me as 'Commander Butterfly' while we're on the field, son. You're one of our knights now, and as such, you must learn the proper protocol. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal, sir." The young soldier made a sheepish salute in response.

"Excellent. Now then." River began. "As for why I am here, you two are aware that your wily friend Janna is currently absent, correct?"

The two nodded, remembering the reason why. Well, for Star she didn't recall the entire thing, but she only caught the fact that she was seeing a guy named Ulrich for some reason.

"Yes well, as we all know, she is currently meeting with a rather influential figure who is part of the White Wing Caravan Company. A man by the name of Ulrich."

"Oh yeeeah, that guy." Marco beamed, fondly remembering the man's kindness in taking him and Janna all the way to the Butterfly Kingdom. "I didn't know he was part of a Caravan company."

"Indeed he is. And because of your prior acts in assisting him in his time of need, twice, I was informed that he is opting to strike a deal with us to provide our troops with necessary supplies, such as weapons, equipment, food, medical supplies, transportation and more at discounted prices. While leading an entire battalion of knights, I am to meet with him and the rest of his company rather shortly. As soon as all of that has concluded, we shall travel all throughout Mewni in order to provide the neighboring Kingdoms with some much needed support in response to the reemergence of Toffee and his forces."

"So, I'm guessing I'm coming along?" Marco asked.

"If he's going, then I'm going, too." Star added with much fervor.

"No no, neither of you are going." River responded, evoking a look of puzzlement from them both. He caught that and promptly replied to clear things up. "I need you two to stay here and help keep the Kingdom safe. As much as I would like to, we are most definitely not going on the offensive. We shall bide our time, set up the necessary defenses, and allow Toffee to approach us whenever he is ready to engage."

"Oh, ok." Star resolved, happily accepting the task of protecting her home and its people. Alongside Marco, no less.

"Thanks for letting us know, Commander Butterfly." Marco expressed his gratitude with the attitude of a cooperative soldier.

"Son, we're not on the field yet." River responded, bearing slight annoyance in his voice which prompted a nervous smile from his recently recruited Royal Guard member. "And that wasn't all why I'm here."

"Oh. Well what's the reason then?" Marco asked as he scratched his cheek.

The King shifted his gaze towards his daughter who seemed to be looking off the distance and absentmindedly playing with her hair. "Star, it is imperative that you leave the room. I must have an important man-to-man, warrior-to-warrior talk with your boyfriend."

"But, he's not my-"

"Oh, don't give me that, girl." Her father flashed a wary, knowing glance towards her. "Please, this is between us."

She opened her mouth and raised a finger to protest some more, but her father's authority and firm glare immediately caused any further rebuttals to die upon their inception. So without another word, Star hopped off the bed and dejectedly made a brisk path towards the door.

Right as her hand reached the handle, she looked back, meeting the strong gaze of her father and the slightly worried gaze of her bestie. Marco shined a genuine smile and a thumbs up to let her know that everything was all right and he'll more or less be fine after all this. With her doubts alleviated by the confident aura exuded by him, she reciprocated the expression and, void of any further hesitation, left the room.

Another torrent of silence washed over the entire room, drowning Marco in discomfort and anticipation of what subject or issue his leader wanted to address. River hopped right onto the bed where Star was formerly sitting. His hands clasped against one another and he stared upon the solid, waxed floor as he seemed to be gathering his thoughts.

Unexpectedly, but unsurprisingly, the King pulled a metal flask from within his royal attire, unwound the cap and took a long, hefty swig of what is most likely alcohol. One must wonder if all senior members of the Butterfly family shared the tendency to drink during meaningful conversations. Once he was finished, he heaved a hearty sigh, taking the edge off of any inhibitions he may have had.

"Would you like some?" He amiably asked as he extended the small container towards Marco.

"Eh, no thanks." He politely refused, raising a palm as he did so.

"But there's only a single drop left in here, my boy. I'm sure that's as much as you could handle, hahahaha!" River jovially quipped. The teen was barely able to match his mirth as he was only able to emit a rather weak, nervous one.

Another awkward silence filled the room once their lopsided laughter ceased. Marco stiffened, trying to brace himself for whatever his commander decided to drop on him. Not looking to extend the stillness even further, River finally began, his voice much calmer and more solemn.

"You know Marco, it's not that I'm not happy with you joining our ranks and interacting with my daughter and the rest of us, but there's been one thing in particular that always tugged at the back of my mind whenever I see you."

"And what would that be?"

River stroked his flowing beard as he wistfully stared into the distance and fell deep in thought.

"There's an old, yet effective saying frequently uttered by commoners. 'Waking, a half mat. Sleeping, a full mat. Rule the nation, a fistful of corn.'"

The boy wasn't sure what he meant, but remained wordless as he had hoped he would elaborate further. Taking the boy's silence as a desire to do so, he continued.

"Regardless of how many lives you've taken, nations you've conquered, treasures you've gained, or ranks you've risen up to, your body merely covers half a straw mat when you sit, its entirety when you sleep, and your stomach can only hold a fistful of corn."

"Hm." Marco simply said, mulling over the cryptic phrase. He seemed to get a small glimpse of what he implied, but he still needed more to go off on.

"Have you ever had the desire to return to the normal life you once had before we imposed Star on you?"

"No, not once." He confidently answered without skipping a beat. The word "impose" used in that context bothered him quite a bit. It wasn't totally inaccurate, but he didn't like the idea of her being forced on him like some object of burden.

"Hmm. You know, somehow I knew you'd say that." River almost sounded displeased at his answer. Maybe it was just his imagination. "But why not? Why have you seemingly abandoned your once peaceful, stable life? Why not continue living as a normal person should? Away from all this?"

He remained silent. Such inquiries never crossed his mind throughout the runtime of St- er, the entirety of his time spent partaking in Interdimensional excursions with Star since the day they've met. He always went along with it without question, immersing himself in the enumerable other-worldly sights and experiences the Universe had to offer that wasn't present on Earth.

But one thing's for sure, he definitely can't go back to that boring old life again. Eating, sleeping, thoroughly bathing, doing chores, dealing with his eccentric parents, attending school, barely associating himself with numerous people that might as well be faceless, getting harassed by Janna, crushing over Jackie Lynn Thomas without so much as a single word shared between the two for several years. Repeat.

He could say that all the journeys he's had with Star brought some much needed excitement to an otherwise dull, ordinary life and after being subjected to an abundance of that, he could no longer continue such a mundane existence, living as a mundane person, doing mundane activities daily. But he had an inkling that an answer like that wouldn't be sufficient enough for the King, so he opted to remain mute.

"Mewmans and Humans are far more similar than you think." River continued, seeing as his knight was at odds with himself at the moment. "We only have close to a century in this life. Sure, it may sound like plenty of time, but it may come to an end far sooner than you'd expect. And at any point, it can be snuffed out just as quickly as it arrived. The chances are much higher when you're a soldier. Why spend such a fleeting life fighting and risking life and limb for a nation, Hell, a dimension you're not even a part of? Why potentially dirty yourself with blood that may be cleansed from your body, but stains your very being for the rest of your life?"

Marco looked to the ground, unsure of how to answer his series of questions. No matter how much he thought about it or how much time he's given, he was never able to find a proper justification for all that he's done thus far. All the adventures, all the seemingly insurmountable heights he's climbed, all the ordeals he's endured.

Or perhaps, the answer has been close by the entire time. He just deliberately chose to overlook it and delay its discovery for reasons that even he can't determine.

"Look." River hopped off the bed, seemingly fed up with Marco's passivity throughout their whole conversation. "I'm not here to attempt to evoke an answer from you. Quite frankly, I already know what it is. But something tells me that you're either oblivious to the obvious or simply avoiding it. I came here to give you something to reflect over as you work towards the realization of said answer, so that once it is elucidated, you will no longer hold anything back."

The memory of the prior night pushed itself to the forefront of Marco's mind as the last words he heard before slipping into unconsciousness echoed in his mind and bounced all over his addled psyche. It joined the other words that were beating against the walls of his mind.

 _You deny your weapon its purpose._

 _...You hold it back._

 _You're suppressing your blade's full potential._

"That's all I have to say, my boy." River warmly smiled as he approached the door. "I know you can find the answers rather soon. None of us can evade the truth forever."

And with that, the short barbarian vacated the room, leaving his young soldier with a myriad of quandaries to mull over for the duration of his time spent in this tense, violent campaign.

Rather than stress himself out over them, he instead decided to meticulously scan his God Hand, much like the first time he's discovered his sudden possession of it. He took an especially long look at the silver metal braces that lined his foreign limb. He wondered if there would ever be a time where he could remove them permanently. Surprisingly, throughout the entirety of the time spent having this arm, the braces never once proved themselves as uncomfortable, annoying, or even heavy. In fact, they felt just as natural to him as any other part of his body. Kind of like his hoodie.

But it was a tad irksome that the braces prevented him from using the full extent of the Hand, only allowing fleeting, pivotal moments where it was allowed under specific circumstances.

Perhaps it was the Universe's way of telling him that he wasn't ready for a longer period of exposure to such immense, unstoppable power. Right now, the Hand could only provide small tastes of what he's truly capable of rather than the full meal. Why that was the case was something he has to find out for himself, sooner or later.

Maybe it had something to do with his purpose. Whatever that was.

* * *

Noon was closing in on the Butterfly Kingdom. Half the army, along with the King had long departed the premises. However, the sovereign land wasn't completely vulnerable, as they spent nearly the entire morning to set up the proper defenses throughout the perimeter and the interior, most notably around the Castle.

But still, further preparations were being made as Moon and Star stood at the castle courtyard, the latter being taught a couple crucial techniques for the journey ahead.

Marco was sitting on the grass at a paltry distance away from them, watching the two train as he was munching on a peeled orange, spitting seeds as he took notice of them. He felt his body reinvigorate and mend itself with every chew and swallow.

"Alright Star." Moon began. She was donning her usual silver armor and set up her long, sky blue hair in its lowered, battle-ready fashion. "I don't know how much time we have left until Toffee himself finally strikes, and frankly I'm surprised he's even giving us time to breathe. So I'm going to teach you two critical spells of mine that will surely prepare you for what's to come."

"Yes, ma'am!" Star barked as she stood at attention, her wand gripped tightly in her hand.

"Excellent. So this first spell is simple, but requires the memorization of its incantation as well as a moderate degree of focus. It is a very potent healing spell that also serves as a reliable repair-all spell. I call it, 'Crazy Shiny Diamond Breakdown'"

"Crazy Shiny Diamond Breakdown." The Mewni Princess repeated, letting the name settle and simmer on her tongue and in her mind.

"Yes. The incantation goes as follows." Moon stood firm as she spoke briskly and clearly, allowing the words to etch themselves into her student's mind, and subsequently, her heart. "'Shining justice burning in me. Good as new will this body be. Unbreakable can we only aspire. Let the voice of love take us higher."

"Uh-huh, uh-huh. Got it." Star nodded vigorously as she allowed the phrases to wash over her very being.

For the first lesson, Moon unsheathed her sword. Then, much to her daughter's surprise, she split it in half across her knee, tossing the metal pieces to the ground like they were rubbish. Whether this was a testament to her physical prowess or the shoddiness of Mewman blacksmiths is unknown.

"Now then." The tutor shifted her gaze back to her pupil. "Concentrate on this shattered sword. Visualize its current state, then play out the process of its reparation in your mind. Now, recite the incantation and, as your wand is basked in light, direct it towards the intended target."

Star did as her mother asked. She closed her eyes, brought her wand to her face and enacted the assigned mental tasks. As she gathered the necessary focus, the image of the blade in its broken, scattered state was made vivid in her darkened view. With as much positive energy as she could muster, she imagined all the parts of the blade coming back together, its divided components reunited into the singular object they were meant to be.

"Shining justice burning in me. Good as new will this body be. Unbreakable can we only aspire. Let the voice of love take us higher."

Star's wand began glowing a cloudy, vibrant blue as the image of a sky-blue heart replaced the Half-star that normally served as the centerpiece to her wand. As she pointed her illuminated wand towards the two separate pieces, they were each shimmering in the same blue aura and soon reattached themselves. As an added bonus, all the little dents and nicks that were present on the blade prior to its breaking apart instantly vanished.

"I did it, I did it!" Star cheered as she hopped in place like a hyperactive schoolgirl. "On my first try, too!"

"Way to go, Star!" Marco cheered as well, still chewing on a piece of orange. "I knew you could do it!"

"As did I." Moon beamed, flashing a pleasant smile towards the celebrating princess.

She recalled what Baby told her some time ago after she evaluated Star. She informed how her own daughter possessed far greater prowess than she did, which was also synonymous to that of Eclipsa's. While an observation like that could be cause for alarm, considering her recent use of the former queen's variety of magic, it was also an indication of Star's growing capability as a mage and soon, a queen. Perhaps things weren't as bleak as she initially thought. They just might be able to reign victorious over this whole thing.

"Alright Star, now that you've successfully executed Diamond Breakdown, we shall now move on to the next spell." The Queen announced, exhibiting a level of confidence that was actually a tad startling to Star.

"Hold on. Already?" Star asked, puzzled at how much her mother was rushing her to the next lesson. "Shouldn't we get some more practice first? Like on a bigger object or on a person or something?"

"That won't be necessary." Moon waved off, dismissively. "I'm sure that you understand the full extent of that spell. As I've mentioned, it is rather simple, with very few prerequisites to cast it. Besides, I think you'll get enough uses out of it once you put it to practice on the field. Now then, onto the next, and I believe, my most powerful spell. The Moonlight Greats-"

Her speech was cut off as a deafening, powerful tremor assaulted the entirety of the courtyard, the Castle, and possibly the rest of the kingdom. She, as well as Star fell upon the ground and bounced a few inches as the quake went on. While Marco was already on the ground, he simply bounced on his rear and dropped his half-eaten orange, lamenting the wasting of such fine fruit. Everyone else that was minding their own business within the vicinity also fell to the ground as the rumbling took them off guard.

After what felt like forever, the shaking finally ceased. What followed were the concerned murmurs of those around them as well as a multitude of alarmed, incoherent yelling coming from within the Castle. Out of all the frantically stated sentences being haphazardly thrown about the air, one particular set of syllables stood out among the rest.

"Toffee has arrived."

Driven by their shared sense of duty and the prospect of their fair nation being in danger, Star, Marco, and Moon came together and bolted for the nearest entrance, their destination being the topmost balcony that overlooked the entirety of the Kingdom.

* * *

As the three reached the balcony, they all shared a mortified look as they caught sight of four towering pillars of blue, translucent crystals looming over the entire Kingdom and protruding from the Commoner's District, around the area where the Metal Blade Rayvern was rampaging just a few days ago. All four towers had a flat top, with a distinct, colorful figure standing upon each of them. Two of them stood behind two others, the rear ones being twice the size of the foremost ones and nearly matching the height of the Castle.

"My Queen, you have to see this," Fearfully stated a nearby knight, who handed Moon a telescope. As she brought an eye to the high-powered scouting device, she softly gasped as she saw who stood on each tall crystal.

Rhombulus and Hekapoo stood on the lower pillars. The former had his snake hands resting on his hips as he looked to the sky in a heroic fashion with his wide cape flowing in the wind. The latter stood with her arms crossed and smugly gazed down upon the targeted lands and its panicking denizens.

On one of the higher pillars stood Toffee, wearing what appears to be a dark gray suit and slacks ensemble with black dress shoes. Beneath his suit was a plain white dress shirt laying behind a custom-made tie decorated with a diamond checkered pattern of red and black, with white snake skulls displayed on the black tiles.

And standing on the pillar adjacent to him was none other than the former matriarch of the Butterfly Kingdom and the infamously named Queen of Darkness, Eclipsa. It was made plain to all in attendance that she was free from her long-time crystal imprisonment.

"Mom, what're we gonna do?" Star eagerly asked, hoping that her mother's answer would be to attack immediately.

"What's our current course of action, my Queen?" Marco contributed to the inquiries, wanting to approach this with as much caution as possible, but simultaneously sharing the same general desire as his friend.

Moon said nothing, instead deterring any further words from the peanut gallery with a raise of her palm and opted to peer through the looking glass for even longer. As she scanned the environment around them, she noticed that no reinforcements accompanied them. It was merely just those four.

It was just as alarming, if not more, that they brought no one else along with them to assist in whatever they have planned for the Kingdom.

Her Majesty's heart skipped a beat and her breath hitched as Toffee seemed to be staring directly at her, acknowledging her presence and the fact that she was witnessing his every move. He flashed a slimy, devious smile towards her. He mouthed something that she couldn't quite interpret, most likely directed towards her. Nothing good, that's for sure.

Moon's heart raced even further when the lecherous serpent pulled a cord from within his suit, which turned out to be connected to a familiar, horrible object. An exact copy of what he himself gave her all those years ago. Something that she wished she could forget about and never knew the existence of. Even as she kept it within her home, she was forced to see it again, just in someone else's hands. She shuddered as the purple, egg-shaped object instilled in her a feeling of intense dread even from that vast distance.

All three felt a heavy pressure weigh upon their bodies for a split second, the abruptness of which caused Moon to momentarily stumble and drop the telescope from her view.

"Did... did all of you feel that?" Marco quietly asked, as he clutched his chest.

"Yeah. It was like... a punch to the gut or something." Star answered, holding her wand with both hands for dear life.

Again, Moon remained wordless as she instead ground her teeth in anxiety. They ground so hard, it was barely audible to the two teens standing right next to her. A cold sweat flooded her face as she was apprehended with a feeling she can't coherently describe, but one that she's felt once before.

Without warning, a cacophony of ceaseless, pained wails serenaded the land with its ghostly, eerie song. Star, Marco, and Moon shivered as the sound punctured their eardrums and uncomfortably slithered into their minds like some kind of audial parasite feasting upon their nerves and their sanity.

As the disembodied choir sang their chorus, all the color that was once present throughout the land rapidly faded and was immediately replaced by a shade of deep red as the brilliant sun that once stood at the peak of the sky lost its lustrous golden glow as it dissolved into the same blood red color that cast enveloped the Kingdom.

"Th-the Blood Moon!?" Marco fearfully commented as he peered at the sky with bugged eyes and a gaping mouth.

"No... that's not it..." Star's voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke with such horrified confidence.

Soon after the crimson celestial body emerged, a combination of black and red emerged from its outer shape and cut an all encompassing swathe across what was once the clear, blue sky. Soon, its entirety was consumed in infinite darkness, with large, bumpy red streaks scarred across the surface. The scarlet colors began shaping, spanning, and spinning. It was as if an invisible, morbid painter drew multiple repeating optical illusion images that could be interpreted as extremely oblong, spiraling, hollow-eyed faces with mouths stretched wide to impossible lengths in a constant, mute scream or ethereal fetuses of that which has yet to be born, resting within the shared womb that was the pitch black sky.

"What is happening!?" The young knight was beside himself with confusion and stress. His head spun as he wondered if all that was occurring right before his eyes was even real or just a dream. Or Hell.

"Look!" Star pointed a finger towards the red sun.

A tiny, blackish purple spot formed at the very center of the sphere, which proceeded to quickly expand until it obfuscated its entire shape, creating some sort of unnatural, other-worldly Eclipse. A drop of something fell from the black circle, followed by another, and immediately, hundreds, then thousands of drops fell upon a spot directly behind the four crystal towers. While the two on the lower pillars looked frantically around in perplexity themselves, the two on the taller towers stood firm as if everything going on around them was just a regular occurrence.

As time went on, the viscous miasma that rapidly rained down started to form a solid, slimy tower. As the column surpassed the height of the two tallest crystals before it, a wider, roundish shape began manifesting upon the peak. Five shorter, bulkier round pillars rose from the tail end of the larger circular shape.

Upon further inspection, the dark goo was actually creating a massive, five-fingered hand with its digits spread wide and curving their tips upward, while its palm faced flat towards the sky. Though three of the fingers and the thumb were made whole, the middle finger was only at half its length as the muck that fell from the sky seemed to have deliberately kept it that way.

Once the gigantic hand completely materialized into the real world, slowly but surely, mysterious figures began emerging from the slimy tips of each completed finger. They were covered in the grime they rose from, but it soon dissipated the moment their entire bodies reached the surface.

The tallest of them stood atop the ring finger, his form obscured by a leathery, black cloak. An enlarged brain laid on top of his skull, while his eyes were stitched shut and the skin around his mouth were pealed back, exposing his skeletal cheeks and chin.

On the tip of the index was a naked woman with tendril-like hair with black bat wings that spanned from her back. As they were kept close to her sides, they made very little effort to conceal her nude form.

A bald, portly man whose eyes were tightly narrowed, his mouth permanently puckered, and his hands constantly clasped stood at the pinky.

And last, but certainly not least, there was a short, bald, chubby-faced man who wore sunglasses that looked to be stitched to his head. Squirming from the bottom of his diminutive form were fat black tentacles in place of legs. Much like the aforementioned portly man, he also had his hands insidiously grasping one another. He stood upon the thumb.

"Prithee. Welcome, honored citizens of the Butterfly Kingdom. Inhabitants of the nation called Mewni. Rejoice with merriment and reverence as ye soon bare witness to and partake in a momentous event that is rare even to everlasting beings such as we." A deep, solemn omniscient voice boomed throughout the air with every word uttered. It was difficult to tell who was actually speaking, but one could surmise that it came from the tall one.

"Wh-who are they?" Star's voice and body shuddered as she closely gazed at the four beings. They filled her with an overwhelming sense of dread.

"Are... are they gods?" Marco wasn't sure whether he should be awestruck or distraught as he stood shaking in this nightmarish scenario within the presence of these entities he never even knew existed.

Moon, who was arguably the most anxious out of all of them, stood firm and lowered her telescope as she broke her own lengthy silence. Doing what she always did best, she put up a facade of dauntlessness and composure as she spoke without doubt and hesitation, though laced with a hint of justifiable fright in her tone.

"No... they're devils."


	24. You Are The Blood

Considering the ghastly situation that befell all who resided in the Butterfly Kingdom, one would rightfully assume that it was the end of the world. Disturbing, blood red images of faces or fetuses replaced what was formerly a clear blue sky and sang an unending, haunting dirge for the mortals below. The sun turned red, then was immediately obscured in some ungodly Eclipse. The ground beneath everyone's feet turned into organic, squishy, interlocking arms that pulsed and writhed at regular intervals. Four other-worldy, god-like entities ominously loomed over the entire land as they stood upon what seemed to be the hand of a god comprised of darkened sludge that fell from the heavens.

In retaliation to the enemies' arrival, several companies of knights riding on Pegastrikes soared through the air and towards the monoliths that threatened their home. At the same time, several catapults and trebuchets readied themselves from the walls of the castle and various spots of the city proper. As the projectiles from every tool of war were sent flying towards the towers, they were immediately negated by appropriately sized rifts in space that appeared out of thin air and reflected back to their sources. The God Hand group, without lifting a finger, destroyed every catapult and trebuchet and downed the entire Pegastrike force, deterring any further attacks planned against them.

"Geez, they sure know how to make an entrance, don't they?" Hekapoo remarked, peering up at the ginormous, slimy hand that towered over her. She was filled with a sense of amazement and slight concern.

"I know they're supposed to be on our side and everything, but man, there's just something about them that freaks you out just by lookin' at them." Rhombulus commented, visibly shivering as he gazed upon the four cosmic beings that stood before him. "I mean, did you see what they just did? Without even moving or thinking, too!"

"While this is no Eclipse," The tallest God Hand Member continued his speech, his reverberating voice heard by all sentient life within the area. Rather than run about in panic, all those who stood below remained frozen as their attention was tightly gripped by the speaker's authoritative disposition. "Tis nonetheless an event that befits celebration of divine proportions. Verily, two events are occurring at once at this abstract time and place. The rebirth of Cimmeria, Queen of the Black Sun. And the induction of Toffee, The Serpent King of Unity, as a high-ranking Apostle among our godly coven."

"You gave them my nickname instead of my real one?" The reptilian guest of honor asked, somewhat taken aback by the use of such a casual moniker by one of the God Hand.

"I found the idea of Void announcing your nickname to the masses rather amusing." Eclipsa merely shrugged as she faintly smiled. Her sense of humor seemed to remain intact, if nothing else did. "They most likely won't live to know what your real name is anyways."

"Fair enough, I suppose."

"But alas, an issue must be addressed that mars the mirth we art intend to bring forth." Void's tone remained neutral and doubtless with a detectable tinge of disappointment. "While I wish not to sour the experience for us all, I regret to inform that a crime hath been committed against us. A severe and unjustified act rendered unto one of our kind in which those who once presided over ye have taketh that which does not belong. Although the primary conspirators have long received their due penance, such was not sufficient for the debt they have accumulated over time. Nay, thine blood, flesh, and souls shall be the price ye pay for their, and by extension, your insolence. Thus will this fulfill said debt, and thus shall it serve as the lifeblood that resurrects our fair Cimmeria and supplement the ascension of your venerable Toffee."

A cacophony of grief-stricken murmurs, sprinkled with some fear-driven shouts and shrieks, filled the ground below as everyone in unison came to grips with the fact that they were all essentially sacrifices for these gods that towered over them.

"Speaking of which." The large-headed entity directed his attention towards the closely listening lizard. "Arise, you honorable duo. I request your presence."

As if on cue, the pillars that supported Eclipsa and Toffee rose to match the height of the massive, gooey appendage. The two stepped off their transparent platforms and onto the current domain of their masters. They both stopped at the very center of the palm. Eclipsa scanned the area, taking notice that something quite obvious was missing.

"I must ask, what has become of Femto?" She inquired, hoping to get an answer from one of them except the portly, narrow-eyed man.

"Doing nothing wrong as always, kekekeke!" Cackled the one in permanently attached shades. He began floating around the immediate area, bored of standing stationary like his other three cohorts.

"Alright well, can someone besides Ubik or Conrad provide a proper answer?" Eclipsa requested, unamused by Ubik's attempt at humor. She turned her questioning gaze towards the one female among them. "Slan?"

"Oh, darling." The woman woefully responded. "I'm afraid he won't be joining us for quite a while."

"We'll have a free finger for the time being." Ubik humorously added, hovering near Eclipsa as he spoke. She silently shooed him away, resenting the invasion of her personal space. He reminded her too much of Glossaryck, and therefore, she was never fond of him.

"Tis a shame." Eclipsa solemnly stated as she clasped her hands together. "I always enjoyed the pleasant conversations we've always had. At least our signature stage shall maintain its five fingers for a little while longer instead of the six I've been requesting for as long as I've been a member. Isn't that right, Void?"

"My stance remains unyielding to this day. Having six fingers for our platform is unnatural." The leader's voice was no longer omnipresent.

"Void, you have six fingers on each hand. Don't give me that nonsense again."

"That is irrelevant."

"Speaking of." Toffee piped up, interrupting the quarrel among the God Hand. "I love the general aesthetic of this hand. Especially the half-finished middle finger. That was a nice touch. Was this all of your doing?"

"Conrad is responsible for the shaping of this limb." Eclipsa answered, pointing to the wide-bodied man on the pinky, who stayed silent and stoic the entire time. "Besides formulating plagues and pestilence, architecture seems to be his forte'."

"Well, my compliments to the architect." The lizard gave a thumbs up to the man in question. Rather than verbally respond, Conrad simply bowed his head in thanks.

"Now then." Void addressed the two standing on the palm. "If nothing else, shall we proceed?"

"Please." Eclipsa bowed, which prompted her partner to do the same.

"Toffee of Mewni." Void continued, his voice once again thundering across the land. "Born of Clan Septarsis. Bearer of the Behelit. In light of the importance of this fair land to your cause, since you've sought to conquer it for years, dost thou humbly offer these caged lambs of Mewni as sacrifice for your induction into our covenant as well as the resurrection of Cimmeria, Queen of the Black Sun?"

Without a shadow of a doubt and any more hesitation in any fiber of his being, Toffee brought a fist to his heart, and spoke as loudly and clearly as possible. His voice was amplified to equal the volume of Void's when he uttered the brief, yet pivotal phrase, with all who were present able to hear it without fail. "I sacrifice."

Outrage and despair reached their fever pitch upon hearing those two words. The massive crowd below exploded in screams and cries of every single stage of grief as their lives were being bargained without any of their say in the matter. Indeed, fate has dealt a cruel, unjust hand to all those currently standing and living within the confines of the Butterfly Kingdom.

"And so, the die has been cast." Void announced with great finality. Afterwards, he parted his leathery, black cloak, revealing a pair of long, skeletal arms that seemed to be as tall as he was. As they were raised above his head and spread wide open, a blazing, orange symbol appeared right over him.

The symbol consisted of three prongs, with the middle one frayed at its end into three small spikes. Below the forks, was a diamond of nigh-equal size, bisected by a single line.

The gigantic sigil proceeded to explode into countless, tinier versions of itself. With fiery streaks trailing behind, the smaller embers scattered to different parts of the land, all of which instantly plastered themselves upon differing body parts of the citizens that lay beneath, as well as those currently residing the castle far ahead.

* * *

Star, Marco, and Moon stood deadly still as Void's lecture lingered in their minds. A boiling blend of every negative emotion stirred within them. The horrific stipulations that were made plain to them cast a layer of grief and dread upon their entire bodies as their lives were apparently signed away by Toffee.

"S-sacrifice?" Star looked to her mom with absolute dread as the word painfully nailed itself into her brain.

"Wha-what's going to happen to- agh!" Marco's speech was cut off as he felt an instant burning sensation on the back of his neck. As he ran a finger over the suspected spot, he felt a rather intricate scar embedded in his flesh.

Subsequently, Star emitted an agonizing squeal as the same spot on her neck was assaulted by that exact feeling.

Moon's entire body was electrified as she felt a biting sting upon her neck. The same sigil that floated above the towering hand was displayed right over her throat.

"What..." The horrified queen rubbed her neck as she felt the complex indent. "What is this!?"

"What has been engraved upon your flesh is the Brand of Sacrifice." As if answering Moon's question, Void elaborated. "Henceforth, your abruptly shortened lives shall serve as sustenance for the Queen of Darkness and the King of Unity. If you are able, I implore you to shift your gaze towards the outer rim of your fair land."

As the three did as directed, they all bore the same mortified expression as they witnessed countless, hulking creatures of distinct, horrific anatomies filling the entirety of the lands beyond the Kingdom's walls. Much so that one could not perceive even a hint of ground among all the absurdly shaped forms clutching so closely together. Every single one of them possessed an unnatural abundance of extremities, private parts, and orifices in places that should never be. There seemed to be no sign of escape as the whole of the civilization was surrounded on all sides by these walking abominations.

"Despite my insistence that this is indeed not the Eclipse." Void continued, the monsters outside still closing in. "This occasion shall bear striking resemblance to it and will therefore be treated as such. Gather round all ye tributes to be consumed by the Apostles that are fast approaching. Two souls will ascend on this day, and as such, countless others will fall for their sake. Your fates have been irrevocably sealed. There is no resisting the current of causality."

As soon as the leader concluded his speech, the creatures rapidly climbed over and broke through the walls, wreaking havoc as soon as they entered the perimeter. Almost instantaneously, the horde spread like wildfire throughout the city. A symphony of agony, death, and suffering soon followed as citizens were being indiscriminately devoured, their precious lives reduced to mere food for the abhorrent beasts that hungered and hunted after them.

"Mom, we have to get Toffee now!" Star loudly screeched as she became filled with homicidal rage and ardently wished to direct it towards the intended target. "He's going to pay for all this!"

Marco didn't say anything. He was occupied with looking over the railings of the balcony in severe trepidation as he witnessed bodies being eviscerated and lives being lost all around. He had an overwhelming urge to vomit and faint, but an unknown force kept him stable and conscious.

"Absolutely not!" Moon shouted, agitated by her daughter's ignorance and carelessness. "As long as he's near those five, there is no way you are able to reach him without their intervention. And who knows what they'll do to you should you threaten one of their own?"

"Well, what are we supposed to do then? Stand here and let everyone get eaten!?" Star's tone was so venomous that it caused Moon to recoil as she had never heard her daughter bear such a hostile attitude before. Regardless, she kept her ground.

"No, we are going to fight and defend our Kingdom till our very last breaths, save everyone we can, and escort them to the castle. Once we've rescued as much as we could, we'll regroup and make our last stand here."

"Right!" Star affirmed, not wanting to waste any more time. The teen knight seemed to snap out of his stupor as he heard his current commander's orders. He gave a slow, singular nod in agreement.

"Star, you get to the Peasant district and assist the soldiers there. Marco, you get to the Middle district. I'll be here assisting those in the Noble's district."

"Y-you want us to split up?" Star was apprehended by reluctance and uncertainty as her mother gave her quite the questionable command.

"It's the best way right now." Moon woefully responded, unsure herself if she's even making the right call. She brought her sheathed sword towards her daughter. Star still had the other one holstered at her hip, which was still enchanted. "Before I forget, I need you to quickly cast that augmentation on my blade. I'll definitely need it."

With a nod, the princess ran her wand over the entire length of the weapon and recited the incantation as directed by Solaria's note. As expected, the object glowed a faint blue hue and emitted barely noticeable hums and vibrations, signifying that the blade was now Blitzkrieg'd.

"Thank you. Now get on it, you two!" With that, Moon broke into an unrelenting sprint towards the castle. Screams and yells could be heard from its interior, causing the trio's hearts to race at once as the monsters seemed to have broken in.

"Summon Cloudy Charm!" Star yelled as she summoned the magical nimbus. Instead of its usual pink color and happy-go-lucky attitude and expression, the cloud was a dark gray and bore an expression of fury and determination, accurately reflecting that of Star's. With no time to spare, she jumped on, with Marco following suit.

As the two flew towards their destinations, Marco looked down upon the carnage. His gut ached and his head reeled as he witnessed the atrocities being committed below. He still wasn't sure whether any of this was a nightmare or not. He wanted to deny what he was seeing, but his heart sunk as he came to grips with the fact that this was, indeed, actually happening. People were being slaughtered as if their lives were just fuel for Toffee's ends. It made him sick to his stomach.

He saw a couple of monsters pulling someone's body apart in two at the waist with their massive jaws as the poor victim's viscera fell to the ground. One creature whose body was just one gigantic maw managed to consume an entire group of people. A bystander helplessly tried to save one of them by grasping their hand, but they ended up grabbing a severed arm rather than the entire person. The would-be savior was then scooped up and eaten soon afterwards by a different predator. Marco felt bile rise in his throat, but quickly shoved it back down. He averted his gaze from ground level and started looking ahead. He tried to scrub that horrific sight from memory.

"Uh, Star?" Marco inquisitively tapped his driver on the shoulder. "You, uh, kinda flew past my stop."

"We're not going down." Star spoke without so much as a hint of emotion. Her gaze remained forward with her back towards Marco. She was heatedly focused on one thing and one thing only.

"What!?" The boy was incredulous towards his friend's callousness. "But what about saving everyone?"

"That's what I'm doing, Marco. This is the best way to go to stop everything. We just have to get to Toffee and kill him."

"And what makes you so sure that'll stop all... this?" Marco spread his arms wide to convey a grand sense of scale. The gesture was lost on Star as her gaze was still affixed ahead. She remained silent and left his question unanswered.

Marco hissed as he felt a sharp heat rise in his head. For some reason he can't pinpoint, it felt rather familiar. Like a certain presence was nearby that elicited such a reaction from his body.

"Hey, are you o-" Star's inquiry was cut short by a startled gasp as she noticed all four that initially entered the Kingdom were staring at her intently as the distance between her and them gradually narrowed.

Hekapoo and Rhombulus simply waved in ironic hospitality while Toffee and Eclipsa merely gazed at the two. Both smiling. The dark queen stood upon the half-finished middle finger while Toffee stood at the innermost center of the palm as it glowed a pulsing green beneath his feet. It was unnerving how no one seemed intent on making a move. Not even the four beings that stood on each finger.

But she didn't care. She wanted that lizard's head and she wanted it now. She refused to let anything stand in her path. Not even entities that weren't of this mortal plane. Her face hardened, her body stiffened, and her blood boiled the closer she got to her landing zone.

"TOFFEEEE!" Star screamed at the tip of her vocal chords as she reached her destination, her sword and wand drawn. She stood on Cloudy Charm before leaping off and landing on her feet upon the viscous, dark purple platform. Marco jumped after her, prompting the cloud to dissipate upon its passengers' departure.

Without giving a second thought and leaving Marco in the dust, Star bolted after her hated foe, a feral war cry blasting out of her throat. Her sword was raised and her wand commenced unleashing a barrage of green lethal blasts that flew at blinding speeds towards their target.

The attack unfortunately proved ineffective as Toffee easily deflected the magical projectiles with a few swift swings of his arms. Much to Star's bitter fury, his stance remained unyielding and his smile only curved higher as the wild display of his enemy seemed to entertain him.

With her yell raised several octaves higher, Star pounced after him with her sword pointed high to the air, ready to split his head down the middle. Right as she was barely within swinging distance, the lizard was instantly submerged in the slimy hand, much to her scorn. Soon after, a gigantic, green, star-shaped crystalline mound rose beneath her feet. Toffee seemed to be encased in a chrysalis, his body curved into a ball and floating in some sort of fluid. At the same time, the once-incomplete middle finger filled in its missing portion, containing Eclipsa's floating form within a similarly composed crystal.

"NO! NONONONONOOOOO!" As if Star's voice couldn't get any louder, she managed to break expectations and the sound barrier as she vigorously and repeatedly slashed and blasted the giant stone that protected her vile enemy. As expected, she was only met with resounding clangs and zero progress in even making a dent on the indestructible surface. But she kept trying and trying and trying, ignoring the futility of her own actions as her senses were overtaken by bloodlust since her target was just within reach.

" _Mudada_." Void remarked as he looked down upon the Mewni princess with apathy. "Cease your attempts to impede what has already been decided. Your efforts will invariably come to naught."

"Shut up..." _Clang, clang, clang, boom, boom, clang, boom_

"Mewmans are just as foolish as humans." Ubik snidely commented, grinning and rubbing his hands as he spoke. "Look at her go. Doesn't it remind you of a certain someone?"

"Shut. Up." _Clang. Boom. Boom. Clang. Clang._

"Oh, you're absolutely right!" Slan beamed, hugging her bare body and rocking herself side to side. "Her bloodlust and rage feels just as potent as his. And just like him, she's fighting a losing battle."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up, SHUT UUUUUP!" _Clangclangboomclangboomboomclang..._

"Star!" Marco managed to catch up to his frenzied friend. "What are you doing?"

"Help me break this!" Star barked, her focus remaining affixed to the gem she's desperately trying to break. "Toffee's in here! We're so close!"

"But Star, I don't think y-"

"Marco, there are people dying for no reason as we speak! There's no time to argue, we have to get him NOW!"

"Sta-"

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE MARCO, GET THAT STICK OUT OF YOUR ASS AND HELP ME MURDER THIS SON OF A BITCH!"

Marco said nothing more, opting to recoil and take a few steps back as he felt stung by Star's unseemly outburst of unbridled animosity. He was taken aback by her deranged behavior, though he understood where she was coming from. There was a crisis of apocalyptic proportions currently going on, one that was beyond anyone's comprehension and she was just acting accordingly, though not reasonably. He considered adopting a more active attitude that matched hers if he was to get anything done in this trying time. Take matters into his own hands, so to speak.

"Goodness me, such hostility." Slan commented as she gingerly rubbed her chin with the back of her fingers. "That's no way to treat someone you're about to die with."

"Hey Void, isn't that the Hand?" Ubik pointed out. "Should we not be worried?"

"Honestly, I don't know why they named one of them after us. It's quite confusing." Conrad broke his silence after what seemed like forever. Just to point out the absurdity of the naming conventions of mortals.

"It matters not." The leader confidently resolved. "Its counterpart is absent within this Interstice. There is nary a thing he can do to harm us. His life is nearing its end, all things considered. Once he has been devoured by our minions, we can extract the limb and bestow it upon our new Apostle."

Star's swings and spells slowed to a halt as the depth of her behavior towards her beloved dawned on her. Simultaneously, she was hit by the realization that her attempts were proving to be fruitless. For a moment, she became oblivious to the dire scenario she and her kingdom were currently in. With a heavy sigh, she decided to take an inappropriate time to resolve their friendship.

"Marco, I-"

As soon as she turned around, she witnessed Marco flying towards the edge of the palm, screaming as he was forcefully dragged by a pair of extremely long, slender tendrils from off the hand.

"MARCO!" Star immediately chased after him, only running fast enough to be just barely out of arm's reach. As she reached out, Marco did the same. Their fingers were just within a hair's length of one another.

Just a little more. Almost there.

Her hand drew ever closer to his. It was enough to grab it and resist whatever vile creature threatened to take him away from her.

The tentacles that wrapped themselves around Marco suddenly picked up in speed and, in an instant, he was flung off the edge, leaving Star several yards behind. Right as she was within a short gap of the wrist, a large group of abominations managed to climb up and meet with her, attracted by the Brand on her neck and primed to feed on her flesh and blood. As she backed away, she heard a blood-curdling mix of abnormal noises emanating around her as several more of them flanked her just a moderate distance away.

Unmitigated by their sheer sizes, overwhelming numbers, and baffling anatomies, Star stood her ground and tightly grasped her blade and her wand. As the creatures drew close, she sliced and shot whatever she could, breaking them apart, cutting their numbers down to size, and generally pushing them back, while taking little damage of her own. Though, as more and more closed in, they started to return strikes of their own as Star was slashed and stabbed every so often with each onslaught of blows she let loose on them. Despite the numerous injuries being inflicted upon her, her stance remained stable and her movements unrestricted as she wildly swung and blasted for dear life.

While a passing temptation brushed against her mind as she fought for her survival, Star refrained from using the Blinding Blade technique as she needed all the energy she could get to assist Marco in whatever dire straits he was unwittingly dragged to.

The amount of beasts that surrounded her lessened, but more and more began seeping onto the hand. Taking advantage of the greater amount of breathing room she made for herself, Star made a break towards the few monsters that lay ahead. Rather than attack them, she jumped as high as she could, using the creatures as stepping stones and her developing wings as a speed boost to further her distance, all while narrowly avoiding their grabbing appendages. Managing to reach the wrist as she intended, she jumped off the very last organic platform. Much to her bewilderment, she began plunging rapidly to the earth below as the pillars that once stood in front of the hand were no longer present, along with two of their inhabitants.

"Kekekeke, what a shame. Dying in such a pathetic way." Ubik cackled as he witnessed the Mewni princess seemingly plummeting to her death. "So much effort for so little gain."

"Now now, Ubik. Remember what happened the last time something like this happened?" Slan chided her diminutive cohort, wagging a finger at him. "Try as we might, we can't predict every possible outcome. Even if the result of a foolish decision we see before our very eyes may seem obvious, fate somehow finds a way to prove us wrong. Such is the tendency of those fish that leap from the river. Or in this case, off the hand."


	25. Komm susser Tod

"Whaddya mean, we're only on guard duty!?" Tom defiantly shouted, seemingly close to blowing up as small green flames nearly obscured his pupils.

"I mean what I mean." The lizard flatly responded as he stood in front of a mirror, meticulously adjusting and marveling over his new clothes. He has to find a way to properly repay Valentine for such stylish dress.

"You mean to tell me that the owner of one of two potentially world-ending artifacts is reduced to a watch dog!?"

"Only if you see it that way."

"Jackie! Back me up here!" Tom turned towards his comrade-in-arms, desperate for assistance in convincing his leader.

"Eh." The chill teen girl shrugged. She was in the midst of smoking a cigarette, a bad, stress-relieving habit she picked up while in Hekapoo's dimension. She seemed without a care in the world as she casually leaned against the meeting room wall.

"Wha- But we had a deal!" The demon prince threw his arms down, his irritation now directed towards Jackie. "You and I work together to separate Star and Marco, remember? If you and I came along with them, it would make reaching our goals all the more easier. Why are you so apathetic about this?"

"Why don't you relax, dude?" Jackie responded, slightly annoyed that Tom was being loud and obnoxious again. She pulled a pack from her pocket and extended a cigarette in his direction. "You wanna puff? Takes the edge off ya. You really need it, man."

"No, I told you I don't smoke those things. They're not good for you." Tom crossed his arms in refusal as he chided her.

"He's right, you know." Toffee turned towards the two teens, finished with his wardrobe preparations. "You're better off smoking a good, old-fashioned cigar."

"What!? That's even worse!" Tom's mind was now occupied with health concerns.

"Besides, it wouldn't feel right if I'm not a mafia leader or a CEO of some corporation." Jackie took another huff, followed by a puff. She was making small circles of smoke in the air. "I think I'll stick to these, thank you."

"Suit yourself. You don't know what you're missing."

"Oh my devil, can we please focus?" Tom wanted to get back on track after going off on a tangent and before he went off the rails. "Toffee, c'mon! Why are you being so foolish right now? I thought you were an esteemed warlord, but you're making decisions worthy of a pawn!"

"Look." The serpent began looking and sounding dead serious. He tired of his partner's continuous disobedience. "I understand the stipulations behind the deal we had not very long ago. I am also fully aware of the power you hold currently and your loyalty up to this point is not lost on me. Yes, this task is perhaps below your qualities and status, but this is nonetheless very important. Believe it or not, the mission we are all about to embark on is not that of combat. Or at least, not as much as you would assume. Therefore, I need you and Jackie to ensure the prevention of any outside interference. So I suggest, no, I demand that you accept this task without any further resistance. I promise that my end of the bargain will be fulfilled just yet. All I request is your patience and your unquestioning cooperation. Do I make myself clear?

Tom could only respond with a silent scowl as he tightly clenched his fists and bore his teeth. Toffee gazed back, pity in place of animosity. Jackie just kept puffing away, not giving a single, solitary shit.

"You should listen to him, boy." Eclipsa piped up, startling the demon prince as she wasn't in the room prior to her speaking up. Or maybe she was sitting at the table the whole time and he just failed to notice. Hard to say with her. "And by extension, me. I was the one who informed him of possible interference in the first place. And who are you to go against the word of she who borders on omniscience?"

"Listen to her, dude. She's all powerful." Now Jackie added to the pile of reason weighing on Tom's back. "I trust Toffee to help me keep Marco safe. Why can't you trust him with Star?"

"I... I." He put the piece of his mind Toffee was about to receive back in place as Eclipsa's blank, yet soul-searing stare took hold of his tongue and extinguished his frustrations. He heaved a sigh of loss as he reluctantly relented to the wishes of his superiors. "Fine. Jackie, ya wanna go spar again while we wait for them to get ready?"

"Can I pick the Love Sentence song this time?" Jackie asked, finishing her cigarette. She was about to instinctively toss it to the floor and stomp it out like usual. Then she remembered Tom's qualms about littering in his castle and opted to store the remains in her pocket, lest she becomes another target of his ire.

"Whatever." Tom dryly responded. Jackie celebrated with a fist pump and a hissing "yes". He left the meeting room with Jackie following close behind, leaving their superiors to themselves.

"Heh. Kids, am I right?" Toffee quipped, to which Eclipsa responded with cold indifference. The attempt at humor was not lost on her, but it failed to evoke anything. She had other things on her mind. Curiosity, specificially.

"Enlighten me for a bit, Toffee." The dark queen began, crossing her legs and her gloved arms as she spoke. "It's not that I am against the two acting as security and insurance for our coming ritual, but I must ask. Why not let them accompany us and bear witness? Surely, Lucitor's forces are sufficient enough for such a menial task. Why delegate such young, yet capable warriors like them to a post far below their skillset?"

Rather than answer her questions right away, Toffee instead peered upon the green half-crystal attached to his right palm. Being the almost all-knowing entity that she was, this simple gesture gave Eclipsa the information she needed.

"Ah, so it involves the spell you afflicted them with, correct?"

"Indeed." The suited reptile answered, his gaze directed towards her. "As you're certainly aware, the spell I placed upon them does not give me complete control over their thoughts and actions. They still have their wits about them, they make their own decisions, and their speech and emotions are not suppressed whatsoever, as evidenced by Tom's defiant outburst. This applies to Hekapoo and Rhombulus as well, though I have greater control over them, since those two were made from my magic. I simply tapped in and eked out Tom and Jackie's insecurities and desires in order to push them towards agreeing and working with me. The only thing maintaining my loose influence and their loyalty is the goal that was set for them."

"So what you're insinuating is that if they witness any misfortune befalling the object of their efforts or if they are completely unable to achieve their goals, the spell would be rendered null." The former queen confidently concluded. Being a manipulator and master mage herself helped her reach such an answer.

"Precisely. Especially if such issues were done be, whether directly or indirectly."

"But what happens in the event that they reach their goals? Do they remain under your influence?"

"More so that they are less inclined to defy or go against me during the pursuit of my own ends. But yes."

"I understand."

An uncomfortable silence loomed over the two. While Toffee had the utmost respect for his fellow pursuer of equality, he still couldn't help but feel just a miniscule amount of unease whenever he was left alone with her. Perhaps it was some passive ability she possessed as a God Hand member that allowed her to give off such a disconcerting atmosphere whenever she was present.

"Sooo." Toffee began. "I must ask. What fate will befall the current princess and her loved ones upon completion of this ritual?"

He felt a faint tingling in his spine when he caught a glimpse of a small fraction of a smile forming on her face.

"While I have only a cursory grasp on the flow of causality, it's rather difficult to pinpoint exactly what would happen. There are a myriad of possibilities and probabilities, with death being the most likely outcome. What I can say is that whatever happens will end up being... interesting."

* * *

"What the heck is going on in there?" Tom questioned as he stood a great distance from the Butterfly Groundlands. A black swirling sphere with red streaks engulfed the entire kingdom just several moments after the pillars of crystal rose from the earth. His armed forces stood nearby, also gazing upon the ethereal mass in awe and wonderment.

"I dunno, but I hope they know what they're doing." Jackie responded. She tried to remain as calm and collected as she usually was, but she couldn't help but exhibit some semblance of doubt herself. "I mean, he did say they were summoning Eclipsa's friends, right? Maybe they gotta be all flashy and mystical about it."

"I guess. Whatever this 'ritual' is, it better not involve harming a hair on Star."

"Or Marco."

"Master Tom, we have an intruder ahead!" Alerted a nearby demon soldier, pointing to the distance. Tom followed his finger towards a slender, purple haired figure running in their direction.

Tom began walking forward. He held a hand up to signal them to stop and he yelled ahead. "Halt! Cease any further movements or we will attack!"

The person didn't listen. She continued her hurried sprint despite the warnings made plain to her. Every soldier, including Jackie, that stood behind Tom brandished their weapons to provide extra intimidation. Though he was prepared to throw a fireball as a warning shot, he quickly dropped his arm as he recognized who was drawing near. She stopped just several yards away.

"Mina Loveberry?" The demon prince questioned, with a skeptical raise of his eyebrow. "Everyone put your weapons down, it's just some crazy lady. Hey, shouldn't you be digging in trash bins for day-old donuts right now? Or committed to an asylum?"

"Tom Lucitor, get out of the way!" Mina shouted, unfazed by the biting insult at her expense. "I have no quarrel with you, nor do I have time to deal with any of your nonsense. There'll be dire consequences if you don't stand aside and let me pass."

"And why should I do that?" Tom snidely asked, condescension evident in his tone. The Devil Hand filled him with overbearing arrogance as he failed to be persuaded by a fabled warrior like her. "Do you think I'm afraid of you? While I have this?" Tom raised his left arm to back his argument as he flashed a cocky grin.

While Mina was fully aware of what he has and the immense power it holds, she still refused to yield, her sense of duty suppressing all worry and hesitation. "I'm not trying to threaten you, boy. Right now, you're involved in something you will never hope to get a grasp on. And the more you delay me, the worse it's gonna get."

"And who are you to stop us?"

"Another intruder inbound!" Everyone shifted their focus towards the oncoming presence, who was riding on a horse and approaching at full speed. The quickening clops of the steed's hooves grew louder and louder as the distance narrowed. Their form soon became clear to all in the vicinity.

"Who in the world is that?" Tom questioned as he was taken aback by the stranger's unsettling appearance. From where he was standing, he could percieve a strong aura of death surrounding them.

When Mina directed her gaze towards the one in question, her expression brightened significantly. As if fortune smiled upon her, a familiar face was coincidentally coming to her aid yet again.

* * *

None of these creatures were like anything she's ever engaged with before. These things were like something out of a nightmare or a cosmic horror story. At least the body structures and anatomies of the monsters indigenous to Mewni made sense, but these affronts to nature had haphazardly placed parts and bodily proportions that were just baffling to look at. Moon wondered if some of these things even had stomachs to fill or were merely feasting on people just for the sport of it.

Regardless of how many of these foul creatures she eliminated, it seemed that several more took their place soon after. While Moon was nowhere near exhausted, she grew more and more bleak as slowly came to terms with the fact that her efforts were proving to be fruitless. She hasn't once stepped foot off the castle since she parted from Star and Marco and she was beginning to think that, by now, everyone in the Noble district was gone.

Everyone she tried to protect in the castle have already succumbed to their deaths as the monsters' numbers proved far too great to manage. All the soldiers that were within the castle were also overwhelmed as the monsters' sheer strengths, sizes, and distinct abilities were far more than they were able to handle. She could barely even save all those within the confines of her own castle. What chance did she have in preserving an entire district?

Despite all these doubts that swam in her mind as well as the numerous injuries she's sustained, Moon was kept driven by pure self-preservation as she has not once stopped swinging her sword or casting her spells for several minutes straight. If she refused to give Toffee even the smallest chance of killing her, she certainly wasn't going give it to these abominations. Even if she was condemned to certain death, she refused to let that happen. She was absolute in her defiance against such foolish concepts. She has been for years, even if some of her past actions proved otherwise.

As she kept fighting, she was slowly but surely making more space for her to breathe and momentarily gather her wits about her. She took this short respite to survey the current situation. Right now, she was in the corridor that connected the Throne room and the Main entrance of the castle. There were about a dozen more enemies ahead, fast approaching and hungering her flesh.

Moon took the fleeting time she was fortuitously given to cast her strongest spell, barring Spacial Erasure. The Moonlight Greatsword. While it was normally a highly consuming spell when cast in her regular mewman form, her boundless force of will prevented any physical ailments or deficiencies to immediately take hold of her. She held the gigantic ethereal blade in one hand in conjunction with her physical sword, and proceeded to charge the vile foes that stood before her with a screeching battle cry.

With one horizontal swing of the Greatsword, she managed to bisect three of the hulking predators at once. Such an extraordinary feat wasn't enough to demoralize their brethren as they continued their advance undeterred. In response, Moon took another swing. Then another. Then once more.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the entire castle was more or less secured. Or at the very least, there was an absence of any sentient life within the immediate vicinity, whether mewman or otherwise.

The reprieve not only gave Moon the chance to briefly rest her senses, but also allowed all the pain and fatigue to catch up and engulf her. Right when her Greatsword faded from existence, she fell to her knees upon the cold, blood-spattered ground. Her eyelids became heavy as her bodily functions made every effort not to shut down. After a few minutes of labored inhales and exhales, her nerves became electrified and she arose to make a break for the main castle entrance posthaste.

"My goodness..." Was all that she thought to say as she stepped out of the building.

Chaos. Just utter chaos awaited her beyond the castle doors. Knights and citizens alike were futilely fighting and fleeing as they fell into the jaws of the horrific creatures that invaded her home. As much as she wanted to, there was no conceivable way to save them as everyone in sight was either already eaten, in the process of being eaten, or reduced to bloody piles of torn organs and appendages.

Rather than despondently watch as her fellow mewmans were being massacred, Moon reluctantly ignored them and looked to the distance, her attention grabbed by the towering limb that overshadowed the entire kingdom. She noticed that the four pillars that initially rose from the ground vanished along with their inhabitants. From where she stood, she was able to catch sight of several monsters scaling the arm, joining the many others that were already standing on the palm.

Moon wondered why that was. There were no Pegastrikes left as all of them have been shot down earlier. And even so, none of the knights have any reason to be on the hand unless they were driven to suicidal tendencies by their own desperation. Unless...

Her heart fell and her pupils dilated as her face was engraved with a combination of tremendous fear and fury as she remembered the last person who had just used flight as transportation.

With panic affixed to her heart and no time to waste, Moon transformed into her Butterfly Form and, within the blink of an eye, took off like a rocket. As she flew through the air, she hoped and prayed that her daughter was still alive and well. Tears welled up in her eyes as the possibility of her death weighed down her composure and her psyche.

After all, being anywhere near those cosmic beings never fared well for anyone, other than those on their side. Someone was always guaranteed to either die or suffer a fate that was far, far worse.

* * *

As Marco went flying off the hand, the sight of all those monsters climbing up the arm overtook the sensation that he was being dragged by the torso and plummeting to the ground. He was at a loss for what to do as he became hyper aware that his best friend's life as well as his own was in mortal danger.

This was a nightmare. The worst type of nightmare. He was living it. Existing in it. Breathing it. All these people that were dying all around him. All these monsters with their disgusting appearances feasting on them all. These cosmic entities that gave Toffee the ability to sell the souls of every citizen of the Butterfly Kingdom. The dreadful sky, the fleshy floor, that blackened moon, this giant hand. These tentacles that wrapped around his body. There was no longer any doubt in his mind. All of it was real.

This was it. This was how he was spending his last, fleeting moments. To be eaten by some vile creature like some kind of snack. This wasn't how he imagined he would go out. His life. His future. All of that was about to blink out of existence. Perhaps River was right. Despite the fact that his life should last, theoretically, about a century, it was about to end right here and now, as quickly as it came to be. But at least he wasn't regretting any of it. His life was good thus far. More than good actually. He could at least die without anything weighing on his heart. While there were plenty of things he wished he could have discovered and experienced, none of it mattered to him at the moment. Though, he lamented not getting the chance to say his proper goodbyes to all who were important in his life. Jackie. His parents. The laser puppies. Sta-

No. He instantly brushed off every negative thought that plagued his mind as his pulsing, heating arm snapped him out of his momentary melancholy. He was suddenly pumped with copious amounts of vim and vigor as his will to live blasted its way to the forefront of his thoughts and informed him of what exactly he needed to do.

He had to fight. Not just against these creatures that threatened his life. Not just against Toffee. Not just against these god-like beings. He had to fight against the very idea that these beings upheld.

He had to fight against fate itself. He wasn't going to let something as abstract and moot as that determine his path and destination in life, regardless of what that big-headed idiot claimed.

It's what Star would do. In fact, she's most definitely doing it right now. Fighting and surviving against all the insurmountable odds clearly stacked against her. Defying the path that these so-called gods claimed they laid out for her. Well, if she's doing it, then he's going to do it, too. Head first and balls deep.

As Marco was closing in on the ground below, he managed to turn his body just enough to discover the source of the tendrils that gripped his abdomen. They came from the breasts of a topless centaur-esque female creature whose bare torso conjoined with an enlarged horse body that had a gaping mouth as attached to its front end. What served as the head for the upper body was just a thick, fleshy tendril with a stretched, ghastly face.

While he drew ever closer to the source, Marco bent his right arm backwards, slowing down time and bringing the usual Roulette to his view. He browsed for a move that would be appropriate for an imminent hard landing such as this. His eye was eventually caught by one that sounded fitting enough. The name accurately described the type of object he was about to become in order to defeat this foul beast. It only costed one orb, too.

 **La Bomba.**

Marco's right arm raised itself towards the heavens as his entire limb was cloaked in a bright yellow glow. A split-second before he was within its reach, his fist fell down upon his captor, plunging its foremost portion to the ground. The speed of his descent combined with the strength of the technique reduced it to a damp, gelatinous pile. Its remaining portion fell limp soon after with its overly long tendrils loosening their grip. Marco managed to land safe and sound, though now covered in blood and guts.

Right as he dug his hand from the fleshy mound, more of those creatures started to surround him on all sides. They dwarfed him, outnumbered him, and their auras glowed red. They were painted in the blood and decorated in the body parts of their victims, as if intentionally trying to daunt Marco into giving up hope and letting them end his life with just one bite.

But of course, he was only driven to fight even further as he abhorred the idea of his corpse being an accessory for these wretched fiends. Rather than cower or throw his life away, he curved his body in a fighting stance, ready to take down any who drew near.

Right as the circle of monsters closed in, Marco curved his arm back once again. He searched for something that would help him disperse the crowd and provide plenty of room to maneuver. He found a Roulette move labeled in blue that sounded right for the job. It may spend two out of his total of five orbs, but he was confident that it would be worth it.

 **Typhoon Kick.**

Marco bent his entire body extremely low to the ground. Right as their orifices and limbs were close enough to touch him, he flew high into the air, generating a widespread tornado as he performed a high-speed spin-kick that blew every monster away, sending all of them flying far distances. Many of them were torn to pieces by the instant explosion of wind, and thus died upon their landing. There were some scattered about that remained, but they were far enough for him to ignore for the time being. He commenced bolting for the hand that Star was, presumably, still standing on.

Right when he was just a moderate distance from the bottom of the hand, A giant, slimy worm creature sprung from the fleshy ground in front of him, a large splash of blood rising with it. It possessed a tube-like mouth with several, circling rows of teeth and a pair of mandibles that resembled curved blades.

There was a hitch in his breath when he noticed something different about the worm compared to all the other creatures. Not the fact that it was the most normal looking out of all that he's seen so far, but it was more of a matter of its current status.

A black-silver haze enveloped the entirety of its body.

Level Die.

Killing most of the monsters that surrounded him prior must have triggered the next difficulty. His morale lowered just a tad bit as he took a loud, stressful gulp. While conditions may have gotten worse for him, Marco courageously held his ground as he braced himself for whatever attack the worm wished to dish out.

Predictably, the worm made a relentless lunge for the boy. However, it ended up being faster than he anticipated, as he just barely managed to dive out of the way, resulting in a deep gash to his right leg and a debilitating cut to one of his tendons.

As Marco writhed in the ground, holding his wounded leg in agony, the worm dug its mandibles out of the ground and charged towards him once again. Out of desperation, he instinctively pulled his arm back once more. He chose the move that once saved him in a situation like this.

 **One Inch Punch.**

Like before, Marco extended his open palm towards the gaping mouth of the tubular creature. Once the heat that rose from his shoulder reached the end of his palm, he clenched it into a fist, emitting an explosive flash of light. Rather than sending its entire body sky high as expected, he ended up demolishing its head, the remainder of its segmented length dropping flaccidly to the ground.

The mandibles that once flanked the dead worm's mouth fell tip first to the ground, right between each of Marco's arms and his body. A startled yelp shot from his lips as he narrowly avoided being skewered by the natural blades.

Remembering the orange he was eating prior to this nightmarish ordeal, he pulled the last segment of it out of his pocket and gulped it down without even chewing it. While the pain and the laceration on his leg faded away almost instantly, it didn't feel as capable as it could be. But still, he managed to get to his feet with only minor issue. Maybe now he could finally get to Star and provide some much-needed backup.

Marco's left arm was suddenly bitten hard and yanked towards the sky along with the rest of his body as another worm-like creature erupted from the organic ground once again. This one had a proper pair of jaws and long, sharp teeth that clamped hard on Marco's limb. Its entire length was supported by two, long rows of tiny legs, not unlike those of a centipede.

The beast swung and swayed side to side in a frenzied attempt to toss Marco of its body so it could devour him without a problem. Marco fervently resisted as as his free hand tightly gripped a solid appendage that protruded from the monster's face, keeping his entire body flat against it for the time being.

Marco was now in a dire situation within an even bigger dire situation. His arm was firmly caught between his current foe's teeth, eventually becoming completely numb, but still attached. If his body hung loosely for even a few seconds, he feared that he might lose another limb without any replacements this time. Because of that, he opted not to take the brief time to curve his arm back for one more Roulette move. Though, there was one thing that was sure to force the centipede monster to release him and it would only take a split-second. His right arm rapidly pulsed as it seemed to be urging him to do just that.

Marco quickly raised his arm to the sky, temporarily removing the braces that limited him. At the same time, his right arm emitted another explosive flash that caused the monster's jaws to unhinge. Unfortunately, Marco activated Tension Mode right as the centipede about to swing once more, and the hard, jerking motion sent the boy rapidly flying several miles towards the entrance of the Middle district and far, far away from the hand that held his endangered friend.

Rather than land on the soft, squishy, hand-patterned ground, Marco instead landed upon the remains of what was once a catapult. The hard impact against the pile of wood and metal disoriented him, blurred his vision, and brought him to the cusp of unconsciousness. Much to his dismay, he was barely able to get up with the severe bodily damages took a heavy toll on him. His left arm was left severely torn and mangled and bordering on falling off into uselessness. The muscular wound within his right leg reopened as it was nowhere near fully healed. The length of his flight used up all the time he had to momentarily use the full power of his God Hand, with the braces returned to their proper places. Thus was his abilities and his chances of survival severely limited.

Through his distorted eyesight and drooping eyelids, he managed to see another group of monsters surrounding and approaching his downed form. He shook and struggled to get up, but half of his limbs were incapacitated. He tried, and tried, and tried, the futility of his actions overwritten by his deep self-preservation and his ardent desire to resist. But alas, it seems that all of his efforts up to this point were all for naught as the monsters drew ever so closer to him, attracted by the Brand that adhered to his skin.

He felt something long and slippery wrap around his entire body, starting from his ankles and stretching up to his lower jaw. Pressure was being applied to his neck and increasing with every second as his lungs were being deprived of air and his brain of oxygen.

As the world around him gradually faded to black, he thought of a bright side where, since he'll die of asphyxiation, he won't be able to feel the excruciating pain of being eaten alive by these horrid creatures. He didn't have time to make any internal amends as his mental processes were on the verge of shutting down. However, one short, errant thought rung loudly in his ears and cut through the ever-growing silence that came with falling off of the real world.

 _Star. I'm sorry._


	26. Interregnum

With the Oh-my-gosh-I'm-about-to-die alarms blaring in her mind as she plunged towards the earth, Star made haste to twist her body and thrust her sword into the colossal arm. To her relief, the blade easily inserted itself into the thick, viscous material. The speed of her fall was cut significantly, ensuring a safer, softer landing. She peered up to check for any pursuers, but there didn't seem to be any climbing down for her. Whether they found another victim to prey on or were too lazy to give chase was unknown.

A hurricane of emotions and worries raged within Star as she took advantage of the fleeting reprieve to gather and rationalize everything that had happened thus far. Actually, what was there to even rationalize? None of what was happening made any sense on any conceivable scale. The environment, the crisis, the perpetrators of said crisis. It was just... like, how would you explain this to anyone without sounding like you were off your rocker? Sure, Star has been in plenty of dimensions where "different" and "bizarre" were synonymous with "common" and "normal", but this was on a whole other level that nothing in the known universe could possibly begin to think about reaching. There's no word in any language that could precisely describe what all of this was. Except maybe FUBAR.

But enough about that. The one and only priority right now was Marco. Where he was. What happened to him. If he's still ok or even still alive. Star decided to erase the inverse of that latter possibility from her mind, lest she falls deeper into despair. She believed that if anything were to happen to him, she would just... she didn't even know. It was a dark, uncertain result that she'll hope to never ever experience.

No, no. He has to be ok. He has to. He has the Hand, surely that would be more than enough to combat these freaks of nature. If he was able to slay a nigh-indestructible dragon with it, surely a horde of whatever these things were would be no problem. Yeah, that's right. As soon as she reaches the bottom, she'll see him standing triumphantly over a bloody mountain of their corpses. Then she'll run into his arms, relief washing over her when she sees that he's alive and victorious. After that, they'll meet up with her mom to save everyone, get out of this horrible place, and find a way to kill Toffee and Eclipsa for good. Then they'll all live happily ever after. The End.

When she only had a quarter of the arm's length left to descend, her mother's sword was caught on something, abruptly halting her movement. The extremely sudden stop caused her to break her grasp of the handle and plummet rapidly to the ground, without anything to catch or hang on to this time.

Luckily for her, Star ended up landing on a soft, squishy pile that severely cushioned her fall and kept her from sustaining any sort of damage.

A mortified gasp slipped through her lips as her fingers dug deeper into what she was sitting on. It was sickeningly moist and slippery and made gross squashing noises with every touch. Something stuck to her hands as she raised her arm. She brought up her open palms to see them covered in blood and small scraps of flesh and organs.

With a shrill shriek, she frantically waved and rubbed her hands together to ineffectively clean off the viscera that coated her hands. Disgust became the primary emotion as she hurriedly leaped off the pile of gore. She tried to wipe its contents off of her clothes, but ended up spreading the mess even further by doing so. Realizing that she wasn't getting clean anytime soon, she gave up and accepted the coat of blood as part of her character design. At least it matched her devil horns.

She couldn't help but notice how deathly quiet it was. Well, besides the disembodied choir howling their ghostly song and the freaky, hand-patterned floor quietly beating ad infinitum. There wasn't any screaming or creature noises or anything that was evident of any sign of life. In fact, the area around her was eerily empty, save for the combination of monster and torn mewman remains that littered the ground. The thought of Marco being among those that were scattered across the ground was kept light years away from her mind.

"MARCO!" She yelled to the distance, cupping her hands in front of her mouth as a means to amplify the sound of her call. While the call of his name carried off in the winds, no one responded. Her heart began racing.

She took in as much air as she could and made possibly the biggest exhale of her life, followed by her vocal chords reaching their tipping point as the sound of his name attempted to pierce the heavens. "MAAAARCOOOOO!"

Still nothing. She wanted to panic and scream and cry, but she made every attempt to refrain from doing so as she forced positive thoughts to flood her mind to drown out any negative ones that threatened to push her to the brink of despair.

He... he's fine. He's most likely far, far away from here. He probably met up with her mom and they were in the process of taking back the Kingdom one group of monsters at a time. Yeah, that's it. Maybe he already made his way to the castle by now and was protecting everyone from this horrible disaster. That's why he's not answering back.

"Princess Butterfly..." Called out a strained, unfamilar voice from the distance. Star turned in the direction it came from and saw a knight slowly hobbling towards her, his sword dragging behind him as he struggled to make his way. Star was at slight ease as she finally found a life form that wasn't one of those abominations.

As she drew closer to him, she noticed how severely battered and beaten he looked. Several blood-spattered holes and dents covered the entirety of his armor. His face didn't look any better, but at least it was still recognized as a face, albeit one she wasn't familiar with. It was difficult to tell what his age was.

Right when he was within arm's length, he fell forward, just narrowly caught by Star. He was still alive at least. Kind of.

"Wh-where is everyone?" Star asked, worry affixed to her face.

"All... gone..." He wheezed as he spoke. His voice was hoarse and barely above a whisper. "My squad... they're... we tried to save them... too many... it's hopeless..."

"Hey hey, don't say that." Star tried to gather as much optimism as she could to raise his morale even when the situation has taken a clear turn for the worse. "Look, everything is gonna be alright. We'll get out of this. Somehow. We can still win this fight and rebuild the kingdom. And it would be like nothing ever happened. Piece of cake."

The soldier didn't look at her, but there was a noticeable hitch in his labored breath while he weakly voiced his response. "Urgh... Such a fool... just like... your mother..."

"What?" Star was taken aback at how he was speaking ill of her mom. She wanted to angrily voice a rebuttal, but stopped hersels as now wasn't an opportune time for debate. Though, in the back of her mind, she understood where he was coming from. She knew why he held such an opinion.

"All her fault... if she'd... actually succeeded in killing Toffee all those years ago... we wouldn't be living in this... Hell."

She opted not to say anything this time. Her dismay gradually grew with every strained, fragmented word uttered by the wounded soldier. Though, she tried not to let that completely overtake her, so she made another attempt to find the bright side. "You know, at least me and my mom are still alive. I still have the wand. Marco has the Hand. There's still hope for us! I just know it."

"Ugh... none... of that... matters. Any..." His voice trailed off into silence as his being went limp in her arms.

"No, no! Wake up! Wake u-"

Star's desperate plea to stay alive was cut short when a short, bulbous, multipedal creature bursted out of the dead soldier's chestplate, emitting a piercing screech. Immediately pushing the corpse away and grabbing his sword, she made an attempt to stab the creature, only for her to miss as it scurried off into a nearby alley.

Star took a moment to process what had just happened. As she tried to play it back in her memory to make sense of it, she became woozy and had the urge to throw up. Try as the bile might to rise up her throat and find sweet release, Star gulped it all back down. She refused to show any sign of weakness in these dire straits, though no one was around to see the lack thereof.

Her ears perked up when a faint, inmewman murmur emanated in the distance. It was like a crowd of those wretches converged onto one spot. Fueled by the prospect of doing some good and saving whoever was left, Star made a break for the direction of the noise. Its volume and clarity increased as she ran through twists and turns between ruined buildings. The roads and alleyways were completely empty, save for several gnawed and mangled corpses. Her feet were constantly spashing as puddles of blood filled every corridor she ran through. Every step she took was shadowed by a pungent and overwhelming stench of death and decay that constantly filled her nostrils, threatening to make her gag with every second. While she wanted to puke, she kept her mind focused on the sound, forcibly suppressing every sense other than her sight and hearing.

The sound reached its peak when Star was coming up to a large clearing in the city. As she moved past a couple buildings, she saw the large mob gathered around, their bodies swaying and writhing in what appears to be some sort of celebration or ritual or... something that should be stopped right away. There was a lot more than she had expected, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.

While none of the creatures noticed her yet, Star took the opportunity to cast Solaria's spell on her sword, preparing herself for another huge fight. Since she had far more room to maneuver around, it would be a touch easier compared to the last one.

As she drew ever closer, the sight of a body being lifted above the entire crowd, wrapped in some sort of elongated, tendril-like appendage became much clearer. It was a body that she wasn't sure whether it was alive or not. A body she recognized all too well. A body that she wished she didn't have to see right at that very moment.

Star was pushed far beyond the edge as the sight of Marco's limp, mangled form filled her with a wrath that surpassed the bounds of the universe. A scowl wouldn't even begin to describe what her face contorted into. Transforming into the very embodiment of uncaged fury, her eyes became a completely blank white.

But she wasn't dipping down.

A voice that spoke to her not too long ago gave her a command that she couldn't agree with far more than she already was. Something that she had already decided before it was even brought up. It was the switch that made every gear in her system turn as the killing machine immediately activated.

 _Kill 'em all._

A feral, almost other-worldly howl boomed out of her lungs as she recklessly charged the horde before her, delivering shot after shot of her corrupted magic with every step, blasting to bits as much of them as she could before she could get close enough to rip and tear all of them to ribbons with her sword. Seeing that they were being threatened, they began to retaliate and a number of them advanced, though their fates were sealed the second they were within reach.

With every beast she tore apart, she was bathing in their blood. The bitter aroma and the fluid texture splashing against her skin devolved her further and further into something far less than a mewman that knew only how to murder whatever was in plain view. Her normal voice was barely recognizable beneath the guttural growls she emitted with each and every body reduced to a limp, pulverized heap. Her body was numb to all the claws that slashed her, the spikes that stabbed her, and the tendrils that whipped her as all five senses were sacrificed in favor of unrelenting, rage-fueled savagery.

A thundering noise of what sounded like glass shattering overpowered the sound of carnage for a brief moment, though Star was completely deaf to it. She could only hear the word "kill" echoing in her mind over and over as she continued her massacre of these horrendous beasts that presumably murdered the one person that meant more than the world to her. In fact, she was so lost in her own bloodlust, she had forgotten why she was even eviscerating these things in the first place.

Right when Star was but a narrowing distance from her fallen beloved, a loud blast of magic pierced her ears and she found her left forearm encased in a block of crystal, her enchanted sword trapped along with it. Her bloody killing spree ceased immediately and her senses reverted to normal. The necessary details in her eyes faded back into view and were directed to the solid stone in dilated bewilderment.

A noise uttered in unison that almost resembled normal speech gurgled and growled from the abominations that surrounded her. It kind of sounded like something along the lines of, "The Queen has returned."

"Behold, all ye sentient." Void's omnipresent voice thundered across the land once again, drawing the attention of Star as well as the creatures around her. Toffee stood alongside an altered Eclipsa on the edge of the colossal hand, his open palm outstretched towards Star. "The ascension of the two souls hath been completed. Toffee, the Serpent King of Unity has been reborn into one of our many Apostles, yet he hath been molded into one that is but a scant few steps below one of our inner circle. While we lament that the Crimson Behelit has not chosen him to become one of us, for he is indeed worthy, we hereby congratulate him on his new status nonetheless. And of course, Cimmeria hath returned to her proper place among our godly coven, breaking the curse of mortality yet again."

As if by instinct, the remaining creatures that surrounded Star and Marco spread apart, making somewhat of a corridor between the two teens. They were making way for the two newly evolved as they appeared right between them via portal. The sinister duo stood in front of a frog-like creature that held Marco in its slick, enveloping tongue.

With a wave of her hand, the frog unquestioningly obeyed the unspoken command and brought Marco's body beside Eclipsa. As he was hung by his wrists, he faintly stirred and groaned. He was nowhere near awakening, however, as his eyes were still closed shut and his head and legs hung loosely.

"Marco!" She shouted as a response to seeing him still in the world of the living. She wanted to run to his side and take him away from all this as soon as possible, but she was unfortunately stuck in place. Feebly, she tugged and tugged as hard as she could, but she wasn't even close to being free. She began shooting her lethal blasts around the side of her one-armed prison, but she couldn't even draw a scratch. Desperation overwrote rationality as she hopelessly and repeatedly beat her wand against the shining surface, willfully ignorant to the blatant uselessness of her actions.

"Just stop, you're only making yourself look bad." Toffee snidely remarked as he shook his head in pity for the pathetic princess. "Show a little dignity and tact in front of your ancestor."

"Eclipsa, why are you doing this!?" Star shouted at her ninth great grandmother, hoping to draw out some small piece of mewmanity from her. "Why did you let all these people die? Why are you helping Toffee? Why? Why!?"

The resurrected deity in question seemed to be amused by her granddaughter's grief-stricken attitude, but remained aloof as she gave her response.

"It matters not what my reasons are. What matters is what will happen going forward." She coldly responded, bereft of any feeling in her tone and any interest in enlightening her descendant. She turned around and delicately caressed Marco's chest. "He's important to you, is he not?"

"You don't know the half of it." Toffee answered with a sly grin on his face. "It's rather touching honestly."

"Y-You get away from him!" Star frantically shouted, her voice cracking beneath the sheer force of her vocal chords. Of course, neither of the two were fazed by her barely theatening demand.

"Hmm." The Dark Queen seemed to be pondering something as she tapped a finger to her chin. She gently ran her fingers down the length of his right arm. One could just barely detect a subtle hint of admiration from her strangely intimate action. "Quite an interesting specimen you've taken a liking to. He seems to possess quite a dormant power within him. And I'm not even talking about his possession of one of the Hands. This is indeed no regular human."

Star was beside herself with every negative emotion under the sun as she was stuck in more ways than one. She couldn't attack without it being instantly negated by either of her enemies who possessed such tremendous power. There was no way for her to move, much less escape. She didn't know where her mother was nor what was going to happen to Marco while they seemed to be holding him hostage rather than killing him outright.

 _Spacial Erasure. Use it._ Demanded that voice again. As fortune would have it, Star vividly remembered the exact words for the incantation and she was invigorated with purpose upon being given one more shot to turn the tides of this conflict. It would most likely require less prerequisites to cast since she had some darkness within her already. Yes, she thought. This was the best and only chance to make a difference with all these odds overshadowing her.

Without any further hesitation and doubt, Star brought her wand to her face and tightly clenched her eyes. "I call the darkness unto me, from deepest depths of earth and sea, I pledge my soul and crush my heart, to summon forth a deathly power to see my hated foe devoured." Though hurriedly, she recited the incantation clearly enough for her wand to react accordingly. Like what happened when her mother attempted the spell, it became obscured in a black-purple slime, its original design momentarily forsaken for the conjuring of this darkest of powers. Cloudy, violet energy bubbled around the tip of the wand, expanding with each passing second.

With her convictions crystallized and her unfathomably deep hatred provided with an outlet, her wand was diverted towards the one target Spacial Erasure was originally meant for. The primary cause of all this. The source of all the agony, misery, and death that befell everyone in the kingdom. The reason why Eclipsa was freed in the first place and the rest of her vile cohorts were summoned. The one that might as well have committed all these abhorrent acts by his own hand. All that mattered right now, was that Toffee needed to be thoroughly erased from existence, with nary an atom left of him. She still held hope in her heart that all of this would end upon his complete and utter destruction. Unlike her mother, Star had zero qualms about doing just that. This time, it'll hit its mark.

The energy surrounding her wand reached its peak size and a slender stream of magic blasted out of its round surface as it headed straight for Toffee's heart. Its velocity went beyond any normal perception. Not even the creatures surrounding them was able to grasp what was happening as they stayed put.

Armed with the experience of being struck by the spell prior, however, Toffee reacted just a split-second faster as he instantly summoned a portal directly in front of him, sending the blast somewhere else at the very last, pivotal moment.

Barely seconds after, something tore out of the spacial rift and slid across the ground far enough to halt right in front of Star. Upon further inspection, it turned out to be a person. Her body was covered in bright purple, branching fissures as she screamed and writhed in bottomless pain. Star's despair reached its apex in the blink of an eye as she realized who it was and what she just did.

"M...Mom..." Was all that was able to reach her mind as she couldn't find any other reaction to express. The unprecedented gravity of her decision squashed any further thoughts and feelings as Star could only stare in catatonic silence. Whispered hyperventilation wheezed out of her throat and tears were on the cusp of falling down her face.

Moon immediately reverted back to her mewman form as she was plagued by the exponentially growing agony that came from the severely destructive effects of her magical affliction. She groaned profusely and made every attempt to get up, but the life-threatening damages weighed heavily on her body. Countless purple particles rose from her as she was gradually disintegrating with each passing second. Utilizing as much strength as she could muster as every bit of it was draining out of her body, she sluggishly crawled towards her daughter.

"St...Staarrr..." The dying queen's words were fragmented as she further expunged every last scrap of effort to extend a rattling arm towards her paralyzed daughter. "M-my... Ta...ke it..."

Rousing from her comatose state, Star instinctively obliged as she held on to her mother's hand for dear life, the Royal Wand becoming tightly squeezed among their shared grasp. A shocking surge of energy coursed through her as sky blue ribbons begin spiraling up the entire length of her arm. For a few moments, the pair of symbols on both of their cheeks flashed white as something was being handed down from mother to daughter.

"M-my final... act.. of defiance... Make... hagh... ev... ery effort... to carry on this fight... agh! D-don't let..."

Star grasped at air as the wand fell from her hand along with her mother's form instantly dissipating before her very eyes. Several tiny embers rose from the spot where she once stood, eventually fading to nothingness as the last fragment of Moon's existence flickered out of view.


	27. Paint it Black

**A/N: If you are of the squeamish and/or sensitive disposition and/or you are adverse to certain content, then this is your warning.**

 **I won't divulge what it is, but you'll know it when it's on the verge of happening. Hell, you probably already have a guess on what it is. Whatever you choose to do is up to you. If you're so inclined, the suffering ends at the next scene transition, though I personally wouldn't recommend skipping it.**

 **I mean, this is rated M for a reason.**

* * *

Just.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Other than the haunting ambient noise accompanying the horrific environment, not a sound stirred from anyone or anything in the vicinity. Complete, dead silence fell over all in attendance as the immeasurable impact of Star's gravest mistake lingered in the air.

Star was at a complete loss in a myriad of ways. All she could do was kneel there, staring at the very spot she had last seen her mother. Though she remained awake, she didn't move an inch or breath a molecule of air. She had forgotten where she was, what she was doing, and why anything was anything. Everything that existed around her blurred as she dove into a state of physical, emotional, and mental paralysis. All of her efforts. Every decision made up to this point. Have truly returned to nothing. She was closing in on inevitable hopelessness as nigh everything that mattered to her vanished in an instant.

 _What are you doing? Get up._ There's that voice again. It sounded different this time. Another voice was layered over the usual one, making an atrocious contrast that was like nails deafeningly grinding against the chalkboard of her mind. Star's body faintly twitched.

"I'll say this one more time. Nobody kills me. I'm the one who gets to decide who lives and who dies. Me." Toffee's biting words fell upon her ears, but she couldn't bring herself to look up or even respond.

 _Don't just sit there like some sad sack. Make them pay. Now._

"How ironic." Eclipsa apathetically commented with her arms crossed. "Moon's greatest weapon ends up being her greatest downfall. I'm genuinely surprised it turned out this way."

"Poetic, if I do say so myself."

 _C'mon, what're you waiting for? You gonna let them kill Marco, too?_

Star softly exhaled, slightly nudged by the voice within but not quite pushed to move.

"Regardless." Eclipsa began, holding a hanging Marco by his cheek in one hand and his hip with the other. His body became cloaked in purple energy and, in the blink of an eye, all of his clothes completely disintegrated. "It would seem that the seed that was planted all those years ago have found perfectly fertile soil. It's about time the fruits of my bargain begin to grow. As of now, you are being baptized in the blessing passed from me to you. Now you must emerge, born anew as you embrace who you truly are."

Once again, Marco stirred and groaned, though this time, his eyes slid open just a crack as he only hung on the edge of awakening. "St... Sta-"

His first words upon grasping the tiniest piece of consciousness were cut off as Eclipsa forced her lips against his, making sure to smack and slurp loud enough for her great granddaughter to hear it. Though he made tired, muffled protests, he was able to do very little to actually resist.

Star's view immediately shot up upon hearing Marco's attempted call of her name as well as the sounds Eclipsa was making as their mouths slickly collided. Her catatonic state shattered into complete awareness as she witnessed her great grandmother violating the object of her affections. Familiar, awful feelings pooled and boiled within her, their intensity increasing exponentially the longer her gaze was transfixed upon the two. With her judgement clouded by her steaming scorn and desperation, Star emitted a growling scream and resumed futilely blasting magic upon her prism prison. She remained incapable of making even the slightest nick upon its surface.

The Dark Queen's hand gingerly glided down Marco's torso towards the area between his legs. She moved slightly to the side to give Star a better view, as if to taunt her by showing off something she knew she would crave. For but a negligible fraction of a second, Eclipsa's eyes widened and her jaw parted slightly as she was pleasantly surprised at what she cupped in her hands. A hungry smile was painted upon her face that stretched from spade to spade.

As she stroked him, she managed to evoke an instinctive erection, much to his shame and disgust. He wanted to cry out and struggle and fight back, but he was not able to manage even the tiniest bit of movement as half of his limbs were rendered numb and immobile and his entire body was overpowered by the pain of his debilitating injuries.

Eclipsa released Marco from the frog-creature's tongue, cradling him in her arms like he was an infant. Then she gently lowered him onto the floor flat on his back and his head directly pointing towards Star. The former queen stood over her downed victim, lifting her dress just high enough for everyone around to see just about everything. As she knelt over him, nearly straddling him, she kept one hand maintaining her raised skirt, and the other one lightly gripping and aiming his shaft towards her.

Right as the two made contact, Eclipsa wasted no time letting herself fall onto him, his firm, fleshy length penetrating her with zero resistance or friction as Marco's virginity was irrevocably stolen. A sharp, yet silent intake of air escaped her lips, but she kept her calm composure and her expression was fixed to that of imperceptible, sadistic joy. Her eyes shifted between her current partner and her descendant. The covetous queen leaned back as she repeatedly thrusted and swayed her hips, ensuring their intercourse was properly put on display for the main target audience to see. Marco made every effort to stifle a moan, but it was still made audible enough to penetrate Star's ears and ignite her fury even further as she perpetuated her feeble escape attempt.

With no other way out of this awful situation he's been forced under, Marco made a weak attempt to at least ease the obvious suffering of his best friend. "Star... don't, ah... don't look..." He meekly pleaded, hoping she'd avert her gaze from what was being done to him.

Eclipsa seemed to be enjoying the sight of her granddaughter and her crush squirming and despairing over the sordid show she was putting on. Contrary to what a bystander might assume, the elder Butterfly wasn't performing such lewd and deplorable acts out of sick, self-serving gratification. That was just icing on the cake. No, there was a much greater purpose to all this. Especially when she's taking intentional steps to do this in plain view of the younger Butterfly.

And thus, the purpose has been fulfilled as the sound of crackling stone pierced the air and Eclipsa's ears. Even to a god-like being such as her, the physical and primal satisfaction kept her movements steadily vigorous as she aimed to get herself off and drain Marco out of everything he had.

The crystal that imprisoned Star slowly gave way as the pale skin on her forearms were obfuscated by a darkened purple, with narrow, branching veins of the same color rising up to her shoulder. Subsequently, her entire body became cloaked in a blackish purple aura. With her eyes still attached to the provocative display before her, they became blank, glowing white as she had Dipped Down once again to make her last ditch effort to cease this heinous crime being committed before her and get out of this horrific situation.

'ECLIPSAAAA!" Star's scream thundered across the entire Interstice. With barely any imput from her, a large, black ethereal blade spawned above her wand, beyond ready to tear apart any unfortunate enough to find themselves struck by the sword forged by a culmination of every negative emotion that burned and churned within.

With the solid prism explosively shattering, Star broke off into a savage sprint towards her abhorrent ancestor, her voice distorted as a guttural howl echoed out of her lungs. Every atom in her being radiated nothing but pure, unfiltered wrath as it afflicted her with blackened tunnel vision that allowed only the image of Eclipsa raping her beloved to fill her vision and scorch itself into her murder-controlled brain.

While both Toffee and Eclipsa were keenly aware of Star being let loose, the former merely arched an eyebrow while remaining affixed to his spot and the latter continued her coercive exploitation of Marco's body and Star's emotions.

Her bloodthirsty path was abruptly cut off when a towering centipede creature locked her left forearm in its massive jaw and sharp, rending teeth. However, her current fit of rage prevented her from stopping for even a moment and, despite being roughly tugged back, she was driven to keep running forward.

Her raw strength began surpassing that of the monster that attempted to hold her back as her restrained limb gradually tore itself in half at the joint. The sickening sound of flesh ripping, muscle shredding, and bones snapping filled her ears, but the realization of her forced, violent amputation failed to permeate her addled mind.

And why should it? At this very moment, why would it matter to her anymore? After all, she's given so much more to save and simultaneously benefit the most important guy in her life. She's risked her own life countless times in every dire situation during many of their past adventures. She's seemingly given up her wand to the enemy when he was captured some time ago. She's even tossed away her own feelings when he's ended up with a girl he's been passively chasing after for years. No matter what, she's always been more than willing to give up anything she has for his sake. This situation was definitely no different.

What's one measly limb?

With reckless abandon, Star's blinded, frenzied sprint resumed as her left forearm thoroughly severed itself from the rest of her body, completely unbeknownst to her. As she advanced, strips of flesh hung from what remained of her arm and blood squirted from the red, meaty stump, leaving behind an extended trail of liquid crimson in her wake.

Right when Star was primed to swing her magical blade towards Eclipsa's neck, several, heavy beings tackled her to the ground, pinning her body and ceasing any and all attempts to interrupt the Dark Queen's sinful indulgence. It turned out to be Toffee and three clones of his holding her down. Two of them were restraining each arm and one restricted her legs. Presumably, the real one was straddling her back and holding her head up to force her to bear witness until the very end.

"This is the world you live in now." Toffee seethed, holding her head up by her temples while a single claw hovered over her left eye. "And you are going to watch as every single ember of hope flickers away."

She tried hard to struggle and push her way out of her bounds, but the combined strength of all four went beyond that of her current state. A sobering feeling washed over Star as a misty, green aura enveloped her entire body. She emerged from her dipping down and her unrelenting anger melted into that of grief and trepidation as she witnessed Eclipsa having her way with Marco. She shrieked and cried, possibly for help, but no one was around to hear it and respond accordingly. Tears overflowed endlessly as the trauma of this whole ordeal crushed her entire body, mind, and soul to the precipice of breaking.

With the repulsive display taking her total and utter attention, Star was numb to Toffee's claw slowly puncturing her left eye.

Eclipsa's back arched and her body stiffened as she reached her climax, deliberately discharging a brief, loud moan for all in attendance to hear. Simultaneously, Marco reached his as well, signified by a failed attempt to suppress a long, squeaky gasp and a violent quivering of his entire body. Proving far too much for him to handle, he went limp as he fell into unconsciousness once again.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Eclipsa arose from the end of her taking advantage of Marco. His naked, motionless form was the very last thing that Star's left eye caught glimpse of before its sight blackened into total emptiness and its functions faded into uselessness.

* * *

"Goodness me..." Slan sniffed, wiping tears from her eyes as she seemed to be emotionally moved by the entire event. "This resonance of emotions is far stronger than the last time something like this happened. Oh dear, it's... just too much for me..."

"Heh, you think Femto would've been proud?" Ubik snorted, seemingly passive aggressive towards the absent member.

"Now that you mention it, I don't think we've ever asked how he felt when he committed that exact act upon that young lady."

"Most likely nothing."

"Ah yes, of course." Slan returned her gaze towards the gathering. "Seems as if Eclipsa shares the same sentiment, though I can see from here that she loved every second of it. Look at her. She's absolutely glowing."

"Hey Slan, aren't we forgetting something?" Ubik asked, his unending smile belying the smuggled concern in his voice.

Drawing the attention of every God Hand member was a resounding splash that came from directly above them. Diving out of the slimy, blackened sun was the distinct, ghastly appearance of a skeletal-faced, white-armored knight riding on his armored, jet black horse.

Right as the knight fell past Void, the two shared a short, eyeless glance of bitter reminiscence as their long-spanning hatred for one another hid beneath their perpetually blank expressions.

Slan warmly waved at the Knight while the other two stared with their fixed expressions. Ubik seemed especially amused by his sudden entrance as he cackled with joy. His mirth was just short of a "Hah! I knew it!"

All four noticed that the Knight was not alone however. Sitting directly behind him and holding onto his torso, was the form of a lean, purple-haired woman wearing a metal helmet and holding a slender saber with its blade colored a bright, shining purple.

The trio vanished just as quickly as they appeared as they rapidly rode down the entire length of the colossal arm.

"Alright, Mina." The horseman spoke. His voice was deep and reverberated, as if he was some being not of this world. Despite the horrid environment he found himself in, he remained calm and composed as if this was just business as usual. And boy, was it. "Who am I fishing from the river this time?"

Mina didn't answer. She was too stunned by a reemerging memory as she looked around appallingly at the traumatic environment before her. She began hyperventilating and her eyes went wild with fear. This didn't go unnoticed.

"Mina, please focus." The knight requested as he turned his head to the side to face her. Snapping his passenger back into reality, she vigorously shook her head to throw the mortifying thoughts out of her mind.

"Ehh, right right. Sorry, Skull Knight" Though she became lucid again, it took a bit of time to gather her thoughts. "Uhh, one of them has... the God Hand... and the other has the Royal Wand. The one with the Hand is a boy. Red sweater, tan skin. The other is a girl with really long blonde hair... Y-you can't miss 'em."

He silently nodded as he faced forward once again.

"Opposition up ahead." Skull Knight announced, brandishing a serrated long sword and readying a killing blow. Several monsters crawled up the length of the arm with intent to impede their path.

Reawakened by the prospect of a fight, Mina raised her blade in a similar fashion, more than prepared to cut down all those who stood by the side of evil and in their way.

"Enemies on the rear." The knight alerted, prompting his partner to turn around and see as many more Apostles raining down upon them.

Without a moment's hesitation, Mina jumped off of her driver's horse, much to his displeasure towards her recklessness. She held her blade forward, then commenced spiraling upwards in a corkscrew motion, creating a wide-spanning, shredding whirlwind that sliced and diced every creature that attempted to pounce on them. She left none alive as every one of them were quickly reduced to several pieces smaller than their original sizes. A heavy crimson rain spawned from above and fell down the rest of the towering limb.

Meanwhile, Skull Knight continued riding down the arm, cutting down vile beast after vile beast with just a few swings of his sword. Unlike Mina, his unparalleled skill with the blade didn't require the use of such graceful and acrobatic maneuvers. He only needed simple, single movements that can seamlessly dismember and slay even the most massive of foes in even great numbers with fewer effort.

Upon the fall of the last of their foes, the rider landed upon the squishy, organic surface and awaited his comrade, who skated down the slick appendage as if gravity meant nothing to her. With a hard impact upon his horse, she landed on her rear perfectly fine. The two continued their search and rescue mission.

"Hey, while we're at it, we should pick up the King and Queen." The veteran suggested, disregarding Glossaryck's words from a few nights prior. "They should be around here somewhere. They wouldn't leave the Kingdom without their protection."

"I regret to inform that I only detect two other mortal lifeforms within this Interstice." Skull Knight gravely mentioned.

"No..." Mina peered downwards as the implication dawned on her. While she wanted to grieve, now wasn't the time to do so. Their objective, first and foremost, was the recovery of Star and Marco.

As they trudged onward, the Skull Knight's steed walked up a building and the three end up jumping across rooftops for more efficiency in their defenses and their scouting. They leaped higher, farther gaps as many of the buildings around were reduced to piles of debris. Mina refrained from looking down, as torn body parts and ravaged corpses littered the streets and alleyways. She tried not to think about how essentially everyone in the Butterfly Kingdom was gone, their unjust, untimely deaths serving as sacrifices for Toffee and Eclipsa.

"There." The three were coming up on a large gathering. "We must proceed with haste and caution as I sense a member of the God Hand alongside a particularly powerful Apostle. In addition, there is a dense source of darkness in the vicinity, but it does not originate from either of those two."

"Understood."

Meanwhile, Eclipsa's attention was diverted to the "interference" she spoke to Toffee about not too long ago. "Ah, I see we have guests."

"Figures. Those two and his army turned out to be useless after all." Toffee sneered, his expression darkening as he witnessed the Skull Knight heading in their direction. He got up to prepare for a potential fight, leaving a knocked out Star on the ground.

"Do not blame them. This one's been a thorn on our side for several ages. Alongside another I might add. The two have fought and struggled against us for a countless amount of time, but they have yet to draw even a scratch. Well, except on Slan. Though, I have to wonder why he's after me specifically when Void's death is what he really desires."

"I don't know and I don't intend to find out."

With no time to spare, he outstretches his right open palm towards the advancing horseman. Right as his horse jumped high in the air and dove straight for them, Toffee spawned a relentless, green inferno that spread wide enough to completely engulf the intruder.

Though, much to the lizard's astonishment, the knight bursted out of the flaming blast unscathed and unscorched and he continued his descent without resistance.

"Hmph. Fool." Eclipsa remarked as she too readied an attack to assist.

She stopped any further actions when she sensed movement from below. Much to her shock, Marco's open palm was pointing directly at her.

"Impossi-" Before she could react, a flash of golden light exploded from his clenched fist, and she found herself flying across the Kingdom, dumbstruck and disoriented at this unforeseen turn of events. Humiliation filled her every being as she allowed herself to be taken by surprise and damaged by a mere mortal. One that she used as a tool for her own personal gain, no less.

"Eclipsa?" Toffee called out when he heard the commotion. Rather than seeing what he had hoped to see, there was instead a barren spot where his Queen and her toy should be standing. When he turned back around, he sees that the fallen princess was also absent. He heard the sound of fading horse hooves and saw, to his chagrin, the Skull Knight and Mina Loveberry fleeing with their two targets slung over the back of the steed.

In an act of spiteful defiance, Mina turned around to face Toffee to stick her tongue out while simultaneously pulling down her bottom eyelid with one hand and giving him the finger with the other.

Agitated by the juvenile act of a former enemy, Toffee raised his hand to telekinetically lift all the surrounding buildings, whole and destroyed alike. With a foreword thrust of his arm, every massive heap of wood, metal, and glass flew towards the escapees, surrounding them on all sides.

"Mina, together now." The Skull Knight humbly requested, to which his partner responded with an affirmative nod.

With each of their signature weapons raised, the two swung rapidly around themselves with a maximum amount of energy to create an enclosed field of sword slashes that rended anything that drew near. With the storm of shredding blades covering them, they were well protected from the continuous onslaught of rubble, with nary a small chip making contact with any of them. Eventually, Toffee ran out of buildings to toss their way.

Further enraged by their insolence, he slammed his hand upon the ground. From the vast distance that the runaways have already covered, spiked pillars of crystal rose from the ground front, back, and sideways as the lizard made every attempt to impale them.

Fortunately for the rescue duo, Skull Knight's foresight, while working in tandem with his steed, allowed them all to dip and dodge everything their enemy threw at them. They made several twists, turns, and leaps accordingly to avoid every single crystal before it even erupted from the ground. Eventually, they reached the colossal arm, and began to scale it just as easily as they descended it. With no other obstacle in sight, the five smoothly climbed to the peak with relative ease.

Right as they all jumped off the severed middle finger and back into the corrupted sun, Mina took the time to give Void two middle fingers and blew a raspberry in his direction. She knew she wouldn't be able to elicit any sort of reaction with her vulgar gesture, but it amused her all the same to display defiance towards astral, god-like entities who prided themselves as all-knowing and all-powerful.

Toffee was absolutely beside himself with fury as a loss was suffered at that moment. He ground his sharp teeth and his cold blood reached their boiling point as he watched his enemies flee without so much as a scratch. He wanted to get rid of at least one of them. Especially that irksome Mina Loveberry. Who knew she'd be such a nuisance after so many years, he thought.

"Fret not, my reptilian ally." Eclipsa assured as she stepped out of a portal. "This was bound to happen sooner or later. I'm glad I was able to do all that was necessary beforehand."

"What happened to you?"

"A minor setback." The Dark Queen simply answered, her gaze averted from Toffee. He could swear that he saw just the faintest hint of red on her face as she voiced her response. "Regardless, I'm anxious to see how the prin- No, the Queen would go about living the rest of her life and ruling over a kingdom in this age of total darkness that we've brought upon Mewni."

"Can she even call herself a queen at this point? We've pretty much taken over her entire kingdom."

"Oh pardon me, I'm speaking in terms of tradition. But then again, you and I are all about breaking such recurring concepts, aren't we?"

"Hm. Indeed we are, my Lady. Indeed we are."


	28. Put Yo Grasses On Nuthin Will Be Wong

Star awoke with a horrified shriek as she bolted upright from Marco's arms, startling the boy and forcing him out of his gentle morning slumber. She jumped a couple feet away from him. She landed on her on her knees and roughly bounced the bed.

"Whoa whoa whoa." He remarked as he rubbed an eye to wipe away the remaining bit of sleep. "You ok? You scared me awake there."

She didn't answer right away. She remained silent as her body violently quivered and her eyes shifted every which way as she was adjusting, with great difficulty, to the abrupt transition from dream to reality. She was shocked to see herself in Marco's given room and laying in bed with him. Her swift, aimless pupils darted towards the open windows, seeing the clear blue sky and bright, sunny kingdom.

She proceeded to feel for her left arm, tapping every part of it and stroking its entire length. For good measure, she repeatedly balled her hand into a fist while simultaneously wriggling all five fingers. She then began winking her left eye at rapid speed. At the very last wink, her eye was shut completely as she raised a finger to lightly rubbed her eyeball.

After checking if every part of her was still in order, her body slumped and tears immediately flooded her face, accompanied by hiccuping, squeaky sobs. She gripped her arms as she held herself in a tight, embrace.

Marco got up and crawled his way towards her. "Star? What's going o- oof!"

Only to be knocked back down while his entire body was constricted by the embracing arms of his currently despaired friend. She cried into his chest, dampening his shirt with her overflowing tears.

Though she expected him to say something, anything to make her feel better, he instead stayed still and silent. It was probably for the best. At the moment, she wouldn't be able to hear anything he said if he did try to provide words of comfort and encouragement. Much to her surpise and subsequent pleasure, she felt one arm wrap around her back and the other smoothly running through her soft, flowing hair. While she wept, his gentle, intimate contact slowly and steadily relaxed her over time.

Eventually, Star's sobbing faded into quick, quiet exhales and her tears no longer pooled on Marco's shirt. She kept her face buried in his chest, however.

A few more minutes passed, and she finally tore her face off his torso. Her eyes were slightly reddened and dried tears coated her cheeks. She bore a woeful, almost longing expression as her misty blue eyes locked with Marco's dense brown eyes.

Without a moment's hesitation, Star closed her eyes and slightly parted her lips as her head drew closer to Marco's. Her heart rate and her breathing gradually picked up in speed with each passing second.

Right as she could feel his breath against her lips, a pair of arms held her shoulders in place. Though, rather than their bodies tearing away from one another entirely, they lingered for a few moments more. The extremely narrowed space they shared allowed them to breathe each other's air and consume one another's oxygen as their own. Marco was near the point of hyperventilating, and she could swear she could hear and feel his heart loudly and repeatedly pummeling itself against his chest.

"St-Star, please." His voice was low and breathy. "We... we went over this already."

As much as she wanted to progress further in her advancements, she ultimately decided to heed his protest and part from him. She rose to a position where she was essentially straddling his stomach.

Star began to quietly chuckle as she held her forehead in her palm. She was awash with relief that he prevented her from going over any boundaries.

"Heh heh. It's real..." She assured herself with a weak, crooked smile. "It was just a dream... none of that... I'm awake... Heh heh heh..."

"Okayyy..." Marco's body squirmed as he was starting to get noticeably uncomfortable. "You're acting kinda weird and a little... insane. And not the usual endearing kinda way either. You wanna talk about what just happened there? "

Star was knocked out of her momentarily crazed stupor upon hearing his voice. She looked off to the side and anxiously rubbed her arm. "I dunno, Marco..."

"I mean, if it's something that has this kind of effect on you, then it would help a lot if we take a minute to talk about it." Marco advised, clear concern painted on his expression. "Please? I was scared out of my mind when you screamed and it hurt to see you cry out of nowhere like that. I wanna get to the bottom of this so we can clear our heads for the rest of the day."

As she dreaded the inevitability of having to come clean, her expression turned somber. She reluctantly removed herself from his body and laid right beside him. She blankly stared at the ceiling for a bit, allowing all of her accumulated thoughts and feelings settle and simmer as she set up the insane, grim train of thought she was about to lay out to Marco. She heaved one of the heaviest and stress-induced sighs as she began.

Rather than explain the entire thing in a clear, reasonably paced manner , Star opted for a frantic stream of consciousness. As she regaled him, the whole harrowing tale was told in a "Star Style", complete with mouth-made sound effects, exaggerated hand gestures and body language, excruciating detail expressed with bizarre analogies, and out-of-character dialogue for all who were involved.

Though, as she came upon the more traumatic parts that approached the end of the dream, her mood severely dampened and she spoke more slowly and gravely. There were a lot of pauses as she reached the part where she accidentally killed her own mom with her darkest spell. She stared blankly to the distance, the horrific nature of the subject weighing on her as if she really committed the deed.

There was an especially long silence between that and the unspeakable events that followed. Her mother's "death" as well as her agonizing last words were fresh and vivid in her mind. As if she had just experienced it moments ago.

"I'm uhh, not sure if I should tell you this next part." Star paused the story, severe dread creeping into her tone as she uncomfortably fidgeted. She made every effort to disallow her mind from veering off into such traumatizing territory. "It's... reeeallllyyy awful. Kinda involves you."

Marco raised an eyebrow. "Did I... die in the most brutal way or something?"

Star shook her head in grief-stricken silence.

"Hm. I guess if it's bad enough that you won't even tell me after everything else, then maybe it's best that I don't find out."

Star nodded before she continued, omitting the unfortunate circumstances regarding Marco. "But y'know... as that was happening, I... lost my eye and my left arm in the process."

Marco visibly gulped before he voiced his worried realization. "Ohh. That's why you were doing that weird thing with your eye and messed around with your arm."

"Yeah..."

Marco's body slacked and he leaned his back against the headboard of the bed. "Gosh, I'm... not sure what to say or how to take all of that. That's pretty... whoa.."

"I know, right? It all felt so real... but unreal at the same time. Like... I dunno."

"You think it means anything?"

"Maybe?" Star thought back to the other "dreams" she's had the past few days that also felt as though they were events in reality. The one with Toffee lecturing her at the end of her bed. That one where she thought she was dead and she was listening to a memory of Eclipsa. And now, this one.

While the former two were more prophetic and cryptic, this one was much more eventful. The surreal, fantastical nature made it seem as though it couldn't possibly have happened. On the other hand, it lasted drastically longer compared to the others and the traumatic experiences were far too specific to be mere illusions fabricated by an addled adolescent mind.

Maybe it was the darkness talking. Or the stress. Aghh, who even knows anymore?

"Look, can we stop for now? I don't wanna make my brain hurt anymore than it already is." Star humbly requested, hoping to trail off into better spirits to get through the rest of the day. "We should go get some breakfast."

"Oh!" A light bulb flashed above Marco's head as he seemed to have remembered something. "I almost forgot."

Without another word, Marco hopped off the bed and onto the floor. Star only heard rustling noises as he seemed to be searching for something underneath the bed.

"Aha!" He triumphantly remarked as he raised his backpack in the air. He commenced rifing through its contents, taking his hands on a journey to dig for whatever treasure was buried beneath.

Disappointment wiped the hopeful smile on his face as whatever he was looking for seemed to be gone. "Aww man. I think Janna took the cereal I brought when she left."

"Cereal?" She perked up at the prospect of drowning herself in sugary food for the rest of the morning.

"Yeah, you know. Captain Blanche's Sugar Seeds."

"What!? You mean the totally awesome, best cereal ever made, like, ever?" Star gasped as she held her cheeks and smiled from heart to heart. Her expression lowered to that of playful vengeance as she shook a fist in the air. "Ooh, mark my words Janna Banana. As soon as you get back, you'll see the true wrath of a Butterfly when she's deprived of her sugary sweet cereal!"

"Oh, she'll pay for that, all right. I was the one who bought that stuff in the first place!"

Their plots of revenge against their serial thief were interrupted by a short series of knocks on the door.

"Marco?" The muffled voice of Moon resonated from the door, diverting the two teens' attention. "Have you seen Star? She's not in her room."

That motherly, regal voice flipped a switch in Star's brain that drove her to bolt for the door and answer her call as fast as possible. She filled with a hearty blend of relief and elation that brought her heart to move at breakneck speeds.

As the door swung open, Moon wasn't given the chance to utter a single letter before her entire form was affectionately assaulted by her daughter's lean, yet powerful arms.

"Mom! You're alive! Oh my gosh, you're alive, you're alive, you're ali-hi-hiiive!" Star cheered as she gave her mother the biggest bear hug she could manage while simultaneously lifting her off the ground.

"Not... for... long if you... keep this... up." The queen strained as the oxygen was being drained out of her lungs.

"Oop, sorry!" She sheepishly apologized as she released her grasp and let her down. She made a nervous laugh as her mother straightened herself out and checked for any broken bones.

With a clearing of her throat, she spoke. "What was that about me being alive? And I thought we've assuaged all our worries through familial affection just last night."

"Oh uh..." Star really didn't want to bring everything up again. Especially the part where her mom suffered quite the horrific fate. "It's nothing, it's nothing. Just me being weird again. Say, what's for breakfast?"

Moon narrowed her eyes at first, then her face soon loosened up as she accepted that such bizarre behavior was normal for Star. "Speaking of which, I was just about to inform you two that breakfast is ready. Come to the royal dining hall at your earliest convenience."

"We will, mom. Thanks."

Right as Moon was primed to exit, she stopped herself and turned around. "Oh, and Star?"

"Yes?" She tilted her head to the side and flashed an inquisitive look.

"No matter what happens." She put on a concerned, motherly disposition as she spoke. "Please do stay calm and keep your spirits high. It's one of the best we could do in these trying times."

"Yeah yeah. Sure mom, of course. You can count on me!"

Moon's gaze was directed towards the one on the bed. "And Marco?"

"Hm?"

She paused for a moment. Her eyes shifted downwards and she bit her bottom lip. It was made apparent that she was anxious about something, but it was unclear about what.

"Stay close to her." She simply said before she zipped out of view and shut the door.

The two teens shared a confused shrug in response to Moon's sudden advice. While it was most definitely needed, they weren't entirely sure what prompted them. Regardless, they both parted as they dressed up to get some much needed grub.

* * *

As Star and Marco entered the well-lit dining hall, they were greeted with an overbearing, tantalizing aroma of freshly cooked food. Various spices and seasonings filled the air and solidified into a nigh physical force that pulled them ever so closer to one end of the elongated dining room table. River and Moon were sitting in their ornate, velvet seats, both adjacent to one another on one side of the table. A server stood next to a cart carrying four silver platters with their contents concealed beneath silver metal covers. They seemed to be waiting for the kids to take their seats before they commenced indulging in their breakfast.

Star took the seat at the very end while Marco sat nearby to her right. The King and Queen silently nodded at the two of them in greeting, flashing warm smiles as they did so.

In anticipation of imminent deliciousness, Star took a fork in one hand and a knife in the other. Panting and letting her tongue hang like a dog's. Her eyes were hungrily affixed to the platter as it was carried from the cart to the table. Oh, she could just taste it already.

As the server lifted the cover off the platter, Star's pupils dilated and her jaw partially parted in astonishment as she focused on what was being presented before her.

Pepper steak and a couple sunny-side eggs with a hefty heap of creamed corn on the side. She was so enamored by such a hefty, well-made meal that she could barely feel the drool on the edge of falling off the corner of her mouth.

Without giving it a second thought, Star dug right in, stabbing the various portions of food indiscriminately with both of her utensils and noisily gulping down all the pieces she was able to grab. Her mom always disapproved of the way she presented herself at the table, but over the years, she learned to accept it as such an uncouth habit proved far too difficult to break without sending her to St. Olga's. Considering how ravenously and how much Star stuffed her face with as she ate, it was a surprise she hadn't choked on her food with every meal she had.

Her jaw abruptly halted its vigorous efforts when she noticed something quite peculiar about the food in her mouth. It was all... mushy. And not the kind of mushy you get when you chew your food very thoroughly. It was a strange type of texture. A sliminess that you would never find in steak, corn, or even egss. The texture was unrecognizable from the initial several bites. And it tasted kind of...

"Blegh!" Star instantly spat several helpings worth back onto the platter, then stuck her tongue out to air out the suddenly putrid taste. Dropping her utensils, she patted and wrung out her tongue with her hands to assist in getting rid of the awfulness that coated her taste buds and adhered to her tongue. As she looked down upon her plate to see what the deal with her breakfast was, she was startled to see that everything turned into large scoops of black goop.

"My compliments to the chef, amirite?" Smugly spoke a familiar, ghastly voice.

"Wha-" Star's words died in her lips when she noticed that the entire dining hall was completely altered upon looking back up. Save for the brightly lit candlelight, the entire room was nearly pitch black. It was completely dark outside the windows as well, with nary a star or a moon in the sky.

Star could just barely make out large globs of something thick and viscous slowly sliding down every inch of the walls, ceiling, and floor. She wasn't sure what it was, but she was sure that she didn't want to find out. The noxious odor of death and decay filled the air and assualted her nostrils to the point where it triggered her gag reflexes, but wasn't enough to make her vomit. A faint buzzing of flies could be heard from different parts of the room joined by an endless sound of moist squishing and wriggling.

When Star's view came back to the table, she sharply gasped and her face stretched to that of grave horror as her pupils were reduced to dots. Illuminated in the limited field of light, were her parents' and Marco's limp bodies leaning forward in their seats, their eyes hollowed out and their mouths agape. The same black, tar-like substance spewed forth from every orifice on their heads and pooled in their plates and overflowed onto the table.

Without any warning whatsoever, Star found herself buried, from the elbows down, in an adhesive, thick pile of goop. She tried to struggle and squirm her way out, but her efforts were, unsurprisingly, for naught. Despite this, she refused to give in to whatever force was causing this, and she'll be damned if she stopped fighting right then and there. Her resistance ceased when her attention was diverted towards a strange occurrence on the table.

The slime that flowed from the cadavers sitting nearby eventually made a gaping, bubbling puddle directly in front of Star. A large portion of the substance rose from the small pool and grew taller and wider with each passing second. Eventually, it started to mold into some sort of anatomy.

She could see now that it was a slimy, quadrapedal being of about five feet, its entire body constantly dripping with drops of black sludge. Protruding from its rear was a thick tail, about half its body's length, that narrowed towards the tip. Its torso resembled that of an alligator's, though much bulkier in appearance. It seems that this other-worldy creature has some sort of skeletal system, as evidenced by its ribcage sticking out if its underbelly.

As for its limbs, its front legs were more like muscular arms, with opposable fingers and thumbs topped with shiny, white claws. Its equally muscular hind legs were like that of a wolf's and possessed the same style of fingers and claws.

To Star, the head of the beast was the worst part to look at. It looked far too similar to Toffee's, minus the full head of hair. What distinguishes it from the orginal was the size of the skull being considerably larger and the length of the snout being relatively longer. Its smiling lips stretched all the way to the base of its thick neck and it held sharp, serrated teeth that were as white as its claws. It had glowing green compound eyeballs with black reptilian slivers lying beneath. It locked gazes with Star, though its intent could not be interpreted.

"Hello there." It greeted with sort of ironic hospitality. Its voice was low pitched, slightly distorted, and held a constant gurgling that accompanied every spoken syllable. Even with all the vocal alterations, Star could recognize that its voice was a sickening combination of hers and Toffee's.

"H-Hi." She nervously responded. Growing dread and confusion rose up within her the longer she stared at it. "Uh... Who... What are you?"

"How rude. I've been here the whole time and you don't even remember me?" The creature shook its head as it spoke woefully. "Remember the night you first conjured the All Seeing Eye and saw something you wish you hadn't? Then you hurt them afterwards? That was me. I was but a dormant embryo up until that moment where your emotions reached their boiling point. Surely you've also heard me communicating with you and directing your every bloodthirsty action."

Star looked off the side in shame for a moment. The memory of that night felt like poison in her mind when she thought back to it. She faced the monster once again, not satisfied with his response. "That... doesn't really answer my question."

"Really? You still can't tell? Fine then. I'll spoonfeed you. But allow me to answer your question with one of my own." It walked closer to Star, its limbs making gross squashing plops with each step. The tip of its snout was but a scarce few inches from her face, but she didn't flinch once. "Do you like hurting yourself?"

Of course she didn't. Sure, she has done so plenty of times in the past, but not once has she thought that any of them were worthy of fondly remembering. If anything, she ardently desired to be blissfully oblivious to them as they consisted of painful and embarrassing memories and feelings that she wished she could manually delete. The no-brainer nature of the inquiry ignited a fire within her as she firmly and confidently answered. "What kinda question is that? I never liked hurting myself. And frankly, I dunno why you think I do."

"Oh? Hmhmhm." The beast seemed to find her answer as well as its delivery funny in some way. Its eyes narrowed into green slits and its lips curved into a much deeper grin. "But then, why am I here?"

"I..." She was more hesitant on this one, but she still had her answer all the same. "It was Eclipsa! She's the reason why there's darkness in me. And she has to be why you're here, too.

"Weeell, you're not entirely wrong." It snidely remarked, sounding almost playful in a way . It adopted a much more serious tone a second after. "She merely planted a seed. However, it was you who took the unconscious effort to nourish and cultivate it as it aged and grew over time. The culmination of all the negative emotions and suppressed desires that festered within, metamorphosed it into a decision. Then it became a frequent state of consciousness. Now, it's a full-grown, physical manifestation. And later, when you let it, I will take complete control."

Star's fear of the monster standing before her was overshadowed by her growing frustration towards its arrogance. If she wasn't closely stuck to her seat, she'd be more than thrilled to take her wand and magically reduce it to nothing but a puddle. Then it would be silenced for good. "And what makes you so sure I'm gonna let that happen? Huh?"

It was the reptile's turn to look visibly annoyed as it rolled its eyes at her. "I go back to my previous question. Do you like hurting yourself? And the answer is, undeniably, yes. In fact, you thrive on your own suffering. It drives you to do incredible things very few could dream of. And when it desires some sweet release, you act on your most primal desires and impulses and you do what you will and take what you want. Try as you might to deny and push me away, but you just know you can't help but call out to me whenever I'm needed. Especially when you're Dipping Down. That Hobo Stew you're knee deep in whenever you do that? All tainted by me."

Rather than dignify his presumptuous words with a response, Star opted to stare and scowl at this wretched beast as she had already resolved that it was pointless to try and struggle out of her slimy binds or scream for help. Plus, his uncanny visual similarity to Toffee only served to fuel her fury even further.

"I should also thank you for getting rid of that which attempted to cage us for so many years. All those dull, royal "lessons" and the constant threat of St. O's looming over us. I was hoping you'd have gotten rid of her the first time when she threatened Marco, but better late than never, I suppose. Honestly, I've always preferred your father. You take after him, after all."

Star was perplexed at first, but her scowl, along with her anger deepened as soon as she realized what it was referring to.

"Shut up!" She shouted as she rocked in her seat. She had the strong urge to pounce on this deplorable creature and beat it to a pulp with her bare hands.

"Speaking of Marco, It's quite touching how much of yourself you're willing to abandon for his sake. You've already given up an eye and an arm. What will be next, I wonder? In any case, I eagerly await the day you lose him entirely, so that the enumerable anguish that follows will serve as a proper bed for my influence to take hold. Keep him close, Star. Cherish him as much as you can. Before the time invariably comes, may we frolic in the blood and bodies of our enemies as we aim to extinguish the true darkness that blinds us."

"SHU-mmmm-mm-mmm!" Star's last words were suppressed as the thick muck concealed her mouth and deterred any further verbal defiance. Then it rapidly rose to the very tip of her head, swallowing her entire being. As the last bit of candlelight blinked out of view, the muffled laughter of the black serpent faded into deafening silence.


	29. The World We Lost

The horse-drawn carriage rocked and swayed as it made its way towards the Butterfly Kingdom. It was something Janna could do without, but it didn't bother her too much.

To pass the time between treks that went to and from Star's place, Janna swiped some of the secret spells to read just so she didn't succumb to death by boredom. She somewhat regret not going to her house to pack some books before she went on this adventure with Marco, but there's no going back now. None of the books she saw at the bazaar she came from really tickled her fancy, whatsoever. They were either books that weren't in her taste, or they were written in a language she couldn't hope to read in her lifetime. These scribbled notebook pages were the next best thing.

She managed to take the Book of Spells with her as well, in the event that Glossaryck would find it and meet her for their usual conversations about magic and stuff. He never did at any point, but at least she kept it safe just in case anything happened. It's not like it had any use for them at the moment.

"Chainsaw BFG... why would they hide a badass spell like this?" Janna marveled as she scooped handfuls of Captain Blanche's Sugar Seeds with one hand and held a spell page with the other. "I bet Star would love this."

The wooden wagon slowed to a halt, causing Janna's body to slightly lean to the side in response. Realizing this must have been her stop, she packed everything into her black hole beanie.

"Oh Miss Janna." Called out a middle aged lady from the front of the wagon. "We have reached your destination."

With a nod, the girl walked to the front of the carriage, waving goodbye to her fellow passengers along the way. When she got outside, she jumped onto the ground. She turned to express appreciation to her gracious escort. "Hey, thanks a bunch."

"It's my pleasure, young lady." The woman politely remarked. "Sorry we couldn't take you up to the kingdom gates. We have urgent business in another kingdom and we can't afford to be late."

"Eh, don't worry about it." Janna waved dismissively. She began stretching out her back and her arms. "I need some excersise anyways. I think you're doin' me a favor."

The woman lightly chuckled, putting a hand to her lips as she did so. "Alright well, best wishes to you. Give our regards to the Butterfly Family."

"I will. Take care of yerself, now."

And with that, the caravan of wagons continued onward in their cross-country journey, leaving Janna to travel a few miles of grassland on foot back to home base. On the way, she decided to pull another spell page from her hat at random. Luckily, it was something she hadn't read yet.

"'Ten Second Time Skip by Queen Carmina, huh?" Janna read as she walked forward. As she trudged through the meadow, she frequently shifted her head from the page to her path to see where she was going, even though the meadow before her was essentially clear of any obstacles.

She felt a few drops on her nose as the sky above became overcast. Janna was weirded out by the fact that it was clear and sunny just moments ago, but then she resolved to the idea that Mewni's weather was just different from Earth's. It wasn't a heavy rain, it was merely a light, unobstructive drizzle. Still, Janna decided to put away her notebook page and bring out one of Marco's hoodies to keep her from getting drenched. She continued her brisk, merry way, sacrificing entertainment for protection against a potential cold.

Her ears perked up when she heard the faint sound of weapons clashing, explosions, and cries of agony up ahead. Apprehended by fear that the Kingdom might be under siege, she broke into a reckless sprint. Since she had no combat prowess to speak of, she merely wanted to survey whatever the situation was.

When she came up on the edge of a cliff, her expression fell from slight anxiety to complete awe as she gazed upon the events unfolding before her.

A gigantic black and red sperical mass took the place of what should be the Butterfly Groundlands. Janna's heart skipped a beat as she assumed that this was probably something far worse than a conventional attack on the kingdom. She had hoped that Marco, Star, and her family were at least alright.

Removing her hat, she pulled out a pair of binoculars she managed to procur earlier that day. Looking through them, she scanned the area further, searching for the source of all that fighting she heard.

At the base of the magical mass were bodies of various demons littered all over the ground. She wasn't sure whether they were dead or knocked out. Among them were a couple people she recognized. One of them was Tom, Star's demon ex-boyfriend who she first saw in school some time ago. Janna wondered if he always had those red tattoos lining his left arm? She wasn't sure, but she thought they looked pretty cool. Oh right, she thought. It must've been the Devil Hand they told her about before.

She remembered that Star spoke earlier about how he was possibly working for their primary enemy, Toffee. If it wasn't confirmed then, it's definitely confirmed now.

Seeing the other person standing right next to him filled her with an overwhelming feeling of surprise followed by confusion.

"Jackie?" Janna said to herself. She was aghast at how such a chill girl like her could possibly involve herself in all this. Especially when she seems to be working with Tom, and by extension, Toffee. "What the hell are you doing here, girl?"

The two seem to be arguing about something, made apparent by Tom sitting on the ground and angrily chewing on an apple while yelling at Jackie. The latter was standing up, making rebuttals and pointing at the distance. Janna could see that the two sustained numerous injuries as there were cuts and bruises all over them. They both looked to be way better off than the demons that were laying about the ground, at least. It was an even bigger surprise that Jackie herself seemed to be stronger than the huge, monstrous dudes around her.

Eventually, Jackie pulled out a pair of daggers and slashed at the air, creating a red-orange portal. She pointed at them while speaking down at Tom, likely urging him to get in.

"Weird. I thought all the portals were shut down." Janna commented. "And where'd she get those sick _Tanto_? Man, I have so many questions. Hope she won't try to kill me if we run into her."

With a visible sigh, Tom swallowed the rest of his apple. He stood back on his feet, dusting himself off as he did so. Jackie walked into the spacial rift, followed by Tom. Janna briefly wondered if those two were having a fling even though Jackie was already dating Marco. On one hand, she had hoped that that wasn't the case as it would probably crush Marco if he knew his gf was fooling around with Star's ex. On the other hand, Janna would at least have less competition for the Marco bowl. Though, with Jackie out of the picture, Star was almost guaranteed success in that regard. Eh, she'll keep trying anyways, just like always.

A resounding, indescribable noise pierced the air as something tore out of the gigantic, ethereal sphere. Several people riding on a large black horse were galloping full speed ahead towards Janna's position. She saw that one of them was a dude in full, skeleton-style armor with a skull shaped helm and another was a skinny lady with long purple pigtails. She noticed two other passengers riding behind them, but their bodies were slumped over and facing down, with one of them completely naked. She gasped when she recognized who they were.

"What the hell...?" She whispered to herself as countless questions began surging through her mind. All this information overload within a few minutes was too much for her adolescent mind to accurately parse and rationalize as it made her head ache just trying to find the answers to all the whats, whys, and hows.

The horse as well as its passengers disappeared right as they reached the base of the cliff she was standing on. However, the quickening sound of clopping hooves grew louder and louder with each passing second.

Janna was knocked on her rear when the horse and its numerous passengers jumped right in front and directly over her. She sat there, stunned and startled.

Rather than ruminate in her confusion, Janna made an effort to call out to them before they got any further. "Heeeyyyy! Waaaiiit!"

Fortunately, she managed to get their attention. The horse stopped on a dime, then turned around almost as fast. They didn't make any attempts to go back for her, which forced her to run several yards to initiate the meeting.

"What is it, citizen?" The woman asked as soon as Janna stopped right beside them. "We're on urgent business right now, and we can't tarry any longer."

"Wha-what's going on? Where are you taking my friends?" Janna asked with great, wide-eyed concern. She became mortified when she noticed that Star was missing half of her left arm and the other one was covered in dark purple. "Oh my god... Star... Marco..."

The woman and her companion shared a brief, inquisitive look. They seemed to be wordlessly deciding the next course of action in light of this stranger seeming to have a relationship with the two they were taking with them.

"If you are acquainted with these two, then would you like to accompany us?" The knight asked. His deep, echoing voice sent a chill down Janna's spine as he spoke. She was beginning to think that his "helmet" was actually his head now that she had a closer look.

"Uh... s-sure." Janna was reluctant, but certain at the same time. If something bad happened to the Butterfly Kingdom that prompted this rescue of two of its protectors, then surely wherever they were going had to be safe from it all.

Before Janna knew it, she was dragged by the shirt and placed right onto the steed. She sat directly in front of the knight to whom the horse presumably belonged to. With a raise of its front hooves, the horse shot forward at full speed ahead, going far beyond the limits of any vehicle she's ever been in.

* * *

The sound of loudly running water slowly pulled Star out of the clutches of an abyssal slumber. Her view slowly flickered in and out as she struggled to adjust to the brightly illuminated room she found herself in. A groan in frustration acted as a response towards the annoying prospect of having to get up from a sleep she wished would last forever.

It was an uphill battle to get up from where she was resting. Though, now that she delved deeper in the realm of awakening, she realized that she was laying upon a cold, solid floor covered up to her neck in a scratchy, wool blanket. Her upper body strained to rise as a dull pain surged through every fiber of her being with every slight movement.

As her senses came to her, she became keenly aware that, beneath her green dress, was a layer of bandages that wrapped around the entirety of her torso. She could also feel that the entire left side of her head was also covered in bandages.

She tried to raise her left hand to feel for the bandages on her face.

Only to gasp in horror at the realization that she no longer had a left hand. Or even a left forearm, for that matter. What remained was just a bandaged stump.

When she moved her only whole arm to feel what was left of its dismembered counterpart, she felt a sharp burning sensation on her right arm. That too was bandaged, though it stopped just a finger's length away from the base of her shoulder. Star noticed thin, purple veins rising from where the bandages ended.

Star's anxiety escalated when she felt the absence of a left eyeball, which made clear to her why her face was gauzed in the first place.

While an enumerable amount of questions and concerns whirled around in her mind, she had to answer one that was first and foremost in her mind. Where the heck was she?

As she scanned her surroundings, she could see that it was a single, large circular room with white walls covered in moss and other plant life. Looming over the room was a a stain glass ceiling of varying shades of purple with a large gem at its very core. She was weirded out when she saw a bunch of giant statues and structures resembling Glossaryck of various sizes lining the room. What took up about half of the room was a large pond in the middle, with a towering structure that looked like some sort of well. In front of said structure were three gigantic pink flowers.

Her eye managed to catch sight of Janna, who was sitting at the edge of the pond with her legs dipped in the water as she read something out of a notebook page.

"Janna?" Star's voice was strained and low, but she managed to catch the girl's attention all the same.

"Star! You're awake!" She cheered as she practically jumped out of her seat and ran straight for her magical princess friend. She didn't think twice before giving her a warm, worried hug.

"Ow, ow, ow, easy there." Star protested, her body burning slightly with pain as her gal pal's arms were wrapped around her. "Everything still hurts."

"Oh right. Sorry about that." Janna parted with a sheepish laughter, realizing that her friendly gesture was hurting more than it was helping. "So uh, I have soooo many questions right now."

"You think I don't?" Star sharply remarked. "Before you say anything, I just wanna know where I am."

"Some kind of... Sanctuary. Y'know, where fears and lies melt away. Been here for about three days now."

"Three days!?"

"Yeah dude." Janna casually shrugged. "What the hell happened with you guys anyways?"

Star's face instantly fell to that of unprecedented horror when the memory of everything that occured prior rapidly flooded into her mind and polluted her being with all the trauma and turmoil that followed. She began to feel as though she was on the verge of cardiac arrest. Her breathing went wild and her pupil bounced all over her eyeball.

"Whoa whoa, easy Star, easy." Janna held her by the shoulders in an attempt to stabilize her. "You're safe now, ok? You have been for the past few days. Let's just stop and think things through for a sec, all right?"

While her words did little to actually alleviate the anguish she felt within, her breathing and her heartbeat eased up over time. She took a lengthy, silent moment to gather all of her thoughts, to which Janna respectfully provided. So much happened in so little time, that it all condensed and congealed into a thick glob in her addled mind. However, within that huge, unkempt ball of grief and confusion, one question and concern stood out from all the rest.

Now it was Star's turn to hold Janna by the shoulder. Her left arm attempted to do what her right arm achieved, as she hasn't yet adjusted to her recently afflicted monoplegia. Star gazed into Janna's eyes with such frightening determination and visible turmoil that it made the latter recoil beneath her tightening grip and overbearing emotional aura. The newly appointed Mewni Queen quietly and sternly spoke with an unclouded, yet stress-filled voice.

"Where's. Marco?"

"I... uhh..." Janna's eyes darted back and forth as she was seized with hesitation. Star couldn't tell if it was because she was intimidated or because she didn't know how to express the answer. Or a combination of the two. Regardless, her reluctance only served to put her at further unease.

"Well?" Star was approaching the point of dislocating Janna's shoulder.

Her face was contorted in a pained expression as she tried to endure almost sharing Star's single-limbed fate. Rather than urge her to stop, she merely pointed behind her, her voice straining through the agony. "Behind... the waterfall."

Immediately, Star released her constricting grasp and broke into a sprint right past her. She came upon a waterfall that was constantly streaming from the gaping maw of a stone Glossaryck adhered to the wall.

Behind it, as mentioned, was the laying, unconscious body of her beloved Marco who was covered up to his shoulders in a blanket. She knelt by his side, a clashing blend of grief and relief washing over her as she stared at his sleeping face.

She noticed that he didn't seem to be breathing. In fact, his entire body was completely frozen, like a statue.

Or a corpse.

With alarm electrifying her nerves, she frantically put her ear to his chest. Her heart sunk to unfathomable depths and she felt suffocated as she began to quietly hyperventilate. Tears welled up in her eyes and fell down her face as the agony that seared within drove them to flow endlessly. She took a few moments to quietly sniffle and allow her tears and her despair to pool on Marco's body.

Janna managed to catch up, still holding her sore left shoulder. She seemed to be at a loss for any more words or decisions. It was debilitating to see what became of her friends as a result of some horrible experience she still knew next to nothing about.

"Hey, look." Janna began, looking off to the side and rubbing her arm. "I know what you're thinking. And-"

Her sentence was abruptly cut off when a yellow blur zipped right past her in the blink of an eye, moving her clothes with its blinding speed. Next thing Janna knew, she heard the door to the Sanctuary slam shut, hard enough to shake everything within the confines of the building.

* * *

Despite the fact that she was blinded by grief, Star managed to successfully jump across the stepping stones that floated over the deep lake without even thinking about it. Once she reached the shore, she tore into the dense forest ahead, with no destination or purpose in sight as she screamed and cried into the night.

Animals that were once minding their own business were instantly forced to disperse as this sprinting adolescent cut a frenzied swathe through their homes and hangouts. With her view obfuscated by all the leaves and brush in her face, her own burning tears, and her bottomless anguish, Star was unaware of where she was going, but managed to subconsciously dodge every tree and rock that threatened to collide with or stumble her. She was incapable of feeling all the branches and brambles in her path that either reopened old wounds or made new ones. At some point, her face bandages hit a snag and were completely removed, revealing a left eye that was constantly shut. The same fate happened to the bandages on her right arm, as its purple, veiny skin was now bared to the elements.

As she made her melancholic marathon, memories forced their way to the forefront of her view and plagued her mind, fueling the fires of her frenzy even further. Like a slideshow, memories of her mother began playing back in her mind, filling her vision with images of every cherished moment they shared, her body assaulted by overwhelming waves of nostalgia.

The very first thing she saw was the memory of when she first opened her eyes upon being first brought into this world. The one comforting sight was the tranquil, loving eyes of her mother, peering down at her and smiling while carefully cradling her infant form in her arms. Despite having first met at that very moment, she could already feel that they both loved and cherished one another from the very beginning, possibly before she was even a thought. It shifted to countless other memories with her mother, most notably those where she always chastised her out of love and concern for her well being. During those times, Star always saw her mother as frigid, stiff, stifling, and controlling. She realized now that everything she did was for her benefit, advancement, and safety and the revelation that she took all of it for granted only loudened her cries and quickened her pace.

Once every thought of her mother came to pass, she started seeing fleeting visions of Marco, all the way from the very first time they met. Every moment flashed by, electrifying her with each and every image that blinked into view. Every school day, every interdimensional adventure, every experience, every smile, every laugh, every intimate contact, every disagreement, every awkward moment, every reconciliation, every failure, every success, every concern. Just about every moment where she so much as even sees or think about him went by. All of it culminated in the overpowering feelings she had for him prior, which then descended and turned into the suffocating despair she feels now. Indeed, it seems that the two people that were pertinent to her growth as well as her stability were truly and utterly gone.

Star was forcibly dragged back to reality when a small portion of the ground beneath her collapsed right before she was about to make a subconscious leap across a chasm. She ended up tumbling all the way down to a rather deep ravine, landing hard on her back. The cliffs that loomed over her were around double her height, so it didn't prove too difficult to climb back up and resume her run.

However, not a single iota of a thought about resuming, climbing, or even getting to her feet grazed her mind. She just laid there, blankly peering up at the clear, evening sky, her eyes now clear of tears, but devoid of any emotion as she seemed to have expunged the last bit of both before falling.

The illusory forms of Toffee and Eclipsa came into view out of nowhere, each standing on one side of the ravine. Looking down on her with insidiously smug expressions. Smiling at her. Judging her. Mocking her. Provoking her.

Star's face contorted into that of scorching scorn as she grit and bore her teeth. Volatile rage bubbled and boiled within her, then erupted from her body in the form of an agonizing, sound barrier-shattering scream that could be heard all throughout Mewni. Was it a cry for help? A much-needed expression of all her accumulated emotions? A wordless declaration of war? Perhaps it was all three and then some.

Star's body shot up as she felt a sharp, lasting pain on the back of her neck. When she put a couple fingers to it, she felt blood trickling from that intricate scar on her flesh.

Before she could further mull over her concerns, she heard a cacophony of unintelligible whispers flanking her at both sides. When her view shifted from left to right, she saw, approaching from a moderate distance, a group of what appeared to be translucent spirits of various sizes, shapes, colors and anatomies, though none of them surpassed the size of the average mewman.

"Finally, a branded body..." She heard one of them say.

"Ours for the taking..." Hissed another.

"Delicious, delicious flesh..."

Self-preservation took hold of her, and Star shot up to her feet and attempted to clamber up the small cliff in front of her. However, her unfocused, frantic movements in addition to having only one arm made it difficult, and she ended up falling back down on her rear. Self-preservation soon gave way to hopelessness, forcing Star to sit up against the cliff and tightly hug her legs and burying her face in her knees, bracing herself for whatever fate these apparitions intended to bring upon her.

For an instant, permeating the gradually loudening whispers, was a distinct, clacking thud directly in front of her. Stirred by the strange, sudden noise, Star dug her face from her knees and peered at the source.

Her wand was just sitting at her feet, seeming to have dropped out of thin air. However, that didn't seem to be the case as she saw, much to her contrasting shock and relief, the floating, arm-crossing diminutive form of her assigned mentor.

"Glossaryck..." It was unclear whether it was a call or a self-serving validation of the fact that he actually showed up after all this time.

"Don't just stand there and gawk at me, kid! Climb. Climb!" He vaguely commanded as he threw up his arms.

Confused by his words as she always had been, Star instinctively grabbed the wand and shot up to her feet. Instead of heeding his seemingly straighforward demand, she took up a defensive stance as she tightly held onto her wand for dear life.

With self-preservation flooding back into her at full force, Star opened fire upon the lecherous phantoms that drew near. With each green, lethal blast making contact, their transparent forms dissipated into the ether. She started to take notice that, there seemed to be a much larger group of spirits than she realized. They filled the entirety of the chasm she was trapped in, leaving nary any space to breath or even escape despite the fact that she could see right through them. She wouldn't even have time to climb back up to higher ground, as they narrowed the distance quickly with their greater numbers.

Regardless, Star remained undaunted by their numbers as she blasted at them all the same, rapidly switching sides as she did so to better even her odds.

Unfortunately, her efforts to disperse the entire horde failed to bear success, as many of them managed to surpass an arm's length. They began to trap and enclose around her, their bodies clinging to hers in an attempt to immerse themselves into her being and possess her.

She could feel it. The smaller of them wriggled themselves into her legs and the taller of them tried to wrap themselves around her in some sort of ghostly embrace. She could feel the walls of her soul being penetrated by their presence. They were threatening to make her lose even more of herself than she already had. To reach the core of her very being and turn her into something she wasn't and never wanted to be. A hollow vessel for unwanted intruders. A puppet to their whims. A slave to the fate falsely preordained for her.

"NO!" With a wide, forceful spreading of her arms and arching of her back, Star exerted a black, hazy explosion that engulfed the entirety of the chasm, instantly melting away all the spirits around her, leaving not a single trace of ectoplasm behind. Silence dawned upon the entire area as the choir of whispers and murmurs ceased entirely. What could only be heard now was the varying chitters and calls of the surrounding wildlife and Star's steady, growling pants.

"WHO ELSE WANTS SOOOME!? HUH!? COME UP AND GET MEEE!" Star shouted at the apex of her vocal range. A provocation to all who dwelled within every plane of existence who wished her harm and subjugation. She pointed her wand at every direction, hoping to strike down whoever or whatever drew near. Her aim was then directed towards Glossaryck, his constant neglect and absence serving to fuel her ire towards him.

"If you're gonna point that thing at me, then you better pray you hit your mark." He gravely spoke. "Otherwise, drop it. Fight's over for now."

Glossaryck's uncharacteristically threatening attitude was enough to quell the fury that blazed within Star. Her enraged expression gradually fell into that of tired melancholy and she slowly withdrew her wand. The exhaustion from all of her running and fighting off spirits caught up to her, and she leaned against the cliff base behind her, then she slid her body down into a sitting position. Her head was hung in depressed silence.

The magical mentor, certain that all the fight was drained out of her, floated to the bottom of the ravine and sat right beside her. He didn't find it in himself to say anything either, but he knew she wouldn't keep quiet forever.

"Everyone's gone... dead..." She woefully lamented as she shook her head. "Mom... Marco..."

"I'm sorry about your mom, kiddo. Really, I am." He apologized, trying his best to be as comforting as possible. He seemed genuinely dismal himself that one of his former students as well as the Queen of Mewni passed away. Despite the fact that he's had countless queens under his tutelage by this point, it never got any easier for him whenever their time came. But as nature intended, he must look to the future rather than get dragged down by the past. "I genuinely wished things could've gone differently and she'd still be here. But things happen that go way beyond anyone's control and, next thing y'know, you've lost something very important to you. All we can do right now is remain ourselves and keep looking forward. Keep on truckin', y'know?"

She didn't respond nor even move. She continued wallowing in her own wordless misery.

"But you still have Marco at the very least." He tried to raise some modicum of optimism to keep her from falling to deeper depths of despair. "There's hope for all of us yet."

"Didn't you hear me?" That got a response out of her. She stared at her mentor with misty eyes and narrowed lips. "I said he was dead."

"Well, that's pretty insulting to him."

Now confusion was added to her bitter mix of anguish and pain. Her compressed expression widened slightly. "Wha- what do you mean?"

Glossaryck raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her. As if to tell her that she's being irrational and she should know better by now. Realizing that she isn't going to get it anytime soon, he decided to give it to her straight.

"Star, Marco isn't dead."


	30. A Life to Regain, A Life Worth Disdain

Agonizing wails and strained groans resounded from the Royal Bedchambers. Somebody was under an overwhelming amount of excruciating pain and pressure. The type that she hasn't felt in what seemed like eternities by this point. A feeling she never thought she would experience ever again. It was awful. It gave her a disdainful sense of weakness and inferiority. First, that unforeseen surprise attack, now this.

"Lady Eclipsa." Toffee called out from behind the door. "I sensed great anguish coming from here. Frankly, I thought you were beyond such mortal trifles. But regardless, are you all right?"

"Y...yess..." She was lying. The pressure only increased as the thin veil that attempted to obscure the truth tore itself apart, not unlike what the pain was doing to her currently. She let out a brief, strained scream that signified the relieving end of whatever ailed her.

"Lady Eclipsa!" Toffee barged in the room, uninvited, but full of concern for his superior's well-being. Bafflement was plastered all over his face as he bore witness to the gruesome, messy sight before him.

The Dark Queen held herself up on all fours, not unlike that of a dog. She panted and sweat profusely as she stood over a congealing puddle of her own blood. A seemingly forgotten part of her that she also never thought to see in her infinite lifetime.

"What happened?" The Apostle asked, still shaken by this unseemly scene.

She didn't dignify his question with a response right away. She wobbled to her feet, her body threatening to collapse any second now.

Stabilizing her movements and clearing her throat, she hardened in her stone cold composure and spoke. "Just realizing one of the many errors of mortality is all."

Toffee raised an eyebrow. She may be some sort of deity, but even he, being many steps below her in power and hierarchy, could see that she was concealing something under the guise of a vaguely spoken derogatory statement against that which she had abandoned long ago.

"Well I-" Toffee was cut off when he managed to catch sight of something sliding past his feet. It went by at such blinding speed that he was unable to interpret its form or shape, but he was able to see it slip through the doors.

"Um. What was that?" He curiously inquired, pointing towards the door.

"It would seem a new player has joined this little game." She ambiguously remarked. Like always, Toffee wasn't sure whether she was pleased, surprised, or even frustrated. "I cannot tell where its loyalties lie. However, what I can say is that things just might get a little..."

"Interesting?"

Eclipsa's cold gaze turned to her cohort, though he seemed to be undaunted by it this time around. He could just barely make out the slightest raising of each corner of her mouth.

"Oh Toffee." She said, almost playfully and flirtatiously. "Understudies aren't supposed to steal a leading lady's lines while she's still onstage."

* * *

"What do you mean, he's 'not dead'?" Star suddenly found herself standing over her irksome teacher. She didn't even notice that she was, as her apprehension momentarily numbed her to her own actions. "I confirmed it myself. He wasn't breathing and his heart didn't go thump-thump even once. Whaddya call that, Glossaryck?"

He didn't say anything. Instead, he put a six-fingered hand to his cranial jewel and shook his head. He was exasperated as his student, once again, exemplifies the folly of her constant brashness. Immortal or no, he was getting too old for this shit.

"Ok, look." He put his hand down and relaxed. He took on a firm voice as he elaborated. "I get that you might've thought he kicked the bucket when you took only a few seconds to check his heart rate. I also understand that you both've been through a horrifically traumatic experience and your mind is uncontrollably racing racing right now. But you really need to take a moment to stop and think things through. If he was actually dead, do you think we would've kept his body rather than, oh I dunno, give it a proper burial or cremate it like normal mewman beings?"

Star was about to raise a finger to refute, but then immediately dropped it and removed the argument she kept in the chamber. She then put that same finger beneath her chin as she, as he so graciously advised, thought it through. However, one thing still didn't make sense.

"Then how come he had no heart rate or wasn't breathing?"

"Well that's the thing. He _did_ have a heart rate and he was still breathing. Just... really, really faint and slowed down to the point of being imperceptible to the bare senses. He also still had some brain wave activity, but you wouldn't have been able to detect that."

Star became absolutely elated upon hearing that Marco was still alive. A bright, wide smile stretched from heart mark to heart mark. She started to hyperventilate, which eventually turned into a celebratory, yet almost manic laughter. Glossaryck was getting visibly uncomfortable, his body fidgeting. Yeesh, he thought. She really has it bad.

Serious mode returned after a few moments. "Ok, you're doing that again. You're jumping all the way to the conclusion without walking up to it first. Keep it in your pants, kid."

Her fit of frenzy slowed to a stop as an immediate response. Even though she wanted to celebrate further, she realized that she needed to learn when to poop her own party when things needed to get real. So she decided to sit down, criss-cross applesauce and give him her full, silent, undivided attention.

"All right, so." Glossaryck began, taking a hefty breath to prep himself. "As I've mentioned, Marco is far from dead. However, he isn't exactly... alive either. He's in a really weird place in between both physically and spiritually. You following me so far?"

Star merely peered at her lecturing teacher with an expression that could only be described as blank focus which belied her confusion. "Not really, but keep going."

Rolling his eyes, he continued. "So, whatever mind-breaking experience you had during that whole disaster just three days ago, it kinda... well... actually, before I continue, you ever notice how, ever since he got his God Hand, Marco gets these sudden bouts of confidence that you don't really see very often?"

Star took a moment to mull it over. She remembered only one, distinct moment where that happened during these past few days. "Yeah, once. I dunno if you found out, but just a few days ago, this huuuge and angry dragon with swords for arms just came stomping into the kingdom."

"Yeah, I've been told. Rayverns are no joke. Just ask Solaria." Glossaryck dryly stated. "Good work finding those secret spells, by the way. A lot of them are far too dangerous to leave with just anybody, but I knew they'd come in handy someday. Though, I'm surprised you managed to unstick a lot of the pages. All that syrup didn't come cheap, y'know. But do go on."

"Uh huh. Well, long story short, we were all standing on the highest balcony, trying to survey the situation. Me, Marco, Janna and..." Star lingered. A lasting grimace burned onto her face, but it eventually loosened up as she choked the words out of her mouth. "Mom... were running around like headless chickens thinking of a way to get rid of it. Then, out of nowhere, Marco got this crazy idea of jumping off the balcony and fighting the dragon himself. He seemed... so sure that he'd be fine and he did it without even thinking about it either. I was so scared, I thought he was gonna kill himself. What did his arm do that made him willing to risk his life like that? Never in a million years would he do something like that. Well, in his current age at least."

"Yeah, so the God Hand -er, Marco's arm, not those jerkwads you 'met' days ago- as well as its counterpart are weapons that scale with its user, in terms of combat capabilities as well as mental capacity. So basically, it's about as powerful as you are. But as you develop and gain experience along with it, you yourself gain a much greater growth in power and psychological stability than what is usual for mortals. Though neither Hand will ever allow its host to become more powerful or mentally unstable than they're able to handle. So they're in a constant balancing act whenever they're attached to someone."

"So what you're saying is, whenever Marco's stressed and about to freak out, his Hand does its best to pretty much be his therapist and keep him together?"

"Eeyup. But, considering the overloading amount of trauma and torture overwhelming him during that Sorta-Eclipse, it proved way more than his Hand was able to cope with. So not only did he end up with a shattered, fragmented mind and a body that's teetering on the edge of actual death, but the potently spiritual nature of the Hand forced his astral self out of his, well, physical self. Kinda as a fail-safe when both the arm and its user are pushed beyond their limits."

"Er, and that meeaans...?"

"His soul is drifting somewhere, Star. Lost and without a body." He spared no subtlety.

Star bit her bottom lip and her eyes became shifty as the true gravity of the situation crushed her heart and her spirit. She remained unresponsive and wordless, taking a moment to come to grips with everything he said. Especially that last sentence.

However, something ignited within Star in that very same instant. It turned out to be neither anger or anguish. But hope. Because the word "soul" reminded her of something that was bestowed upon them some time ago. A time where, for but a fleeting second, the two were bound not only by a singular, pivotal moment, but an other-worldly celestial body that basked their entranced, dancing forms beneath its scarlet luminescence.

"The Blood Moon!" Without prior warning, the words shot out of Star's mouth and nearly echoed into the evening night, briefly overpowering the sounds of nature surrounding them. She was practically jumping in place. "I can still save him. I can bring his soul back. It's bound to mine, Glossaryck! It's bound to mine!"

"Er, I was eventually getting to that, but it's good that you're ahead of the script." He complimented. He was genuinely surprised that she caught on way before he even got to bring it up. Still, she was farther ahead than they needed at the moment and he wanted to run it back a bit. "Yeah, you got part of the solution already and I'm proud that ya did. But it won't be as simple as tugging a rope and bringing him back here by pulling hard enough."

"So what do I gotta do then? Just name it, and I'll do it." Star was beyond eager to get this started and bring her beloved back to the realm of the completely living. Much so that she crawled right up to her teacher and nearly touched his face with hers.

"Whoa whoa, slow it down." He pushed her away, not fond of the narrow space she was giving him at the moment. "At least lemme clear up some misconceptions about the phenomenon before we dig any deeper, yeah?"

She arched in inquisitive eyebrow for a second, but quickly relented and sat right back down.

"First off, that whole 'bind two souls' thing? It's actually a lot more complicated than that. Idiots decided to romanticize and water down the whole thing, downplaying its power and perpetuating this straight lie for like, hundreds of years. Also, it doesn't occur every 667 years, it occurs every 252 years. They told everyone "667" because one, to get past the censors, and two, it sounded cooler. No demon in this dimension has ever lived even half that long. If that were the case, then Angra Lucitor wouldn't even need an heir, now would he?"

"Glossaryck, get to the point." Star rushed, not interested in hearing his crotchety old man act.

"Right right, sorry." Realizing the error of his ways, he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "It's just that continuing and passing down falsehood like that for generations and eons is pretty much my third biggest pet peeve. Anyways, where was I?"

"Blood Moon. More to it than just binding souls." Star rapidly recapped, with nary an emotion evident in her tone.

"Oh yeah, yeah." Glossaryck cleared his throat before delving deeper into detail. "So, when they say it 'binds souls' they're assuming that your souls have immediately become one as soon as the moon hits you both. Which is definitely not the case. Not right away, at least. What it actually does, is create an ethereal string that connects your astral bodies, aka souls, to one another. If your physical and emotional connection is strong enough, the strings will embolden and pull your souls ever so closer until they actually unite into one astral being. You won't notice it at first, as it's a purely spiritual thing. Though, your consciousness may overlap and you may share thoughts and actions from time to time."

Star raised a finger and was on the verge of shooting a question, which ended up getting shot down in an instant as Glossaryck raised a six-fingered hand in halt.

"And yes Star, I know what you're thinking. 'Oh, am I fated or forced to love Marco, then?' And the answer is no. Whatever feelings you have for each other are purely your own, unaffected and unaltered. As I've mentioned, the full effect of the Blood Moon is based on your mutual affinity to one another. If there's no connection between either of you whatsoever, then its light wouldn't do a thing to you. Connections made by the moon may also be severed if both parties lose interest or something like that."

Star's finger withdrew and her parted lips shut. She couldn't help but smile at herself after that confirmation sent a wave of joy and relief throughout her entire body.

She perked up again when another question climbed up her throat. Though, she was a lot more coy about this one as she subtly smirked and fidgeted in her seat.

"Sooo, how's my connection with Marco?"

Glossaryck couldn't help but roll his eyes and grin at how she presented the question in such a juvenile fashion. However, he understood that she was a teenage girl, and such information was like gold to someone like her.

"Oof, one of the strongest I've ever seen, if I'm being honest with ya kid."

Star felt her heart go aflutter and her cheeks heat up as the hearts glowed a deeper, darker pink. Hope burned even brighter in her heart as it seemed as though she would be able to bring Marco back to his former self without a hitch.

"Buuut... there is one problem that might make the recovery and repair process... complicated."

Star heard a glass shatter within as her giddy optimism melted into slight wariness. "What... whaddya mean?"

He wasn't sure how to break it to the poor girl. He perceived that she was gradually raising her hopes up to nigh unreachable lengths, but he knew he had to ground her eventually. It was a shame, because such hope was scarce during times like these and taking away that tiny modicum stung him with a bit of guilt.

"So uh, yeah. Don't think I haven't noticed your... missing parts."

Star became self-conscious as she hadn't even given her missing eye and arm a single thought up until he pointed it out. "What about 'em?"

Rather than verbally respond, Glossaryck instead gravitated towards her face, causing her to instinctively flinch as he shortened the distance to a near hair's length.

"Star, I'm gonna hafta look into your eye socket. Don't question it, just let me do this. And do try your very best not to move either, ok?"

Star swallowed hard. She didn't know what he was going to do or why. But then again, this was business as usual for him. There were numerous decisions he made that were baffling to even think about and even more baffling to see that they turned out somewhat favorably somehow. She never knew if he was like this with the other queens preceding her or if these ambiguous methods were an educational adjustment to her personality and approach to life. With this in mind, she gave him an assured nod as she allowed her teacher to do what was necessary. It would be like a regular visit to the doctor. If your doctor was a floating, tiny blue man who was almost never straightforward in his interactions and left everything to predetermined chance.

Glossaryck carefully pinched the bottom of her shut eyelid. He seemed to be taking a few moments to brace himself, lingering on in immobility and silence for a few moments.

Star was getting pretty unnerved as Glossaryck was never one to hesitate whenever he did anything. Unless it was because he was lazy or wanted to stuff his face with junk food first. But this was a different kind of reluctance. One that signified a looming fear that filled his being with dread. A feeling that wouldn't normally brush a cosmic entity such as he.

He quickly lifted her eyelid, creating the thinnest sliver, just to frantically close it shut. The floating mentor backed away, his lips puckered and his face contorted in some stressful grimace.

"Dear, sweet Neptune..." He gravely spoke, his voice just barely above a whisper.

"What? What didja see?" Inner turmoil began creeping its way into Star as well, though it didn't match whatever Glossaryck was seized with.

"Ho ho, kid if you're seeing me. _Me._ Freaking out over this, do you think you'd be able to handle it any better? Please, for the love of all that is pure and holy in the world, do not open that eye under any circumstances."

Morbid curiosity were at odds with concern over her own well-being as Star ruminated over the unknown results of her teacher's examination. If an immortal being like Glossaryck, who's certainly seen and experienced all there was to see and experience in the known universe, is getting frightened over what he barely saw in her eye, then a mortal like Star would probably never even dream of scrubbing it out of her memory for the rest of her life.

"Oh goodness, ok. Ok. How are we gonna do this..." Glossaryck's whispered musings trailed off into incoherent mumbling as he paced/floated back and forth, which did nothing to lessen the stress that apprehended her just moments ago. It reminded her of how her Mom, the former apex of calm and composure, seemed to have lost it when the God Hand was stolen. Speaking of which.

"Hey Glossaryck, why were the God Hand and Devil Hand made?" Star asked, hoping to direct his attention to another subject to put aside his concerns for the time being.

It seemed to have worked as the floating blue man's attitude made a nearly instant 180 as he went from freaking out to prepping for another lecture within the blink of an eye. Heh heh.

"Well, technically they're both called God Hands." He explained, only adding further confusion. "They used to be named as the Right God Hand and the Left God Hand. But over time, we delegated to calling the right one just the 'God Hand' and the other one the 'Devil Hand'. Which made things slightly easier, I guess."

"Uh, you didn't-"

"Hear me out, because the names explain their primary purpose." He urged, pushing his palms forward in a "slow down" motion. "Rarely does anyone but me remember this, but they were made to fight against the source of this whole mess in the first place. The one thing they were named after. As a spiteful act of defiance."

"The guys that put this Brand on me." Star angrily added, grimacing as she rubbed the mark.

"Specifically Void, that big-headed prick." Glossaryck's ire took Star off guard for a moment. She couldn't remember a time where he harbored any sort of animosity towards anyone. In fact, he said it himself that he doesn't have a side. But it was made clear now that he's definitely against the God Hand and everything they stood for. "'Wise man' my blue behind. He's better off opening up a tattoo shop in the deepest depths of the Abyss. Deplorable piece of-"

"Glossaryck." She wanted him to cool off as she loathed to see what would happen if he truly went over the edge with anger. She flashed an inquisive look at him, as if to wordlessly ask, "What's your beef with him, bro?"

Reading her expression perfectly without so much as a second thought, he spoke. "Yeah no, now's not the time to get me started on that horrible excuse of a cosmic being. We'd be here forever, and I know you're not getting any younger. Hell, I think these recent days have taken a few years off of you by now. Especially since you're currently Branded."

"Yeah, so this thing attracts ghosts n' stuff now?" She asked, pointing towards the back of her neck.

"Yup. The 'and stuff' would be the Apostles you've certainly encountered in the Not-Eclipse. Y'know, those things with limbs, tits, and scrotums in every place but where they should be."

"Ugh, don't remind me." Star shuddered, the images of the more abhorrent of them burned into her brain. "I mean, I get that it attracts those things, because that brainy dude said so, but how does it attract ghosts? I've never even seen a single one till just recently."

Glossaryck rubbed his chin as his gaze shifted upwards, perhaps gathering the right words and expressions to explain this in a way she could understand.

"So imagine, if you will..." Glossaryck began, making a simultaneous chopping motion with his hands. yourself walking along a beach. One side of you is walking along the sand, which represents the physical realm that you're sitting in right now, with Mewni and all the dimensions in existence. And everything along the shores and beyond are things you can perceive and normally interact with. You followin'?"

Star nodded. "And I'm guessing the other side of me has my feet in the water. Very cold water. Brrr-rrr." She shivered as she remembered one of the beach days she's had in the past. "What does that represent?"

"Well, it's a very, very vast ocean. So vast, there's no end to it. And you have no idea what's beneath and when it'll jump out at ya. But they'll keep coming at you and try to nibble on your toes since your feet are eternally submerged as long as you have that Brand. That ocean represents the Astral Realm or the Realm Beyond or whatever you wanna call it. It's a mysterious, endless expanse that lies beyond the Multiverse we're familiar with. And you, my young Queen, are forever living in the Interstice, the space between these two Realms. The shoreline. Where the dead and the living meet n' greet. The only place where beings like the God Hand can exist other than the Astral Realm they hang out in on a regular basis. Right now, Marco's incorporeal body is floating aimlessly in said realm. If you two weren't linked by the Blood Moon, there'd be no way to get him back and he'd be nothing but a barely living body stuck in an unending stasis."

"Whoa..." Star's body slacked as the weight of everything that Glossaryck said from the very first letter became a heavy burden for her shoulders to bear. It was a blatant understatement to say that it was a lot to take in. It's too much to carry, is more like it. Star felt like her brain was leaking from all the expository overflow.

"Knowing this, Young Queen Butterfly, what will you do now?" It wasn't Glossaryck that said that. It was a much deeper, resounding voice that came from above.

A hulking man in white skeletal armor sat upon an armored, black horse on top of the cliff overlooking the two sitting in the ravine. Star wasn't sure whether he was an actual skeleton or if his helmet was just scarily accurate. One thing was certain, however, was that his presence gave off a disconcerting aura that made Star's skin crawl and her hair stand on end. Feeling somewhat threatened, she pointed her wand in his direction.

"Back up. Don't try any funny business, pal." Star threatened, to which the knight only responded with an unfazed, blank expression.

"Hey, Skully." Glossaryck casually greeted with a wave. Star looked at him incredulously.

"Wait, you know him?"

"Oh yeah, me and him go waaay back. We're pretty much good pals." The blue man spoke fondly, as if blissfully reminiscing all the good times they've had. Though, the horseman didn't seem to reciprocate his feelings.

"Hardly." He responded dryly, facing his hollow eyes towards Star. "Our connection to one another merely stems from our mutual disdain for the God Hand. I care not for any casual encounter with your teacher."

"Oh, you big ol' tsun-tsun, you." Glossaryck held one hand to his mouth and waved the other dismissively towards his "friend".

"H-how long have you been standing there?" Star asked, somewhat unnerved that she didn't even hear the clopping of hooves before he got there.

"Pretty much the whole time!" Mina Loveberry popped up right beside the knight.

"M-m-Mina Loveberry!?" Her sudden appearance made Star unsure whether she should be awestruck, confused, or... she didn't even know. She was petrified and flabbergasted by emotional overload as her gaze was affixed to her childhood hero. "What did... howdja... wha, why-"

"Yes, it's good to see you again too, mud sister." The purple-haired heroin spoke as she jumped off the cliff and landed perfectly on her feet. She walked up to her adoring fan and gave her a warm, comforting hug.

Rather than excitedly hopping in place and squealing like a fangirl, Star calmly and quietly immersed herself in the gesture, burying her face into Mina's chest. Her worries were washed away as the sight and contact of the legendary hero before her served as a relieving reminder that, if someone like her who seemed to have lost her marbles at some point was still around and fighting the good fight, then there was still bright, shining hope looming over the insurmountable odds that have stacked against them.

"Mina I..." Star's words choked out of her throat as she struggled to form a coherent thought or sentence to express what she was feeling. "Mom... she..."

"I know, I know..." The veteran softly said, caressing Star's hair as she made every attempt to comfort her young, newly appointed Queen. "I can't apologize enough for everything that happened. You're so young, too. I would never dream in a million years that anything like that would ever happen to kids like you. You don't deserve any of this. Really, you don't. I dunno how it happened, and frankly, I don't think I wanna know. But right now, Star... we gotta decide what we're gonna do from now on. Find a way to make things better for everyone. Take back the kingdom and all that."

Star nodded while her face was still buried. After a few moments, she parted, then peered up at Mina with a somber, misty-eyed frown. She may not have been crying during all that, but the anguish still suffocated her from within and the pain was written all over her face.

"What are we gonna do now?" Star's question didn't have a target in mind, she just hoped one of them had an answer or some semblance of guidance.

"Well, since you're the Queen now, I'm obligated to follow your every order from now on." Mina solemnly spoke. "Your decision is my decision."

Star shifted her gaze towards Glossaryck, with hopes that the magical master would have a clear, definite answer. But of course he didn't. He never did. That's not how he worked.

"Don't look at me. This is your fight, not mine." The floating bookworm held two hands in front of him.

With no other option in sight, Star's gaze longingly shifted to the knight standing above, seeing that two of her more prominent peers doing little to alleviate how lost she felt at that very moment. Taking her silent, fixed stare as a solicitation for guidance, the Skull Knight decided to drop his two cents, as he usually did.

"The way I see it, Causality has laid out two paths before you." He exuded a scholarly, solemn aura and tone that eased Star's mood just a tad bit. "One is the path to revenge. If you wish to expedite the fall of your enemies and the subsequent salvation of your fair nation, then you can perhaps seek out assistance as there are still civilizations and militia remaining within Mewni that would do well to aid you in your path to reconstructing your fallen home and exacting vengeance against those who committed injustice upon you and your people."

"Sounds good to me." Mina joyfully spoke. "I, for one, can't wait any longer to tear that Toffee apart with my bare hands and stick his head on a pike."

"However." Of course there was a snag in a seemingly straightforward plan. He took on a more bleak and cold tone as he spoke. "The path to revenge is paved with the blood and sacrifice of all those that accompany you. In addition, in your scorn-driven ambition towards eliminating your worst enemies, you gradually peel away the very fibers that form your being, losing piece after piece until you completely succumb to your own bloodlust. Blinded and numb by your own rage until you are reduced to naught but a hollow husk of what you once were. Left unrecognizable to even those closest to you. You become indistinguishable from the monsters you've sought to slay."

"Speaking from experience, I take it?" Glossaryck snidely commented. The Skull Knight briefly looked his way for a moment, then turned back to Star.

"What's the other path?" Star asked. Her will to decide was somewhat mitigated by the morbid drawbacks of the aforementioned path.

"The path to recovery." The Knight simply said. "As Glossaryck mentioned, you and your lover harbor quite the powerful affinity for one another, especially on your end of the relationship. Affirmed by your ties to the Blood Moon. Furthermore, he possesses an artifact that is more than capable of harming astral beings, including the God Hand themselves. I have witnessed it firsthand when he attacked Cimmeria right before we managed to rescue you two."

"Oh, so that's how we got to that Sanctuary." Star confirmed, tapping a finger to her chin. "Thanks, by the way. I dunno what would've happened if you didn't show up."

"It is of no concern." He raised a dismissive hand in modesty. "Perhaps your appreciation should be directed more towards Mina. I plucked you from your peril at her behest while I was on my way to make another assassination attempt against the God Hand."

"Oh right. I'm really sorry about that." Mina shifted her feet on the dirt as she felt a tinge of shame and guilt.

"Again, I ask that you not fret over me. I do not lament delaying my goals so long as I am able to gather more strugglers who share my quest towards felling those wretched, so-called gods."

"Ok, so about Marco's recovery." Star was eager to hear more input from her spooky, but cool new friend.

"Pardon me. So not only will you revitalize the body, mind, and soul of your dearly beloved, you also gain an advantageous edge against your enemies in the coming future. Once you've managed to find the other Hand, the pair working in tandem with your Royal Wand shall prove more than sufficient in combating and possibly defeating your primary foes and all associated with them. It parallels the other path in that it would do immensely to aid in retaking your fallen kingdom."

"Buuut...?" She started to catch on that everything that sounded too good to be true always had a detrimental catch to them.

Skull Knight took a moment of silence before he continued. He looked wistfully to the sky, perhaps deep in thought or reminiscence. His hollowed gaze returned to Star and resumed.

"You are not the first to have unfortunately survived the horrors heralded by the God Hand. Nor are you the first to have someone dear to them severely afflicted to the point of requiring magical intervention. I shall tell you exactly what I told another struggler much like yourself. That perhaps your ultimate desire isn't necessarily that of your lover's."

"What!?" Star exploded in a fit of rage as the knight's words plucked a nerve. She was just short of pointing her wand in his direction and opening fire. "What do you know about Marco!? Huh!? You think he wants to live the rest of his life as a vegetable and a lost, wandering soul for all eternity?"

"I am not advising against it." The Skull Knight calmly responded, though he didn't seem to care whether it would calm her down or not. "It matters not to me what path you take henceforth. I am simply providing you both sides of each decision so that you may muse and choose accordingly. This is purely for your benefit. Only fate shall decide the consequences of whatever path you wish to pursue."

"FUCK THAT!" Star boomed as her ire grew exponentially. She raised her only whole arm towards Skull Knight and pointed a determined finger at him. "Fuck fate! Fuck causality! Fuck the Astral Realm! Fuck all of it! Everything that happens from here on out will be because of me, myself and I! No one's gonna decide anything for me! Not you! Not Glossaryck! Not the God Hand! Nobody! I'm gonna get Marco back and there isn't a damn thing that anyone, mortal or otherwise, can do to stop me! And I'll fuck up anything that tries. Mark my words."

The only thing that could be heard within the area are the sounds of wildlife accompanying Star's growling pants. Her solid blue eye attempted to burn a hole right through Skull Knight's eye sockets, but once again, he gazed back unfazed. If Star looked really, really closely, she could detect the smallest hint of intrigue beneath the knight's perpetual stoicism.

Star took a deep breath, closing her eyes and allowing her fury to pass by. Despite how volatile her outburst was, no one seemed to be negatively affected by it. Mina could only look on with a supportive smile towards her loud, heated declaration against destiny and the forces of evil. Glossaryck simply stared with an arched, interested eyebrow.

"Very well." He calmly affirmed, pulling at the reigns of his steed and facing it to the side. "If you are resolute in your convictions, then climb on."

With that, the two that accompanied Star in the ditch dispersed. Glossaryck floated up to the top of the cliff, while Mina landed on it in a single bound.

Seeing that Star was approaching the base of the wall, Mina was on the verge of bending down to give her a hand, only to be stopped by Glossaryck. He gripped her arm and merely shook his head in disapproval. Mina was confused at first, but then she remembered who she was dealing with and opted to nod and heed his silent request.

Looking up at the height slightly towering over her and seeing that her allies were awaiting her, Star backed all the way up to the other wall. With a vigorous running start, she managed to get the height she needed to grab onto the edge of the cliff face. As she hung on, all the old wounds and new ones started to take a toll on her as the searing, swelling pain began to weigh her down. She felt her fingers slipping.

Thoughts and visions of Marco started to flood her view, replacing the crumbling dirt wall that stood before her. Her fervent desire to save him were at odds with the mental and physical strain that coursed through her being. However, a jumbled, repeating monophony of every word he spoke grew louder and louder with each second. Her focus was affixed solely on this one-man choir of Marco's voice, which overpowered the agony and forced her to endure until she was able to drag her entire weight up the rest of the cliff. Once the remainder of her left arm reached the crest, she managed to pull the entirety of her body upon the higher ground. Rather than getting to her feet right away, she laid herself upon the grass for a few seconds, relishing in its relieving softness and allowing the cool breeze to briskly brush against her skin.

"Good job, Star. Proud of ya." Glossaryck complimented, giving a thumbs up as he did so.

"Way to go." Mina chimed in, trying to add as much to her encouragement as possible.

"Tis but a first step on a journey of countless more." The Skull Knight flatly said, kinda souring the moment with his blunt realism.

With no more time to spare, Star got right back on her feet. Mina, with another single bound, jumped upon the horseman's steed, sitting directly behind him. On her own, with some, but considerably less difficulty, Star raised herself upon her ride, sitting directly behind her childhood hero, now her loyal sister-in-arms.

With a flick of the reins and the stallion's raise of its hooves, the group, with Glossaryck keeping up and hovering nearby, made their way back to the Sanctuary full speed ahead. As they rapidly traversed the dense forest, they dipped and dodged every tree, rock, and chasm in their path, ensuring smooth and safe travel. Barely a leaf or a branch touched any of them as it felt like Skull Knight and his steed were running right through every obstacle like they were all incorporeal.

"So uh..." Star sheepishly began, trying to make small talk with her driver to pass the time. "What's... your name?"

Without looking back, he gave his firm answer. "Many that have crossed my path, including those who are beside you, have referred to me by my adopted moniker of 'Skull Knight'. I humbly request that you do the same."

"You don't have a real name?" She curiously asked with a side tilt of her head and an arching of her eyebrow.

"I prefer not to enlighten others with any semblance of my past. I ask that you refrain from inquiring any further. Just know that I am a sworn enemy of the God Hand and have been hunting them down for over a millennium."

"Can I call you Skully or Skelebro, instead?"

"I prefer that you didn't, but I cannot stop you from doing so."

The rest of the ride was spent in silence. No one, not even the snarky, silly Glossaryck himself had anything to say. It was kind of uncomfortable for Star, but thankfully, the distinct, dome-shaped safehouse was within sight. A barely noticeable streak of orange loomed over the horizon, displaying the coming of the break of dawn.

Right as they were all within a paltry distance from the lake, the beast instantly slowed to a canter. As they moved closer to the barrier of trees and brush that split the forest and the beach, Star felt a stabbing pain as a few drops of blood trickled down the back of her neck.

Much to her shock, she noticed that a spreading spot of blood formed on the back of Mina's gloved hand as she held on to Skull Knight's shoulders.

"Mina... you're..."

"Don't worry about me, my Queen." Mina confidently assured. "I've been doing fine for years."

"Huh, that's weird." Glossaryck commented, taking notice of the two mewmans' Brands reacting. "The Sanctuary's suppose to ward off all manner of spirits. There shouldn't even be any on the beach."

Right as the horse's hooves touched the beach, everyone's attention was directed towards a single, miniature creature gazing upon the Sanctuary as it laid upon the shoreline.

As they drew closer, its form became much clearer. It was a blood red, bulbous creature of some sort. From where she sat, Star could see stubby arms laying upon the dirt shore. Its rear ended in a thin, single tail of sorts instead of legs. Branching veins of blue and purple streaked around every part of it, faintly and grossly pulsating with every second.

Star leaped off the horse and made her slow path towards the creature. She grasped her wand firmly in her hand to prepare and brace herself for any attack it might attempt should she gain its attention.

Sensing Star's movements, the creature turned towards her in a single, instant motion, making a single, instant squish noise.

Rather than strike indiscriminately, Star instead stood frozen and unnerved by its disturbing facial features. Its head was the bumpy, round shape of an infant. What should be eyes were instead narrow, veiny circles with black, beady holes, with its "mouth" shaped the same way, though much bigger and more open. Star could swear that she could see distinct marks on each of its "cheeks", but she couldn't make out what they were. Or looking at it was making her see things that weren't there. Hell, she wasn't even sure right now if she was actually seeing this disgusting looking thing. But her Brand as well as Mina's was reacting to it, so it had to be real.

Even though she found it deplorable to look at and be in the presence of, Star couldn't help but remain petrified in her spot. She couldn't explain why, but there was something about this creature that prevented her from attacking it. There was also a familiar aura about it that bugged her to no end as she wasn't sure what it is or why that was.

"I have no good feelings about whatever that is, and I highly advise that you kill it immediately." The Skull Knight piped up as he rode up behind Star.

"Shh!" Star raised her arm to prevent anyone from passing by her. Again, she didn't know why, but an uknown, unseen force compelled her into doing so.

After a seemingly endless staring contest with the fetal creature, the sun began to peek over the horizon, slowly basking the rest of the land in its gross incandescence. Right as its radiant light caressed the shoreline, the creature slowly faded out of existence, never to be seen again.

"Ok, that was... something." Star said, shaken out of her unexpected, pacifistic stupor. "First things first, though. We gotta fix Marco. C'mon Glossaryck, I need you walk me through every step."

"In a little bit." Glossaryck said, putting a hand up. "I'll just meet you in there."

"What, are you gonna bail on me again?" Star coldly remarked. The vitriol behind the assumption was not lost on Glossaryck.

"No Star, I'm not planning on it this time. I just need a few minutes, is all. Then I'll be right there with you. Promise."

Somewhat assured, yet simultaneously wary, Star relented and turned towards her driver. "Skelebro, ya wanna join us?"

"I cannot." He politely refused. "My quest is one without reprieve, I'm afraid. So long as the God Hand and all within their unholy coven still draw breath, my sword and my steed shall not cease until they have been given their due penance. However, do not assume that this shall be the last we meet."

"Ok then. Seeya 'round whenever." After a casual wave of salutation, Star, with Mina following close behind, made her way across the stepping stones to the Sanctuary. With a resounding shut of the large stone doors, Skull Knight and Glossaryck were left in the silence of the still lake.

"So whaddya say, Skully?" Glossaryck turned towards his skeletal acquaintance, flashing a wide, goofy smile. "Spitting image of him or what?"

"Not even close." Skull Knight gravely responded. "She is far, far worse."

Glossaryck's smile faded into that of pensive neutrality as he turned and wistfully gazed towards the sun-kissed building in the water. He breathed a heavy sigh. "Yeah... I know. At least she's jumping straight to the recovery arc."

"Regardless." The skeletal horseman spoke somewhat somberly. "You should consider yourselves fortunate that I did not enter the Interstice alone. Had I not been informed of her unjust and tragic circumstances, I would have smote her with my Sword of Actuation on the spot. Her sinister essence was nearly indistinguishable from the entities surrounding her. Mina saved her life in more ways than one."

"Gettin' soft, are you?" Glossaryck snarkily remarked, knowingly glossing over the Knight's confession of almost bearing intent to kill his student on sight.

"It is more accurate to say that, regardless of my status and the events transpiring over the course of a millennium, my humanity and sense of righteousness remains unyielding."

"Heh. Least that makes one of us."

"In any case." The Knight swayed his reins to the side to prepare for departure. "Despite the present difficulties you will invariably encounter from this point forward, I urge you all to remain steadfast and lucid and I wholeheartedly wish you and everyone else the best of luck to your endeavors. May causality flow in your favor."

And with that, the Skull Knight briskly trotted off. The steady clops of hooves were the only sounds that remained, fading into complete and utter nothingness and leaving the stressed out mentor to his own thoughts and concerns for the impending future. Despite his friend having already left, Glossaryck made his respectful reciprocation to Skull Knight's encouraging farewell.

"Right back at ya, Gaiseric."


	31. Into the Mouth of Hell We March

Boots crunched and trampled every pink flower they came across as Mina Loveberry and Queen Moon Butterfly traversed the Flower Fields of Fallen Fighters. A perfect, isolated area for the drastic decision they were about to make. The latter's rapid heartbeat and frantic breathing provided accompaniment for the choir of crickets that sang their incessant nocturnes for an otherwise dead silent night.

Mina didn't need the enveloping moonlight to see how stressed out her queen was. She felt a tinge of guilt for essentially coercing her do this, but the greater good and the well-being of Mewni was placed above all else. Every queen prior followed this line of thinking throughout the duration of their rule, and Moon cannot be an exception.

"This is a horrible idea. The absolute worst." Moon lamented. Her body quivered with each step she took.

"We don't have a choice, Moon." The purple-pigtailed warrior sincerely spoke. A large metal, baseball-bat style club with spikes covering its top was slung over her back. "You're gonna be wed to River in a year. The sooner we undo this deal, the better it'll be for the future of our kingdom."

"But what if we need Eclipsa to achieve that?" The young queen stared at her loyal Royal Guard commander with wild, shifty eyes. A few droplets of sweat were visible on her diamond-painted cheeks.

"Like Glossarcyk said, they're kinda like gods, right?" Mina raised a palm to the sky. "Surely they can void the deal just as well as she made it. And besides, the MHC refused to let us anywhere near her, let alone free and persuade her ourselves. Even though they've been siphoning her magic and kept her frozen for two years, they're still overly paranoid about her."

"Ohh... I still don't know..." Moon's uncertainty increased as the distance between them and the proposed spot narrowed. "I mean, I'm not sure what else I could sacrifice if they request one just to undo something that's already been done."

"I mean, all you got was knowledge of a spell to kill Toffee with. And missed..." Mina spoke those last two words beneath her breath. "Take-backsies shouldn't be _that_ hard."

"We're here." Moon announced with a heavy sigh as the two came up on a large tree that lacked a single leaf or flower. A spot that once promised peace and love between two of different worlds. Where everything came tumbling down. Where part of her died.

"So uh, why are we here?" Mina asked as she scratched her cheek. "I know you used to hang with him a lot here, but I don't see what this has to do with summoning the God Hand."

"I just..." Moon gave her wand a tight squeeze and bit her lower lip in an attempt to keep her from falling too deep into despair. "...This place is full of memories, some great and some not so much. Maybe the Behelit would work better if I'm under some emotional distress as a result of bringing some of them back. I think that's how I managed to summon Eclipsa."

"Kay then. Hope you know what you're doing."

"I don't think I do."

With that, Moon pulled the cord along with its tethered egg shaped artifact out of her pocket. She shuddered as it was still as unsettling to look at as always. Using one hand, she held the egg in her palm and clenched a tightly wound fist around it. She squeezed her eyes shut, allowing the memories of all that occured up to this point flood into her mind. In her concentrated view, visions sped by like a fast-forwarding slideshow. Though they went by at blinding speeds, the intense feelings and pivotal images accompanying them made the memories clear enough for Moon to completely recall every essential detail.

With her emotions raging and whirling within, Moon utilized them to massively strengthen her desire to take it all back. To fix her mistakes in order to herald a brighter future for her kingdom and future generations of Butterflies to come. She vowed that this would be the very last time she'll ever have to deal with beings of this sort and she'll be damned if she had to encounter them again.

"Uhh... Moon?" Mina piped up, noticeable fear seeping into her voice. "I think it worked."

When the queen's eyes peeled open, she no longer found herself standing in the wide expanse of swords and pink flowers. As expected, the Behelit in her hand rearranged its jumbled features into a cohesive, yet disturbing face. Much like before, it looked visibly distressed as it cried its sanguine tears.

They were both standing on solid dirt ground, looking as if they had shrunk to microscopic sizes as said pink flowers grew to lengths and widths that allowed them to almost touch the sky. In fact, there was no sky to speak of as its entirety was obscured by an endless amount of swords with the tips of their blades pointing straight down. The threat of them raining down and impaling them loomed over the duo as they took in their surroundings in surreal awe. There was no wind. There were no birds. Everything remained still and silent as if the environment was completely frozen in time.

"Was it like this when you summoned Eclipsa?" Mina asked, her gaze still frantically darting around her. Immediately, she started to somewhat regret her decision of trying to resolve her queen's situation.

"No..." Moon simply said, bracing herself for whatever member or members of the God Hand came to rendevous with her.

A distant sound of flapping wings cut through the silence, drawing the two women's gazes upwards. A jet black mass soared through the air, spiraling around the towering stems of the flowers. As it disappeared and reappeared in its flight, its position shifted lower and lower.

After a while, the black mass tore out of the group of flowers directly in front of Moon. It stopped and hovered just a short distance away, then slowly descended. It turned out to be a leathery, severely muscular man with wide wings spanning from his shoulders. His head was like that of a bald, bird-like mask concealing a pale white face beneath. The mouth of the mask exposed a slender pair of cheeks and deep red lips. His eyes were also red, giving off an impression that he had known and witnessed all. As he locked eyes with Moon, she could feel her soul being rended before his piercing gaze.

A large, blackish-blue spiraling portal spawned behind the winged man. The top part of what appears to be an enlarged brain slowly emerged, a disfigured face with stitched eyes and a peeled back mouth following after it. Gradually, the entire form of the being arose, its tall, slender body seemingly nothing but a leathery black cloak topped with a wide and high, pointed collar.

Moon and Mina remained rigid for several more moments. They were both expecting more of them to appear, but it would seem that these two were all they'll be dealing with for the time being.

"I was told there'd be five of you." Moon spoke out, pointing her wand towards the two God Hand members before her. "Where's the rest?"

"You are dealing with Void and Femto now. Don't concern yourself over the whereabouts of our fellow angels. " The winged man answered. His voice was low and velvety, yet apathetic and unfeeling. There was a noticeable femininity in his voice that belied his egregiously masculine form. There was also something... captivating about him as well. Moon couldn't place it, but there was an aura around him that put her at slight ease for some strange reason. But all the same, barely did it make this whole ordeal any less stressful.

"However, knowest thou all too well the whereabouts of one of them." Presumably, the being on the rear spoke. His mouth didn't move when he did, but his voice was ever-present and reverberating.

"Our fair Cimmeria." The winged man said, a hint of bitterness evident in his tone.

"Yeah, we caught her!" Mina shouted, moving to Moon's side and brandishing her club towards the two entities. Her loud, obnoxious attitude betrayed the actual fear she felt in her heart. "You wanna do somethin' 'bout it!?"

"Mina!" Moon yelled back at her bold, yet foolish companion. While she remained silent, her wide, distressed eyes wordlessly said, "What are you doing, you idiot?"

The two beings lacked any sort of response, seemingly unfazed by Mina's loud incitation for a fight. They stayed in their place, their gazes affixed to the mortals standing before them. Moon could swear she could see just the faintest hint of a smile on the winged man's red lips.

"In any case." Void began. "I am most certain thou hast besought an audience with us for reasons that involve your prior deal with your ancestor."

Moon hesitated for a bit, still unnerved by the situation she put herself in. She swallowed before she shakily whispered her response. "Y-yes..."

"And you summoned us with the presumption that we would be capable of undoing such a deal, correct?" Femto added.

"Yes."

The two God Hand Members shared a look that lingered for a few seconds, as if they were unspokenly deciding on something. The winged man turned back around, a much wider smile stretched across his lips. He made a soft, hummed chuckle that made Moon's skin crawl.

"Tis a pity." Void woefully spoke. "Thou art unaware of the circumstances surrounding your deal with Cimmeria."

"W-what...?" Moon painfully whispered. Confusion and despair crept into her voice and the rest of her being when the implication of her initial fears gradually dawned on her.

"I loathe to inform that we, as powerful and knowledgeable as we are, cannot meddle in affairs that can only be enacted between two queens of Mewni." Void confirmed Moon's fears, much to her absolute horror and regret. "I assume that Glossarcyk neglected to inform you of this."

Overlooking the fact that Void knew who Glossarcyk was, Moon and Mina shot wide-eyed, alarmed looks toward one another. At that moment, both of them were seized with an unbearable amount of guilt and remorse, realizing that they've just made a horribly grave mistake. No one else knew of their plans except themselves. Not even the mentor in question.

Moon then recalled Eclipsa mentioning that their deal was not a usual one, for a bargain between that of mortal and God Hand member normally involved the exchange of blood and souls of those who were closest to the former for whatever they strongly desired at the time.

Since they could not fulfill what Moon desired, it would seem that there was no business to be had, and this encounter was all for naught. Realizing this, a wave of relief washed over the queen, and she had hoped that she could look back on this foolish, unsuccessful, regretful decision and laugh. Or repress it. Most likely the last one.

"We-e-ell, then." Mina nervously began, shrugging and sweating as she did so. "I guess, since you can't do a thing, we'll be on our way right? Couldja point us out to the nearest exit?"

"Y-yes, indeed." Moon shakily added. With all the respect and courtesy she could muster, she bowed and lifted her dress in an apologetic curtsy. "As the acting Queen of Mewni, I must beg for a thousand pardons for wasting your much-valued time and foolishly summoning you while being uninformed. I assure you that this will be the last time we meet and I sincerely hope that you can find it in yourselves to forgive me for my insolence."

Femto chuckled once again, this time much louder and while placing the back of his hand beneath his chin.

"I'm afraid apologies will get you nowhere." He insidiously spoke. "Do you honestly expect the two of us to depart empty-handed?"

Before anyone could do anything, Void lifted his all-encompassing cloak, revealing a single, elongated hand. A strange, yet intricate flaming symbol momentarily appeared above his palm, then exploded instantly after, spawning a significantly smaller version of itself that shot through the air and towards the two mewmans.

"Agh!" Mina cried out in agony as she felt an intense burning sensation on the back of her left hand. Like someone took a branding iron and pressed it against her. As she scanned the scalded spot on her skin, she could see the same symbol burned into her flesh, glowing and pulsing a bright orange until the light faded and it resembled that of a black ink tattoo.

"Wha... What did you do?" Moon asked, her voice whispering and wavering once again.

"She has been marked for sacrifice." Void answered. "Since she is one who is close to you in relations and in proximity, her death will be the first of many. Serving as recompense for the injustice you have inflicted upon us."

"But I didn't say I wanted to sacrifice her!" Moon shouted, throwing all pretense of caution and fear to the wind now that one of her own was being threatened.

"Nor did Cimmeria say she wanted to be a fuel source for your magic." Femto rebutted. He seemed to be relishing in her visible despair.

"YOU BASTAAARDS!" Mina ran recklessly and without thinking towards the cosmic beings, lifting her club to the sky. Her strike was directed towards the nearest one.

Her war path was cut abruptly short and her club fell from her grip when an unseen force wrapped itself tightly around her neck and levitated her in mid-air. She clawed at her neck in a feeble attempt to resist and her legs were instinctively kicked and swayed all around. She gasped for breath as oxygen from her lungs gradually drained while the pressure on her throat compressed further and further. The winged man was holding an open, outstretched palm towards her.

"Let her go, now!" Moon threatened, pointing her wand towards the one who held her friend in his telekinetic grasp.

"Is it really wise to challenge we who far surpass you in every conceivable way?" Femto questioned, his magical hold unwavering. "Her fate has already been sealed. To save her now would do far more harm than good."

Moon simply stood there and panted profusely with her wand still raised. She couldn't bear the thought of losing someone else that was important to her. At the same time, it was obvious that these two beings could completely annihilate her in all manner of ways with nothing more than a single thought.

However, another fact uttered by Eclipsa rung loudly in her ears. That the spell she so graciously provided was able to eradicate not only mortal bodies, but astral ones as well. And since these two were beings of an astral nature, she knew she had one chance to take it all back and correct her mistakes.

With no hesitation or fear left in her heart, she brought her wand to her face and recited, with great haste and equally great clarity.

"I call the darkness unto me, from deepest depths of earth and sea, I pledge my soul and crush my heart, to summon forth a deathly power to see my hated foe devoured."

Exactly like before, a cloudy purple energy widened around the wand's tip while it was being concealed by a purple slime. In a matter of moments, a lean stream of energy shot forth, tearing through the air towards Femto's heart immensely faster than any being could perceive.

Except for Femto himself.

With his free hand, he raised it directly towards the oncoming attack. Within the fraction of a second, he managed to spawn a spiraling, disc-like mass of energy that looks to be some sort of miniature galaxy. Rather than hit anything substantial, the projectile was absorbed into the miniature galaxy.

Then with a winding back of his arm, it lurched forward a second after, discharging the spell right back at its caster, its velocity remaining the same and faster than what Moon was able to react to.

With no way or time to actually dodge the shot going at blinding speed, the despaired queen futilely shielded herself with her arms. With her eyes shut, she accepted her fate and simultaneously anticipated that it would just hit her arm and cripple her magical abilities not unlike what it did to Toffee.

She didn't have the time to make any amends should she get erased from existence. She also didn't bother to tell herself that she deserved all this for every mistake that was made in the past. She had merely hoped that the inevitable killing blow would prove quick and painless and just blink her out of existence in an unnoticeable instant.

A few seconds passed without a sound nor anything else happening. She wasn't sure whether to be surprised, relieved, confused or all of the above. When her eyes parted just a crack, they shot open even wider when it became clear exactly what had happened.

Like something out of a blissful fairy tale, a Knight in shining white armor appeared directly in front of her, sitting upon a black horse that was donned in armor of a similar color. They both stood lengthwise between Moon and her cosmic opposition. Though it was quite clear that her sudden savior defended her from the oncoming attack, his broad, rose-decorated shield was facing her direction. On the other side, a strange, slimy looking blade was held sideways before him, its entire length shrouded in a misty purple steam. The sword was covered in a great number of randomly strewn-about facial features not unlike that of her Behelit.

She had noticed Mina, who was just getting telekinetically asphyxiated, was now slung over the rear of the Knight's horse, her arms loosely hanging and swaying. She wasn't sure whether she was dead or unconscious, but she had hoped with all of her heart that it was the latter.

With every negative emotion in existence, all the strain and turmoil, and the certainty of her death rapidly overwhelming and encroaching her in body, mind, and spirit, Moon felt herself limply toppling to the side as every surreal sight before her melted into endless an endless black void, signifying the end of what she would hope was a stress-induced nightmare.

* * *

Mina Loveberry roused from her lengthy slumber. Rather than the surreal location she was in prior, she found herself in the Queen's Sanctuary, much to her comfort and subsequent perplexity.

Her shifty gaze darted all over, hoping to see that Moon was unharmed and nearby.

Instead, she caught sight of a hulking form, donned in white, skeletal armor and a skull shaped helm, leaning relaxedly near the door with his arms crossed. His strange appearance as well as his presence gave off a rather off-kilter atmosphere, which left Mina somewhat paranoid and a tad threatened.

"Who are you!? How did you find out about this place? Where is Queen Moon?" She shot question after question, her mind racing as a result of the events prior.

Rather than immediately answer her frantic series of heated inquiries, the knight unraveled his arms and silently walked towards Mina. Pushed to action by his advances, she responded by recklessly sprinting towards him with her fists raised in the air. She delivered a hard right jab to his ribcage shaped abdomen, which ended up injuring her hand rather than do any substantial damage. The knight didn't even move an inch despite how much power she put behind her punch. He didn't seem to have any reaction either. Except maybe pity.

"Owowowowow, owww!" Mina cried out as she held her wrist and flailed her hand around. Now that she thought about it, his armor didn't even feel like traditional metal. It was like... something magical and not made by mewman hands whatsoever. Or any hands of this dimension for that matter. It also had a bony texture to it, which befits the skeletal nature of the rest of his armor.

"Are you quite finished?" The knight spoke dryly, with just a wee bit of annoyance attached to his tone. "Have you expunged every bit of your intent to meaninglessly fight yet?"

Right as the pain subsided to a negligible dullness, she merely gazed at the man with a wary scowl, her eyes locked with...

"Wait, are you an actual skeleton?" Mina curiously asked as she gazed into the golden glow beneath his hollow sockets. She realized that there was no way an actual mewman head could fit in a helmet of that size. Which means that it's not a helmet at all, but an actual skull.

His arms crossed once again as he spoke.

"Yes. And to answer your first question, I am the Skull Knight. I was informed of the location and spiritually protective nature of this Sanctuary, which constantly emanates a wide, enchanted field that repels all manner of spirits. Your queen is currently resting in her castle, safe from any further harm."

Assuaged by his sincerity, Mina stood straight and loosened up a bit. Now that she gave it more thought, if he really wished her harm, he would've done so by now, rather than escort her unconscious body as well as her queen to their safety. Heck, he had to be the reason why they were no longer in that weird place and away from those two God Hand members in the first place. While she had so many questions left unanswered, she instead opted to do the respectful thing instead.

"Thank you." She sheepishly said, scratching the back of her head and looking off to the side. "I uh... dunno what would've happened if you hadn't come along and scooped us outta there."

"Business as usual." Skull Knight plainly stated. "It would seem that it was not their time to die quite yet. And frankly, neither was it yours."

"Wait, are you saying you were there to kill those two God Hand members?"

"As I have been attempting for over a millennium."

"Wha-" She was flabbergasted at the mere thought that those beings of nigh-godly proportions had some sort of rival that consistently opposed them. One that managed to repeatedly escape their ire unscathed, too. "How... how old are you?"

"Over a millennium." He repeated, not wishing to delve any further than that.

Taking note of his brief and evasive response, Mina's thoughts were diverted to something else that was more geographical in nature.

"So why did you take me here, rather than back to the Kingdom?"

"As I've mentioned, this Sanctuary repels all manner of spirits."

"And I need protection from them... why?"

"Check the back of your left hand." The Skull Knight suggested, pointing towards the aforementioned spot on her body.

With a bit of confusion, Mina did what he asked and brought the back of her left hand into view. She arched both eyebrows in curiosity as she peered at the complex indent on her skin.

"The heck? When did I get a ta-"

Her inquiry was cut short when she vividly remembered when that big-brained God Hand member spawned the exact symbol above his hand, before she felt it scorched into her flesh.

"He said that I was...'marked'." She gravely noted, a hint of dread seeped in her voice as she wistfully gazed into the sinister etching. She knew it couldn't be anything good if it was anything done by the God Hand, but she had to ask anyways. "What... did he mean by that?"

The Skull Knight's reluctance to answer right away only increased her uneasiness. She was uncertain whether he just needed a bit of time to prepare his explanation or if he veered off into another train of thought. Regardless, he eventually elaborated.

"As of right now, you are currently and constantly residing in the Interstice. The space in which the dead and the living meet. Where the astral realm and the physical realm are one. That Brand of Sacrifice serves as a beacon for any and all spirits of said realm to become drawn to. Upon the setting of the sun or whenever you find yourself in the darkest of recesses, they will emerge and stop at nothing to make attempts to possess your body. To have a vessel for which to feed on until your soul is completely consumed."

"Please tell me there's a way to remove this." She was actually pretty sure of how slim the chances are of a curse like this being lifted, but she decided to ask anyways.

Again, his hesitation only served to confirm her fears and escalated her feelings of dread.

"Only Void, the one who administered the Brand, has the power remove it. I have been hunting him and his group down for centuries for this very reason. I have sought to end his reign of terror to not only lift the unbearable burdens of my past, but liberate all those who are trapped in his fabricated 'Current of Causality'. It is apparent that you have now, alongside me and another, become a Struggler against said current."

Mina stared at her Brand again. Seeing as how this spiritual affliction was technically her doing, she wanted nothing more than to get rid of it, and hopefully help those who were also unjustly branded to do the same. Sure, she could just live in this Sanctuary for the remainder of her days, while the constant threat of evil, covetous spirits loomed over her every waking moment.

But she wasn't going to do that. She was all about nothing but fighting and dying for the greater good of Mewni and its people. And if the God Hand was still around, threatening her home and her fellow citizens, then she would never allow herself to rest easy or live the rest of her life in complacency with that constantly in mind.

"Heh, so I'm a 'Struggler' now, huh?" Mina spoke as she looked up at Skull Knight.

"Indeed."

"Well then." She began, her spirit imbued with vigor as she tightly clenched her left hand into a fist. "What are we waiting for?"

"Excuse me?" While he was calm and composed this whole time, blatant perplexity managed to break through.

"Yeah, let's go hunt those vile scum. You and me, together."

If Skull Knight still had eyebrows, he'd arch them so hard right at that moment. "You... wish to join me on my quest... and not tangentially, either. You want to follow me directly and fight alongside me."

"Yeah, man. Why not?"

"For what purpose?"

Mina shifted her eyes upwards and tapped a finger to her chin as she prepped to give her response. "You saved my life, so it's only fair that I lend my help to repay you. You also saved the queen, and by extension, Mewni itself. And since you said you've been on this quest for well over a millenium, I could help you end it sooner. I mean, you probably haven't completed it yet because you've been goin' at it alone for so long."

"I am not alone. I have my trusty steed to accompany me wherever I go."

"That's not what I meant, but hey that's good. Surely there's room on it for one more."

Skull Knight could only stare at, presumably, awed silence at this hardheaded woman before him. Never has he encountered anyone that wished to accompany him on his long-spanning journey to exact retribution against the God Hand. Frankly, he wasn't sure how to feel. But nonetheless, there were some concerns to address before he could give his input on her rash decision.

"Do you not have a kingdom you swear fealty to? To assist in protecting them against any and all?"

"But that's exactly what I'm doing." Mina confidently answered. "I'm doing this for my home and my queen. Those so-called gods have been threatening my best friend for the longest time. They've also made a complete monster out of Eclipsa, more so than she already was. That means Mewni's involved in their little schemes, and I wanna put a stop to them from adding more to their ranks. So yeah, I'm helping my kingdom out in the long run. Just not directly for the time being."

Again, Skull Knight just stood there in silence, allowing her heroism and bravado to linger and settle in his mind as he tried to rationalize it. He wasn't sure whether he should find her foolish or valiant. Or both. While he's not against anyone sharing his fervent desire to smite those who have deserved it for centuries, he still had their safety and well-being kept in mind as he was not one to allow those to bite off more than they could chew.

"Are you absolutely certain you want to embark on this journey with me?" He asked, gravely. "This is most definitely nothing to be taken lightly. And I assure that you will deteriorate and lose yourself in more ways than one should walk the same path as me. This harrowing ordeal is not something that mortals should ever endure. I am a prime example of this."

"So?" Mina boldly remarked. "Skull Knight, if that is your real name, I've pretty much devoted my entire being to warfare and protecting this kingdom since I was a little girl. I've seen countless people die before my very eyes whether it be my fellow soldiers or civilians unfortunately caught in the midst of war. I've fought all manner of enemies ranging from bandits to demons to the biggest, most dangerous monsters in the land. And now I've encountered cosmic beings of godly power and I've survived. Because of you of course, but I've survived all the same. Now, with you and me, I think we'll be an unstoppable duo. Those chumps wouldn't stand a chance. So whaddya say, Skully?"

Mina outstretched a hand in order to solidify their pact with her new, proclaimed partner. Skull Knight could only stare at her open palm in a blank, unreadable expression.

Rather than reciprocate the gesture of camaraderie, Skull Knight left her hanging and silently walked towards the door.

"Hey, where you goin'? Don't leave me hangin'!" She yelled after him, causing him to cease any further movements right at the door frame.

"Remain here and do not leave the confines of this building. I will return eventually." He simply said, before stepping through the heavy stone doors.

Taking his word for it, Mina sought the nearest stone bench and sat upon it, placing her elbows onto her knees as she rested her chin in both hands.

Seconds turned into minutes. Minutes turned into hours. Hours turned into eternities.

Eventually she dozed off, succumbing to the boredom of waiting. Her snores echoed all throughout the building, accompanying the two loud waterfalls endlessly streaming from the stone Glossaryck heads that hung on each side of the Sanctuary's interior.

Mina was dragged out of her pleasant slumber as she yelped and fell face-first onto the floor as the stone doors creaked loud and slow, momentarily overpowering all other sounds within the structure as they gave way to the Skull Knight.

As she pulled her face off the dirt ground, she witnessed him standing over her, holding what appeared to be a sheathed sword in his hand.

Mina shot upright, rubbing one eye to get the rest of the sleep out.

"Is that...for me?" She asked as she pointed at the sword.

"Yes." He briefly answered.

"Um. Y'know, I have plenty of weapons at home. You could've just rode me back to my house and I can pick one out for the trip."

"Do any of them possess the ability to damage astral beings?"

"Er..." Mina awkwardly looked off the side, scratching her head as she did so. "I.. guess not?"

"Then here." Skull Knight handed the weapon to her, to which she gripped it firmly in her hand. Not very heavy. Quite lighter than she expected actually. She gave it a good onceover.

The blade was slightly curved and thin. Each end of the scabbard was tipped in a small portion of gold, with curvy lines of the same color pointing towards the opposite end. Much like the scabbard, the grip and the wide, crescent-shaped, front-facing handguard shared the same color scheme, with the former being brown with similar golden streams coming out of each end and the latter being straight gold.

Mina noticed that, engraved within the handle's smooth wooden finish, was a small set of words written in gold lettering.

" _Nil sine numine_?" She asked as she peered up at the Skull Knight.

"Nothing without the divine will." He plainly answered.

"Hmm. Fitting. Kinda inspiring. I like it." Mina said as she smiled.

Finished with her thorough examination of the sword's outer regions, it was high time to get to the best part. The money maker. The portion that made a sword a sword.

As she firmly grasped the handle, she slowly pulled the blade in its entirety from its sheath. She was almost blinded and stunned by how shiny it was. She could tell this sword was fresh out of the forge as the heat still radiated from the metal itself. Much to her pleasant surprise, the lithe blade was colored in a deep purple.

"Aww, it matches my hair!" Mina excitedly beamed as she flashed a grateful grin towards the Skull Knight that shined as bright as her blade.

"A bizarre coincidence." He dryly replied. "During the forging process, the blade adopted that color shortly after cooling it in demon's blood."

"Whoa, demon's blood? That's pretty metal. No pun intended."

"It's what gives the blade its spiritually repellent properties."

With no further replies, Mina backed up from her skeletal savior, wishing not to accidentally harm him for what she was about to do.

She gave the sword a few test swings, slashing the air at every possible angle, making whooshes and whaps with every movement. Oh yeah, this was a very light blade. Very mobile, with very little resistance when swinging it. Though, she wondered how strong it was despite its thin composition.

Mina walked up to the stone bench she rested on previously. She raised her blade to the sky, grasping it in both hands. A second after, it dropped straight down, cleanly slicing the bench in half as easily as cutting through butter.

"Whoa, this blade is amazing." Mina admired, her eyes sparkling as she marveled at how such a thin blade was able to do such severe damage with so little difficulty. "Ya gotta introduce me to the blacksmith responsible for this masterpiece."

"I am afraid you are incapable of entering where he resides."

"Whaddya mean?"

"I would rather not explain. We have tarried long enough. We should depart as soon as we can."

"Hm, fair enough. Say, before we get a move on, do ya think you could take me back to the Kingdom? Y'know, to say my goodbyes and get supplies and all that."

"If you must."

It was dawn when they emerged from the Sanctuary. A bright orange peaked over the horizon, ready to bask and awaken all those in its glorious illumination. The lake before them shined and sparkled beneath the slow approach of the morning sun.

"I ask once more." Skull Knight began, right before he was about to leap onto his armored horse. "Are you truly certain that you wish to walk the same path as me?"

"And I'll answer once more. Yes. I, as well as the rest of my Kingdom, are indebted to you, remember? And we Loveberrys never shirk our debts. Well, except my uncle whose tab at his local bar has been piling up for years. But yeah besides him, we're not about that."

"Very well. If you are resolute in your convictions, then climb on."

In a single bound, Mina landed upon the Knight's trusty steed, sitting directly behind him. With a jerk of his reins and a lifting of the beast's forelegs, the two blasted into the forest at incredible speed, leaving the Sanctuary and the rising sun behind.

While it was a courageous and valiant journey Mina Loveberry decided to embark on, little was she aware that she was heading towards a downward spiral that went deeper than she had initially realized.

The path of the Skull Knight was one of loss, indeed.


	32. Il Mare Eterno Nella Mia Anima

For the moment, all within the Queen's Sanctuary was undisturbed and tranquil, if not a bit tense. Janna lounged about, messing around with Marco's laptop and eating some corn-based confectionary from the nearby vending machine. Mina was roughly rocking said vending machine back and forth, loudly claiming that it has stolen her bill and denied her the corn chips she so desired and rightfully earned. Unfortunately for her, the bag ended up getting stuck between the glass display and its shelf, refusing to budge by the veteran warrior's violent assault.

Ignoring the ruckus from beyond the waterfall, Glossaryck and Star stood by Marco's still, barely alive body. The former rubbed his bearded chin while deeply immersed in thought and the latter stared at her beloved in melancholy as she delicately rubbed and ran her fingers through his soft brown hair.

"So how're we gonna do this?" Star asked as she looked to her mentor.

He didn't answer. His repetitive rubbing of his beard and fixed, inquisitive stare remained unchanging.

"Glossaryck?"

Still nothing. It was like calling out to a gif made from a clip of the show.

"Glossaryck!"

"Hmm?" His stance didn't change but he, at the very least, acknowledged Star's calls. Or maybe he was aware the whole time and refrained from replying for one reason or another. Either way, Star wasn't fond of his hesitance.

"We gonna help him or what?" Star let go of Marco's hair to put her hand on her hip in annoyance. "I'd like to get on with it sometime this century, Gloss."

"Patience kid, we can't just jump in there all willy-nilly. This is a delicate procedure, made even harder with your... current conditions."

"Whaddya- oh." The implication dawned on her as she lightly rubbing her permanently closed left eyelid with a single finger. She took her wand to her face and magically spawned a black leather eyepatch right over it for good measure. She then applied an enchantment that allowed it to remain firm on her face without any outside force being able to release it. Only she would be allowed to open it. "There. Nothin' to worry about now."

"Er, that's not exactly the issue here."

"Then what is?"

Glossaryck paused for a moment. "Since this procedure involves sending your astral body to his consciousness, or at least what's left of it, you're gonna be taking a heap of darkness with ya."

"Oh." Star looked momentarily downtrodden. "Is... is it gonna corrupt Marco or something?"

"Only if you let it. Which is what I'm thinking over."

Star didn't say anything more. She just woefully stared at Marco while resuming her playing of his hair. It was rather comforting. Almost invigorating even.

"I'll do it anyways. For him." Star declared with a raise of her fist. "And I swear I won't let even a drop of it touch him."

"Well this is pretty much our best and only chance of getting him back, soooo, yeeeahhh..."

"What are we waiting for, then? Let's get started!"

Prompted by her urgency to proceed with the recovery process, Glossaryck reached into one of his wide sleeves and pulled out a brown, cloth bag that was as big as he was.

"Uhh, what's that?" Star pointed at the bag in question.

"Some spores from a mushroom species only found in a lil' ole place called Elfhelm."

"Kay... what're we gonna do with those?"

"Alright, so here's how it's gonna work." Glossaryck took a deep breath before he explained. "Sooo, since what we're doing right now is fixing his mind, we're gonna use these here spores to send your astral body directly to his consciousness through a path called the "Dreamscape". Once you enter his mind, you'll need to do whatever it takes to find and fix all of his broken memories. Slowly and surely, your progress will draw Marco back to his body from wherever he is in the Realms Beyond."

"Ok, I'm gettin' it, I'm gettin' it." Star nodded with sincere comprehension. "How do we get this goin'?"

"Just lay right next to him and close your eye."

With another assured nod, Star did as he asked. She snuggled tightly against Marco's side, their arms rubbing against one another as she laid flat on her back and faced the ceiling.

"Any advice before I dive right in?"

Glossaryck thought for a moment. "Yeah. Whatever you do, however you do it, make sure everything's the way it should be. While you're in there, you have the ability to change things around. Don't. Everything has to play out exactly how it did in the past. Please, please do not tempt yourself into altering anything at all. We never know what effects that could have on his mind if you do that. And I doubt any of us want to find out."

"I promise." Star solemnly said. "I won't do anything to hurt or manipulate him in any way, ever."

"Oh and be careful with the more traumatic memories. Those are more abstract and conveyed through really strong emotions as opposed to clear events. Though they should be treated all the same. Fix 'em and keep 'em exactly how they should be."

Star nodded for the last time. "Got it."

"Good." Glossaryck remarked as he dipped a hand in his bag of spores. "Sleepytime, kiddo. Nighty night."

With her eye shut and her breathing relaxed, she felt countless, powdery drops being sprinkled all over her body. Soon after, her entire being was seized with an inexplicable warmth and comfort that sedated her every being. All the sounds around her began to drown out like she was being put under anesthesia. Only her slowed breathing was audible amid the darkness. Soon, complete silence overtook all as her body sunk into the deepest abysses of sleep.

* * *

Star awoke to the sound of seagulls and the audible ebb and flow of a nearby tide. As her view slid open, she was greeted to an infinite expanse of clouds where the sky should be. The thick, widespread barrier prevented a clear view of anything beyond it.

As she slowly emerged from her laying position, she was surprised to find herself laying in sand the whole time. She took a handful and watched and felt as it gently slipped through her fingers. It was soft. Velvety.

Wait. She used her left hand to do that.

She took the same hand and used it to poke her left eye. She gasped as she felt that it was right where it should be.

While Star wanted to celebrate the fact that she had her lost parts returned to their proper place, she quickly caught on that it wouldn't be permanent. As Glossaryck mentioned, this was her astral body, so any physical damage inflicted on her in the real world wouldn't reflect on that which is intangible.

"Whooahh..." Star marveled as she beheld the beautiful sight before her.

From a moderate distance where she sat was a long, ever-reaching beach that reached to seemingly no end. An eternal, shimmering sea laid before her, awash in a bright red color most likely reflecting off the massive crimson moon that cast its enveloping luminescence all throughout the area as it hovered over the horizon.

Star decided to peer over her shoulder to see if there was anything else behind her.

Nope. Just nothing but an endless, barren wasteland of sand, sand, and more sand. More sand than the eye could see. Nothing for her there.

When Star turned back towards the red sea, she noticed someone else close to the shoreline. An old man, sitting on the sand next a small, lit campfire. His outfit consisted of a tattered and worn set of blue denim jacket and jeans. A white, bushy beard that stretched all the way to his chest concealed his mouth and his cheeks. A long red nose stuck out of his face, looking pointy enough to poke an eye out. His eyes looked severely fatigued and baggy as if he's seen more than anyone ever has and hasn't slept a wink since he was born. Atop his head was a white sea captain's hat, with a black bill and a gold anchor adorned right above it.

"Uh, 'scuse me." Star called out as she made her approach. "Do ya know where I am? I didn't really expect to be here... actually I'm not even sure what I expected, to be honest."

The old man didn't answer right away. He remained enthralled by the short flame that illuminated before him, the shining orange glow hitting his face and giving him sort of an ominous atmosphere.

After a few moments, he turned his head towards Star, looking somewhat exhausted. "Ye be standin' in the knot that ties ye both." His voice was raspy and gravely, as expected from a man of the deep blu- er, deep red sea.

"The knot?" Star arched an eyebrow.

"Aye. It's what holds ye both together." He simply affirmed. "He be a-driftin' ain't he? Lost n' without a vessel to call home?"

"Yeah, I guess..." Star woefully answered as she lowered her eyes and rubbed her arm. "I'm trying to get him back."

He gingerly nodded, then returned his wistful gaze to the campfire.

"If ye wish to guide 'im home, walk forward." He pointed a wrinkly finger towards the scarlet sea. "When all becomes clear, the stars'll guide 'im back to where he belongs."

"But..." Star looked skywards, then back down to the sea captain. "We can't even see the stars. The clouds are in the way."

"Aye."

His cryptic manner of speech reminded her too much of Glossaryck, and it irked her just slightly. It was unclear what exactly she was supposed to do. She had a feeling he wouldn't give it to her straight, but she couldn't help but ask anyways.

"So what am I supposed to do exactly? How do I clear out all the clouds?"

"Walk forward." He repeated, pointing towards the endless body of water again.

Star looked to the sea, then back to the old man, flashing a questioning expression. "You uh... gotta boat I could borrow, or-"

"Walk forward." He reiterated once more, his tone unchanged. You would think he'd get more annoyed the second time he had to repeat himself, but much to Star's surprise, he didn't.

Seeing as how she's better off making progress by banging her head against a brick wall than elicit any further guidance from this old coot, she decided to take the first step and "walk forward". She kept her fists clenched tightly on each hip as her boots embedded in the sand with every determined step.

Right as she reached the shoreline, she stopped for a few moments. She took a deep, relieving breath, bracing herself for any and all uknowns she'll encounter. She wasn't sure what she was in for and what she was going to have to do, but she knew that, from the bottom of her heart and the deepest recesses of her soul and regardless of any and all difficulties and restrictions that may impede her, she will invariably bring her beloved back to where he needed to be. She's been through enough already as it was. Surely, she could handle what sounded like a riddle, concealing a puzzle while wrapped in a mystery. She just had to use her head for this one rather than her wand and sword arm.

The very moment that Star set her toes upon the red water, she was immediately knocked on her rear in surprise as a gigantic bubble popped right out of the ocean with zero prior warning.

"The heck?" She remarked as she recovered from her absurd fright. She felt somewhat embarrassed that she managed to get startled by a simple mass of water.

But it became clear that this was no ordinary magical floating giant bubble. There was an image displayed across its wet surface, though it was blurry to the point where it was nothing but a shaky blend of colors, consisting of varying shades of brown and white.

Star was compelled to put both hands onto the bubble. When they began to permeate through, she withdrew them quickly after as uncertainty stayed her hands for a few moments. Her view flicked back towards the sea captain, silently longing for some advice. He merely nodded in approval.

Rolling her eyes, she placed her hands back into the water and pushed them deeper. She began to walk forward, immersing herself deeper into the bubble until her body completely disappeared from the beach.

* * *

"Huh?" Star's body whipped and her gaze darted all around as she was confounded by the unexpected, untransitory change in scenery. Like, one second she was standing at the beach and dipping into the bubble and the next thing she knew, she was standing somewhere else. Seems like wherever she was, it ran on the concept of "Impossible Space".

She found herself within the interior of some sort of facility. Its walls, ceilings, and linoleum floors were colored white, accompanied by brighter shades of other colors like blue and gray. She stood in the middle of a four way intersection of hallways. However, three of the four hallways were concealed behind walls of white fog. When Star tried to pass through one of them, they pushed her back with great resistance, preventing her from advancing.

She caught sight of a nearby cream yellow sign on the wall. Its rectangular shape was horizontally divided into thin segments with green words and arrows written within. Sick bay, reception, maternity ward, pediatrics, etc. At the top of the sign, within a bigger green segment were the words "Echo Creek Hospital, 1st floor" in bold white lettering.

"The heck am I doing here?" She tapped a finger to her chin as she pondered what memory would involve Marco being in a hospital. And why this would be the first one she'd have to deal with. A grievous injury? A regular check-up? Visiting an injured or sick loved one? Therapy?

Rather than rack her brain even further, Star decided to walk down the hallway that wasn't magically blocked off. As she traveled through various turns and corridors, she noticed some walls, hallways, and doors were blocked off by the same fog as before. Perhaps these were there to keep Star from veering off the beaten path. Or something to that effect.

Time seemed to have taken a pause as Star happened upon several doctors and staff frozen in mid-walk, mid-talk, or even mid-run as she passed by a group of nurses and doctors surrounding a gurney that carried a severely bloody body that was being wheeled frantically towards a much-needed emergency room.

Right as she turned the next corner, Star froze in her tracks when she saw a distant object laying in the middle of the hallway. It was small enough to be cradled in one's arms and was bundled in a sky blue blanket.

When she came upon it, she gasped in surprise when she recognized all too well exactly was wrapped tightly within the cloth.

The lightly tanned skin. The short brown hair. The beauty mark on his right cheek. There was no doubt about it.

"Oh my gosh, baby newborn Marco!" Star squealed with delight as she took her infant best friend in her arms. His eyes were closed. "Aww, you're soooo adorable! What're you doing on the floor away from Mommy?"

Of course, he couldn't respond. One, he was most likely asleep after being born and two, the memory was currently frozen in time. And even if he could respond, he'd either emit a screeching cry or make gurgling noises. Not much of a conversation there.

Star smiled from heart mark to heart mark as an idea wriggled itself into her mind. Since she had both limbs intact at the moment and newborn Marco was held gently in her arms, she may never get the opportunity to do this ever again. Once she repairs this memory, that was most likely it. She would never get see hide nor hair of baby Marco ever again unless she asked his mom for one of her picture albums. But it wouldn't be the same.

"Boop!" She squeaked and giggled in child-like bliss as she softly poked Marco's nose. While she very much wished he would respond by possibly laughing at her cute, loving gesture, this was the best she could ever get and she was glad nonetheless.

"Hmm." Star narrowed her eyes and her lips as she closely scanned the blanket that wrapped around Marco's little body. "Y'know, I would've picked a red blankie, but you wouldn't know that's your color until much later now, wouldn't you? Wouldn't youuuu?" She playfully cooed as she dragged out that last word.

"Cute kid. Can we keep it?" Evilly asked a familiar, horrid voice.

Star gasped and nearly dropped the infant when she the gurgling words hit her ears.

"Where are you!?" She heatedly asked, her motherly instincts taking hold and keeping baby Marco as close to her as possible. Her view shifted all around, trying to see if the Serpent of Corruption managed to enter the memory alongside with her.

"Still in here. You're doing a better job of keeping me caged than we all thought. But how long will that last, I wonder?"

"I don't care what you say. You're not getting out no matter what." Star seethed as she ground her teeth.

"That depends on you, doesn't it?" The Serpent snidely spoke. "Maybe to make it easier, you should just do the opposite of what Glossaryck asked and change some stuff around. Keeps me satisfied and less likely to get out _and_ Marco would fall head over heels for you when or if he wakes up. Win, win. Whaddya say?"

"Shut up. I'm not manipulating him. You can forget about it."

"If you say so." Star felt an internal shrug. "Just don't come crying to me if you end up seeing something you don't want to. Oh wait, of course you will. 'Till next time, 'Struggler'."

The voice became silent once more, the Serpent hopefully put to rest for good. But of course it's not.

Star held Marco's miniscule body at arm's length, staring into his sleeping face with a solidified look of conviction and determination. Her eyes sparkled as the prospect of rejuvenating he who was precious to her unclouded her thoughts and actions and kept her going.

"I'm never gonna do anything to hurt you. You mean too much to me." She solemnly spoke. With that, her journey through the hospital continued.

Eventually, Star reached a door that lacked the obtrusive fog that blocked the others and was thus accessible. Through the thin glass window was Marco's mom, Angie, sitting up on a bed with covers raised up to her stomach. Raphael stood right beside the bed, holding his wife's shoulder. They seemed to be focused on something in Angie's arms. Or the lack thereof.

"Oh!" A lightbulb flashed above Star's noggin as she quickly turned to the child she was holding, then back to Angie. "Ready to go back to your mommy, little guy?"

"Yeah, Star-neechan! I wanna go back to mommy and go home and eat _all_ the nachos!" Star puppeted Marco, gently rocking him up and down to simulate a response while giving him the squeakiest high pitched voice.

"Oh baby Marco, you know you're not old enough for those yet! You don't have any teeth! "Star playfully waved at him. "And don't call me _neechan_ , you don't even know what anime is."

Right when Star walked up to Angie's bed, she paused for a few moments. She looked down on little Marco with somber eyes as she lamented to part with him. She had to remind herself that it was only the right thing to do if she wanted to fix him. And besides, even if this was a mere echo of the past, a newborn baby _has_ to be with its mother. It's just nature needing to run its course.

"Happy Birthday." She softly spoke. She gave him a quick kiss on the forehead, then gingerly placed him right where he belonged. As soon as his body was nestled in his mother's hold, time began to resume, and all that was in stasis quickly sprung back to life. Star stood there and watched as the intended scene unfolded. Marco's parents didn't seem to be aware of her presence as they shouldn't.

"Whaddya think we should name him?" Angie softly asked as she lovingly looked at the new addition to her family. At some point, baby Marco woke up. He was fidgeting a little, but at least he wasn't crying.

"Hmm." Raphael took a finger to his chin as he gave some thought to his choice. "It must be a strong name. An admirable name. One that demands respect every time it is spoken."

"I think it should also be cute and easy to remember." She peered up at her husband. She gave a low chuckle. "And not something to be embarrassed about when he's older."

"Something that won't force him to legally change it, either." Raphael jokingly added.

"Hmm." They both ponderously hummed. Star was in the background mutely and repeatedly mouthing his name to the unaware memory of his parents, despite not being able to evoke a response from either of them. One after another, the two threw names in the air to see which one stuck.

"Sol?"

"Adam?"

"Raphael Jr.?"

"Ares?"

"Esteban Julio Ricardo Montoya Del Rosa?"

"Nahh..." They dismissively shook their heads. A wave of silence washed over them as they contemplated further on what name to bestow upon their child.

Finally, as if a flash of inspiration came to the both of them, their faces brightened significantly. They looked to one another with excited faces stretched by their wide smiles and bugged out eyes.

"Marco." All three in the room said in unison. The newly named child gurgled and sniffled as if in approval.

Right as his name was uttered, the floor beneath Star turned into water and she fell straight through. She held her breath as her entire body was submerged.

* * *

Star tore out of the bubble, landing face-first onto the shallow shores of the beach. She groaned while her face was underwater, making small bubbles that surrounded her head.

As she arose, she turned around and saw that the bubble remained floating above the water. Now the image splayed across its surface was clear and it depicted a still his parents' loving faces from what appeared to be Marco's point of view.

One after another, multiple sounds of objects splashing out of the sea diverted Star's attention towards the vast, watery expanse as countless bubbles of unusual size emerged, hovering above the surface much like the first one. There were more of them than she could see, their numbers seemingly stretching far beyond the horizon.

As she scanned the surrounding ocean, she noticed that a large majority of the bubbles were blank and empty. At the same time, there were a relative few among them that were covered in blurry blends of various colors.

"Huh." Star remarked as she walked forward. She gasped when she looked down to see that she was miraculously walking _on_ the water as opposed to wading through it. But this is some magical mini-dimension of spiritual proportions, so of course she shouldn't expect the rules of logic and physics to apply here.

She walked towards the nearest blank bubble. She tried putting her hand through it, but it acted like a giant balloon as it simply stretched inwards and her hand rebounded soon after. Seems like she could only interact with whatever was colored. The rules of this place were weird, but she had no choice but to follow them if she wanted to reach her goal.

Speaking of which, she recalled what the old man said about the clouds and the stars and shifted her gaze skywards. While the clouds remained countless and obfuscating, she managed to perceive a single hole in the misty barrier. Beyond it was a clear red sky and a single, shining star. Progress has been made.

With a smile and a nod, Star continued her quest to fix Marco's mind. She surveyed the area, searching for the nearest bubble she could interact with.

Got it. As soon as it caught her attention, Star immediately ran towards it, circling around and avoiding the blank bubbles in her path. Rather than make a calm, steady approach to let her body meld into it like before, her sprint continued without pause and she just kicked off the water and dove right in.

* * *

He gasped awake in a cold sweat and labored pants as his body shot upright. What alarmed him further was that he didn't remember falling asleep at any point.

Or anything at all for that matter. He hadn't the slightest idea of who he was, what he was doing, where he came from, when he got here, why he was here, and how he came here.

All he knew at the moment was that he is currently sitting in some strange place, completely surrounded by a dense fog. His rear and the rest of his body ached as he has been laying on a cobblestone floor for who knew how long.

Directly in front of him was a parted entryway revealing a walkway that went straight forward. Seeing as he might have somewhere to go after all, he rose to his feet and followed the path that was seemingly laid before him. He didn't know what he was supposed to be doing or where he was heading, but he had a feeling he might find out soon enough.

His heart raced and his view shifted rapidly back, forth, and behind as a cacophony of bizarre, other-worldy sounds surrounded him at every turn. As he trudged forward, the fear of getting ambushed by whatever lied beyond the fog making those noises constantly loomed over him. He was left quaking in his clothes with every step. His teeth chattered, but he remained silent, not wishing to attract the attention of anything that might wish him bodily harm.

The further he traveled, he caught wind of a distinct voice cutting through the fog and the unnatural noises. It constantly repeated something over and over. A mantra of sorts that the speaker was perhaps forced to recite for all eternity. As time lapsed, it became much clear that it was a woman's voice. It was rather calm and soothing, putting him at slight ease as he was drawn to the comforting sound as it gradually overpowered the rest.

"Souls of the lost withdrawn from their vessels." Her words were carried through the air with great clarity. Her tone sounded somewhat motherly and serene. "Let peace be upon them so they may rest at ease in their hereafter. So they may rest at ease in the hereafter."

The cobblestone path soon ended upon another wide parting of fog that gave way to an open grassy clearing. There was a tall, stone arch flanked by crumbled gray stone walls that oozed moss between some sets of its large bricks. Beyond the gate was more fog. But that couldn't be, he thought. Surely there had to be _something_ beyond. Otherwise, why else would they have a gate just built here in the middle of nowhere?

Standing a moderate distance from the gate was the source of the repetitious mantra. She was a slender, young woman holding a wooden staff that was double her height. She wore thin and ragged black robes accompanied by a wide, black cape that stretched all the way to her ankles. Her black hair was short and unkempt. Her pale, white skin contrasted with her dark wardrobe, and brightened enough to give the illusion that they were glowing. He was slightly taken off guard by the fact that her eyes were occluded by what looked like hardened wax.

"Ah, an invited soul. Welcome." The maiden ceased her prayers to warmly greet the new arrival. She bowed courteously as she spoke.

"Uhh, hi?" He sheepishly waved. He looked into her concealed eyes as he spoke, though he felt kind of rude for doing so. "Um. Do you... know where I am?"

"Where thou art meant to be, fallen one." She calmly answered. "This is the Nexus of Departed Heroes."

He could only raise an eyebrow in silence as he was confused by her words. As he tried to rationalize it, the words "fallen" and "departed" were repeated over and over in his mind, settling and simmering as he proceeded to process them. As they were brought to the forefront of his thoughts, they lit up all sorts of alarms in his head and his facial features went wider than his face muscles would allow. It hit him like a hard punch to the gut.

"I'M DEAD!?" He yelled outrageously as he loudly slapped each of his cheeks. He began pacing back and forth and freaking out, quietly mumbling to himself as the revelation brought his mind to a state of disarray. He struggled to parse all the information given to him as his composure was in shambles. "Oh, nonononno. No. I-I-I-I'm not dead... I can't be... no no... how is this happening? Wuh-why...? H-how? I'm dead...? I'm dead..."

"By all accounts, yes. Art thou unaware of your placement in the Astral Realm?"

He ceased his ramblings to himself in a flash, as if his attention was unfalteringly gripped by the woman's voice. He instantly calmed down and responded accordingly. "Astral Realm? Is this like Heaven or something?"

"The Afterlife is far more complicated than the idealized interpretations passed on by those of the living." She explained. "The Astral Realm is comprised of countless layers constructed for countless varieties of beings. Some layers art naught but resting places for the deceased. Others art dwellings for the omnipresent and omniscient whose power and influence far surpasses that of you or I."

"And I'm guessing this..." He said as he pointed at the ground below. "...Is for the... dead?"

"Correct."

He gulped. He was attempting to accept his fate as it was laid bare before him, but he couldn't help but remain in disbelief. He didn't even know who he was, or how he even died in the first place. Hell, he didn't even know what he was like before he kicked the bucket. Nothing about it made sense.

"Prithee. Before I am able to process you into your everlasting resting place, I must first examine thine soul. Tell me, fallen one. What is thy name?"

"M-my name?" For some reason, the simple request proved far too much for him to handle. As he searched every inch of his mind, he only came up blank as nothing but whatever his brain recently processed was in his mental banks. His first and only memory was waking up in the middle of a foggy path and walking over here.

"Do not fret." She waved dismissively to assuage his worries, but to no avail. "Such is the tendency for those to lose sight of their past upon entering this realm. The transition between life and death is different for all souls. Hither, allow me to shed light upon that which hath been misplaced. Prithee. Hold still."

The maiden hovered a hand over his chest. A lingering white, glowing ball of pure energy surrounded by tiny, revolving wisps spawned between her palm and his heart. The maiden and he remained still and silent, the latter nervously shivering in his feet as he partook in this strange spiritual checkup of sorts.

"Hm. Curious. I can'st find nary the faintest echo of the past. However, I do see that-"

His blood ran cold when a sharp, startled gasp escaped her lips after she quickly withdrew her hand as if she was in pain. The light between them instantly flickered out of existence in the process. She was momentarily paralyzed as shock took a hold of her. Her lips quivered as she quietly whimpered in fear. The hand that performed the examination also shook as it lingered in the air.

"What? What's wrong?" He asked, alarmed by her severe reaction.

"N-no..." Her dread-stricken voice was barely above a whisper. "H-how is this possible... a Branded... here?"

He only managed to hear one word and, for some reason he couldn't explain, it sent a freezing chill down his spine. "Wha- whaddya mean by Branded?"

She didn't say anything. She kept shivering for a few moments more, making things more uncomfortable for him as time went by. Her keeping quiet wasn't helping matters, either.

"Should I... go back?" He pointed a thumb behind him.

After a few moments more, the maiden managed to compose herself. She took a deep breath as her posture returned to its straight, formal position. She may have calmed down, but it did little to lessen the stress he felt in his heart after that grave response.

"Actually." She began, her tone returned to the calm serenity it held before. "There art a few other anomalies I have detected. It hath been made clear to me why you were brought here."

"Erm, what do you mean?" He scratched his head, confusion still affixed to his mind.

The maiden crossed her arms and steadily tapped her feet as she seemed to be mulling over something. Her head tilted slightly to the side as she stared at him with her wax-covered eyes.

"Bearer of the God Hand. Tethered Soul of the Blood Moon. I beseech thee. Walk forward. All will be made clear in time. No longer will thy remain a blank slate." She directed her hand towards the gate as she gave a much deeper bow seemingly out of respect that he didn't expect to be given.

Pretty much everything she's been saying up to this point has puzzled him to no end as she uttered phrases he knew nothing about. But still, rather than ask and possibly delve even deeper into the realm of perplexity, he decided to take her word for it and go with the flow for now.

With a firm, cooperative nod, he walked past her and approached the gate.

"Ah, a piece of guidance before ye venture further yonder." She stopped him, causing him to make a quick 180 before he went any further.

"Yes?"

She took another exhale before commencing. "Thou must know that space is convoluted in every portion of the Astral Realm. The fabric of reality wavers and relations shift and obscure. Thou might not end up in the same place as others, nor will others may ever meet with thou. If thy wish to retrace thine steps, thou might not end up in the exact place thy came from. Take heed of the fickle nature of this realm's composition. However, I believe that thou shalt inevitably arrive upon whence thou art meant to be. Such is causality."

Understanding her advice, he gave another nod and carried on. Right as he reached the gateway, his movements completely ceased. He felt a faint warmth in his heart and a harmless, yet invigorating burst of electricity in his mind. Like something just suddenly came to him.

"Why dost thou tarry? Prithee. Proceed."

A sudden, out-of-nowhere bout of confidence burned in his spirit. Once again, he turned back around, by his own accord this time. There was a noticeable gleam in his eye as the words rose up his throat with a boundless amount of certainty.

"By the way, my name's Marco Diaz."


	33. Mexico Sun Shine Boy

After passing through the wall of fog that stood beyond the stone gate, Marco found himself in a rather still, silent forest seemingly devoid of any life. Unlike the linear path to the gate that led him here in the first place, this locale was far more open, with no clear paths in sight. A dense, obscuring field of fog loomed a moderate distance over him, blocking the sight of the sky as well as the leaves and branches of the surrounding trees. The area at large was pretty misty itself, but it wasn't as thick or as obtrusive as it was before. Though, there did exist a thicker field of it far ahead.

When Marco peered over his shoulder, he saw a surprising lack of a fog wall, replaced with the rest of the forest in its stead. The maiden did mention that space was convoluted in this place and you may or may not be able to come back to where you just were seconds ago. Returning to the entrance was no longer an option, it would seem.

So with a bracing inhale, followed by a motivating exhale, Marco walked forward. The audible, rhythmic compression of leaves and grass below his feet was all that echoed throughout. There weren't even audible traces of animals anywhere, as one would expect in a natural habitat such as this. The deafening silence unnerved him to no end with every step, but the goal of reaching where he's "meant to be" as well as the faint warmth in his heart kept his stride steady and unwavering, albeit with wary, shifty eyes and a tense, shivering body.

He noticed the fog that lay ahead didn't look as if it drew any closer nor any farther. Like it was moving ahead and staying the same distance regardless of how far he traveled. Marco had a sneaking suspicion that he'd been walking in place the whole time and the world he currently resided in was insultingly giving him the illusion of progress.

After about ten minutes of travel (if you could even call it that), Marco stopped dead in his tracks. His face twisted in a hard wince and a sharp, whispered cry slipped though his lips. An acute, lasting pain assailed the back of his neck, causing him to instinctively bring a hand over it.

"Blood..?" He worriedly pointed out as he felt the warm substance on his fingers as it continuously trickled from a complex scar on his skin. He glided a digit over it, feeling its many lines creating an image of some sort that he wasn't able to interpret. For some reason, he wouldn't stop bleeding.

His self-examination ceased when he heard rapid footsteps coming up from behind him and getting louder with each passing second.

With reflexes he didn't know he had, Marco rolled to the side and collided into a nearby tree, narrowly dodging a downward axe strike that intended to split his skull in half.

His attacker was a ghostly phantom of a man whose entire, ethereal body as well as his weapon was a dark crimson color from head to toe. He wore a bulky set of armor covered in large strips of ragged, perforated cloth. The entirety of his head was concealed under a metal helm flanked by horns that curved upwards.

They locked gazes for a few seconds before the aggressor straightened his posture and ominously shuffled his way towards his target while keeping his broad axe blade in the air.

Seeing as this person was not of the civil persuasion, Marco shot to his feet and skedaddled on out of there. In his panicked sprint, the thought of looking back never once crossed his mind as he loathed to discover if this homicidal maniac was anywhere near catching up to him. Even though he's evidentally lost his memories, he at least maintained a sense of self-preservation in spite of the fact that he was apparently already dead.

Much to his grief, Marco was starting to hear another set of running footsteps joining the cadence of his. He wasn't sure if it was the guy from before or if another pursuer has joined the fray, but he definitely didn't want to find out.

After the chase perpetuated for what felt like an eternity, the footsteps that joined Marco's did not let up whatsoever. At some point, morbid curiosity pushed sense and self-preservation out of the way and took the helm as Marco foolishly decided to smuggle a glimpse over his shoulder.

This seemingly trivial action ended up costing him significantly as his current pursuer managed to tackle him hard to the ground. They straddled his back and held his head firmly in place, forcing him to face the side.

There was a hitch in Marco's breath and his heart when a ghostly, dark-red hand holding a dagger shifted into view and pointed the tip of the blade towards his neck. Despite being a spirit, the attacker's weight was enough to hold Marco's entire body down and mitigate any form of escape or resistance. He made every feeble attempt to thrash about and push himself up, but his orientation as well as the strength of the phantom removed any hope for freedom.

All Marco could do now was prepare for his impending doom. He briefly wondered what would happen if he died in the afterlife. He was just a wandering soul now, so he resolved that the logical escalation would be complete nonexistence. He lamented the fact that he never got to discover who he truly was, how he got here or any of the other questions about his past that plagued him. Not even thirty minutes have passed into his journey in the afterlife and he was already on the verge of being dead yet again. This time, he'll know exactly how it happened.

On the bright side, at least he didn't have any attachments to people that he might've known since he couldn't have remembered them. As far as he was concerned, he had no past to speak of and therefore had none to worry about. Just his name and that was it.

But then again, even if he had forgotten them, he probably had people in his past life that loved and cared for him. People who certainly wouldn't have wanted this type of fate to befall him. If they had heard that something terrible happened, they'd surely become depressed or angry and grieve, cry, or demand vengeance upon those who dealt this killing blow to him as well as the lasting wound to their hearts.

They definitely wouldn't want him to give up on his (after)life so easily. They'd want him to fight. Fight for his life. Fight for their sake. Fight so he'll be able to see them again. The lingering warmth in his heart instantly raised to a blistering heat.

"NO!" Marco screamed at the tip of his lungs as he mustered a tremendous amount of unnatural strength to push himself up and toss the assailant off his back, sending them a few feet away.

Rather than resume his fleeing, Marco instead faced his attacker and took a defensive fighting stance. His opponent turned out to be a lanky being in a tattered cloak whose face was concealed behind a hooded mask. Unlike the other phantom, they looked to be more geared towards stealthy approaches as opposed to direct confrontation. Marco felt like he had a chance.

Though, all the confidence that rose within him were instantly quashed as the hulking warrior from before was just a short distance away and menacingly approaching.

Regardless, Marco stood his ground, no longer feeling the need to run away from his fears. Rather, he had a much stronger urge to confront them head-on. If he was gonna die again, he'd at least die swingin'.

Blasting a piercing war cry that shattered the solid silence and driven by the adrenaline ever-flowing in his veins, Marco ran forward with reckless abandon and his fist raised. With all the power he could gather, he threw one massive, decisive punch.

The thundering crack of lightning cut Marco's strike short as his foe suddenly flew far to the side, their ethereal body surging in electricity. Once they hit the ground, they immediately started violently writhing in agony as the electricity crackled and wrapped itself around them. Over time, their body commenced fading piece by piece as if their existence was gradually gnawed away by an unseen force. Their entire being faded into a red, translucent mist, nothingness taking its place soon after.

The other phantom instantly halted his advancement when he witnessed the instant death of his comrade. His gaze shifted all around, presumably searching for the other mysterious assailant. The thick, tangible silence accompanied by an equally dense tension came back full force. Neither person had any inclination to move forward nor take any form of action. They remained still in fear for their existences as neither knew who was next on the chopping block.

As Marco looked all about, he was unable to find the source of that unforeseen blast of lightning. Either it came from miles away or the source immediately went into hiding upon executing their attack. His face glistened beneath a sheen of sweat as the tension weighed on his shoulders further and further.

The seemingly unbreakable silence shattered into pieces when a long blade was plunged through the torso of the opposing spirit. Seconds after, he was tossed to the ground like a rag doll. He feebly attempted to rise to his feet while his ghostly being faded into the ether until every single particle of his body flickered out of view.

Triumphantly standing over him was a knight decked out in what looked like handmade cloth and chainmail armor. Upon his torso was a white cloth shirt with its shoulders colored green. Displayed across his chest as well as his broad, circular shield was a colorful depiction of a personified sun who held a rather apathetic expression. Each limb was thoroughly covered in chainmail with his sleeves ending in iron guantlets that wound around his wrists and iron boots that stood just short of his knees. Marco couldn't see his face, as it lied beneath a bucket-shaped silver helm topped with a single red feather.

"You should proceed with more caution." He said as he holstered his equipment and approached Marco. "The transitory passages between astral abodes can be quite treacherous. Also, I nearly mistook you for one of them because of your current state of dress!"

The knight gave a hearty, muffled chuckle. Marco tried to join in, but he wasn't able to match his genuine mirth.

"What... who were those guys?" Marco asked, panting as the adrenaline dissipated and was replaced with fatigue.

"Black Phantoms." His savior answered with a bit of animosity in his tone. "Wretched specters that seek to harvest the souls of innocents. It is unusual for them to wander around these parts, but this is a rather vulnerable part of the Nexus. Every now and then, aimless spirits of many forms tend to find their way here and leave quickly afterwards. Some harmless, some not so much. It's a toss up, really. Anyways, are you alright? You are not injured are you?"

"I'm ok... and thanks for the um, help there." Marco nervously expressed his gratitude as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Oh, it is my pleasure. As a Warrior of Sunlight, I live to help others in their time of need. Or should I say, lived?" Muffled laughter escaped his helm once again.

"Heh heh, yeah..."

"So, since we have coincidentally run into each other, tell me young man. What is your name?"

He hesitated a bit. The sudden discovery of his own name was still fresh in his mind. "Um. Marco Diaz."

"Hmm." The knight tapped a finger to the bottom rim of his helm. "Ah, a fine name. I'm not sure why, but there's something about it that exhudes a certain... brightness, for lack of a better term. But in any case, would you like to come and visit my abode? It's not very often I have the pleasure of meeting new people or receive visitors."

"People have homes here?" Marco raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Why, yes indeed. When a soul first arrives, they travel through the transitory passage until the powers that be decides to lead them towards their ideal resting place. I was informed by the maiden that it has to do with the scanning of your soul and providing information for the realm to process so that it may accomodate your interests, desires, and tastes. Since it is abundantly clear to me that you have yet to find yours, what say you? Care to join me in mine for the time being?"

"Uh, sure I guess." He affirmed. He figured it'd be better than wandering this forest any longer if it meant staying somewhere safer. Maybe this kind stranger's place is where he's meant to be.

"Excellent!" He clapped his hands once in excitement. "Ah, but where are my manners? I'm inviting a stranger to my home without properly introducing myself first. I am Solaire, formerly of Astora and once proud member of the Warriors of Sunlight."

"Nice to meet you, Solaire." Marco extended a friendly hand.

"Well met, indeed." The knight took his hand and the two shook on their new bond. The knight's grip was firm and strangely, yet comfortably warm. Their grasps released and Solaire pointed a thumb behind himself. "Shall we?"

"Lead the way."

With a nod of his bucket helm, the warrior resumed his travels with Marco following close behind. Since he now had a companion to protect him on this journey, he no longer felt a hint of concern or cautiousness and was thus relaxed for the remainder of their stroll.

"So Marco." He began, his gaze kept forward as he spoke. "I'm curious. For a young lad such as yourself, it is rather strange that you ended up in this particular plane of the astral realm. Now I am not one to judge, but do enlighten me. What heroics have brought you here?"

"H-heroics?" Anxiety and uncertainty seized him once again as the awareness of his current state of amnesia came back. He did remember that the maiden at the gate mentioned that this particular part of the realm was a place for "departed heroes." He guessed that his being here was a hint towards his past. But as much as he would want to regale his new friend of whatever fabled life he may have lived prior, he unfortunately could not.

"I uh... don't remember." He admitted, downtrodden. He pensively looked to the ground in shame and awkwardness.

"How peculiar." Solaire remarked, maintaining the friendliness in his tone. "Was the maiden at the gate unable to elucidate your past?"

"Pretty much."

"Hmm." He pondered for a bit, but his speed remained consistently the same. "Well, I've no doubt that you must have done some legendary feat of righteousness during your time as a mortal. Otherwise, why else were you brought here?"

"Well, she did say a few things that gave me some hints but... I still don't understand them."

"Oh? What did she tell you?"

"Well." Marco scratched his head as he tried to wrap it around the Maiden's strange, yet important-sounding words. "She said I was a Bearer of the God Hand and a Tethered Soul of the Blood Moon. Oh, and I was... Branded? Pretty sure that's what she said, but I dunno what any of them means. You got any ideas?"

Much to Marco's shock, his knight friend stopped dead in his tracks, nearly causing the teen to collide with him. Solaire stood there as still as a statue. Not moving, not saying anything. Marco wasn't sure if he was still breathing. The tension became as thick as the fog dead ahead as the inactivity went on.

Marco's heart raced as morbid anticipation seized him. He wasn't sure what he expected the answer to be should Solaire be fully aware of his situation, and frankly, that's what frightened him the most. Because of this specific reaction, Marco wasn't sure if he wanted to know or if he would rather live in blissful ignorance of any possible atrocities that he may have been a part of, whether he was an actual hero or not.

Solaire turned around and peered down at Marco. The eye slits of his helmet were shooting daggers into his core. Their locking of gazes made him feel smaller and more uneasy. The latter had zero idea about what the former could be thinking or what type of expression he was making.

"Mmm, nope. Can't say that I have." Solaire broke the silence and the expectations that Marco never knew he had when he gave a dismissive shrug. "They sound quite important, however."

Dumbfounded by his lackadaisical attitude, Marco just stood there and gazed at him in awe. Very briefly, he legitimately expected him to have it all figured out in an instant and would subsequently give him a detailed, informative lecture on who and what he was.

But nope. He had nary a crumb of knowledge to feed his amnesiac friend with, leaving him continuously starving for memories that were miles out of his reach. And thus the two moved on as normal.

"Did the maiden also not explain to you the meanings of said titles?" Solaire asked.

"No, not at all. She just told me to go forward and I'll figure everything out along the way."

Solaire became silent once again, though his stride continued rather than cease. In case he had another impending "epiphany" Marco lowered his expectations

"We've arrived." He announced. The two stopped a few inches from a dense wall of fog. The very same variety that Marco thought was eluding him before his fateful encounter.

"After you, sir." Solaire presented his guest with a bow and a gentlemanly wave towards the "door". With a nod and a smile, Marco obliged, immersing his entire body into the cloudy entrance.

Once the cloudy mass dissipated, Marco landed his feet upon fresh, green grass. His eyes bugged out, his jaw fell, and his entire body froze. He stood in awe, basking in the visually stimulating sight presented before him.

Solaire's "home" was simply a flat, endless ocean of sunflowers that spread farther and wider than the eye could see. The tranquil land was eternally embraced by the warm, enveloping shine of the sun that hovered at its apex among a pristine blue sky alongside slowly flowing clouds of various shapes and sizes. One would assume that beyond the horizon where the field seemingly ended were more sunflowers lying in wait. It was like peering at a painting you'd find in an esteemed art museum made by an artist whose entire works consist of vibrant, sunny landscapes that aims to radiate joy and optimism to those who look upon them.

In the midst of all the flowers, like a boat in the eternal blue, was a small, quaint little house. It was a simple, square building with white bricks lining the perimeter. On the side that Marco was facing, there was the same drawing of the sun as displayed on the his shield and armor.

The roof was the most unusual part of the house as it was made entirely out of clear glass as opposed to shingles that roofs were normally made with.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" Solaire beamed as he came up behind Marco. Much like before, the fog that allowed them entry into this new locale was not at all present. "Truly an abode worthy of a Warrior of the Sun, don't you think?"

"Yeah, it's... really pretty. This whole place is yours?"

"Indeed it is. A product of everything I've ever wanted in a home. The kind I would only see in my dreams. Now, I am constantly living it. Without any worry or strife to sully any of it."

"So this is like... your heaven."

"In every sense, yes. But let's not dawdle out here any longer. We should head inside, if you please."

As the two made their brisk path towards his house, the sunflowers that stood before them instantly sank into the ground with every inch of ground they covered and immediately rose back up once they have passed. Marco's gaze went here, there, and everywhere while he marveled at the fantastical nature of the environment as it acted on the whims of the two that currently resided within.

The interior of his residence wasn't as impressive or as fantastical as the endless yard that surrounded it. It was a single, brightly lit room that's essentially a kitchen, bedroom, and living room confined in one square. Marco was on the verge of asking where the bathroom was, though he only wanted to satisfy his curiosity than actually use it.

"Yes, I know what you're thinking." Solaire began. A toothy grin shined from his face, now visible after taking off his helmet. He was a fair skinned, smooth faced man with slick, blonde hair that was tied and hung in a short ponytail. "'Why not a mansion or a castle?', you ask. Well, my young friend, I shall tell you why. I am a simple man with simple needs who needs not excess while living my eternal afterlife. I only desire what is necessary. Ah, but enough about that. Please, make yourself at home."

Not wanting his hospitality to go to waste, Marco sought the nearest seat on a nearby circular dining table.

"Care for some refreshments, Marco?" The gracious host asked as he pulled open his fridge.

"Sure, why not?" He shrugged. He didn't feel any parched, but he couldn't bring himself to refuse his new friend's kindness. In fact, he didn't feel any famished either. Or tired. He wondered if those were the effects of being within a heavenly place such as this.

From out of the bulky, rectangular container came an emerald-green glass pitcher of a bright-orange beverage that looked to be... glowing? He poured a couple cups of it. A faint, orange mist emanated from the liquid as it flowed from pitcher to cup. As cool as it looked, Marco warily narrowed his eyes towards the strange drink. This didn't go unnoticed.

"Ha ha. Relax, my friend." He says as he slid the filled glass towards his guest. "It may not look like your average drink, but trust me, it's nothing to concern yourself over. I have consumed almost nothing but this for the duration of my previous adventure. Go on, don't be shy."

Exhibiting a level of caution he wasn't aware he had, Marco meticulously scanned the entire glass from top to bottom. When he took it in his hand, he was taken aback by the unexpected warmth that was present despite the fact that it came from a fridge. He swished it back and forth to test its fluidity while making little waves within the container that splashed lightly against its inner walls. As he looked closer, he noticed nigh unnoticeable sparkles on the surface of the liquid.

"Hmhm. You must've been quite paranoid in your past life it seems." Solaire remarked with a hummed chuckle. He rested his chin on his fingers as he observed the strange acts of this fish out of water sitting at his table.

Realizing that Solaire seemed way too kind to have some ulterior motive involving drinks, Marco shrugged and took a slow, methodical sip. The warm temperature combined with a sweet and tangy combination was something he couldn't say he experienced before, but it was good enough to keep his lips on the glass and eventually going bottoms up as he lapped up every single drop.

With a relieved, resounding "ahh" Marco clapped the bottom of the glass against the table, feeling as fresh as a daisy.

"Whoa." Marco exclaimed as he brought his hands over his cheeks. "Am I supposed to feel all warm and tingly inside?"

"Indeed. It's a feeling I've gotten used to but never tire of. Perhaps that is why it has come to be my favorite drink even in the afterlife. It's addicting without being harmful. Its primary purpose is actually to heal wounds, believe it or not."

"Well, may I have some more?"

"Help yourself." Solaire insisted, to which the boy took the go ahead as permission to drain the entire pitcher and chugging cup after cup till the very last drop.

"Errrp, sorry." Marco sheepishly apologized with a quiet burp.

"Hm?" Solaire perked up, seemingly now noticing that his guest emptied his entire pitcher of his favorite drink. He was reclining in his chair, his head in the clouds and gazing up at the sky through his crystal clear ceiling. "Oh, no worries. I don't see myself running out of any reserves of Estus any time soon."

The two stood in silence as the host continued staring directly at the sun that hung straight above the house. Marco was intrigued by how he managed to do that without going blind. He decided to try it himself and he was pleasantly surprised to discover that the sun was not altering or damaging his eyesight even the slightest bit.

"It's amazing isn't it?" Solaire asked, his tone suddenly taking a turn for the nearly whispered and the wistful. "The sun, I mean. This one in particular. It rises and sets at my every whim. It never allows the temperature to escalate to an unbearable heat and always maintains a consistently comfortable warmth. It also disallows any damage done to your eyesight should you feel the need to marvel at its ever-present brilliance. And no matter where you are, its light is like a shadow, following you at every waking moment no matter where you are and regardless of the time of day. Truly a remarkable celestial body worthy of praise."

"You really love the sun, don't you?" He points out as he stares at the face of the drawn sun displayed on his torso.

"I'm well aware of how strange my affinity for the sun can be. I will admit that it does border on obsession from time to time. Ha ha ha!"

"Heh heh heh." That was a genuine laugh without a hint of nervousness. Marco was truly relaxed. "It's ok, Solaire. I won't judge. Everybody has quirks. It's what makes a person a person, y'know?"

"Indeed." Solaire sat straight up and looked directly at Marco. His face held an inquisitive, yet determined expression. "Do you think you've had your own sun in your past life?"

Marco arched a confused eyebrow. "Uh, I know I've lost my memories and all that, but I'm preeetty sure I'm, er, was too young to have a kid."

"No, not a child. I meant the _sun_." He clarified by pointing a finger skywards. "You know, something to look forward to upon first awakening. The radiance that guides your righteous path and your every action. That which encompasses your daily life and literally and figuratively brightens your day. Do you perchance recall if you've had anything like that?"

For some reason, Marco's heart sunk and it caused him to slump in his seat. His gaze lingered on the pensive visage that reflected from his empty glass. His emotions were taking hold of him and he had no idea why.

"I... I think?" He answered with complete uncertainty accompanied by an inexplicable sadness. "I feel like I do... or did... I dunno. For some reason I feel really bummed that I forgot what it is. Or was."

"Hmm." Solaire simply said as he gingerly and sincerely nodded his head. "Tis a pity."

"What about you? Did you have a 'sun' in your life?"

"Of course I did!" Solaire beamed as the sun reflected off his glistening, toothy smile. "I gave up so much in my long, arduous pursuit for my very own sun. But I strongly feel that it was all worth it in the end."

"What was it?"

"What was what?"

"The thing you were pursuing."

"Why, it was the sun, of course! Have you not been listening?"

"Wait, you mean you were literally chasing the sun? The huge. fiery ball of gas in the sky?"

"Well, when you interpret it that way, you make it sound rather silly. And it is! Ha ha ha!"

"I mean..." Marco scratched his head, searching for the least offensive way to express his thoughts. "It's not like you can... travel to it and live there or...do whatever you wanted to do with it."

"Oh, I'm well aware. I'd be reduced to ashes if I got anywhere near the sun, much less live in it. Ha ha ha ha!"

Marco was baffled to a great degree and was stunned as a result. His jaw parted and closed periodically as he was unable to parse Solaire's "logic", if you could even call it that, and form an appropriate response.

"Take your time, I understand it is a lot to take in." He spoke facetiously, laughing once again.

"So..." He managed to get his train of thought back on track. "What exactly did you get in the end?"

He didn't answer right away. Instead he rested his chin upon his hands as he fell into a state of fond reminiscence.

"I became something that shone brighter and burned greater than the sun itself." His voice was low as he spoke dreamily. "It was beyond anything I would have ever hoped for. And I would do it again if the opportunity presents itself. In fact, I've been visiting someone regularly for a while who's been helping me do just that. It's a slow process, but I anticipate the final results."

Marco didn't say anything more. He was uncertain of his comprehension of Solaire's romanticized and confusing words, but it was better than not understanding it at all. One thing was for sure, though.

"Maybe that's why I'm here. In this realm, I mean." He concluded as he leaned back in his chair. "I need to find my own sun."

Solaire nodded in agreement. "It would seem to me that this realm was not meant to be your final resting place, but rather, another obstacle to overcome. I have a feeling that your journey has far from ended, my friend."

"Well, I do feel this... thing in my heart." He placed a hand over his chest to emphasize. "I almost don't notice it, but it's like... pulsing and heating up a little. I keep getting this feeling that I'm supposed to keep moving."

"As cliched as the phrase might be, is it not often said that you should follow your heart?"

Every fiber of his being was lit aflame and lightning struck his mind as another flash of inspiration shined upon Marco. The gleam in his soft brown eyes returned, brighter than before. He felt something tugging his heart and his body towards one direction.

"You know what?" Marco stood up. He was suddenly imbued with vigor and determination that flowed through his veins and began to steer his decisions. "You're right! I need to keep going and find my past! That's gonna be my sun."

"Then you should not delay any longer." Solaire rose from his seat and pointed towards the door. "Go forth! Find your sun, Marco! And until we fatefully cross paths yet again, I shall await with bated breath the regaling of your tales of victory!"

Without thinking and without hesitating, the motivated teen walked towards the door. As soon as he opened it, he was surprised to see that, rather than being met with the beautiful flowery landscape, there was a dense field of fog that filled the entire doorway. Heaving a deep breath, he moved his foot forward.

"Wait!" Solaire shouted while extending an open palm. Marco ceased his departure and turned his head to the side.

"During your journey, I must request a paltry favor from you."

"Anything." Marco made a full 180 to hear him out.

The Warrior of Sunlight stood and thought for a moment. Then, with a stern, yet calming disposition, he began. "If you... ever encounter a woman by the name of Solaria... please let her know that I wish to meet and catch up with her. For old time's sake."

"Is she related to you or something?"

"Heh, you would think that, wouldn't you?" He said as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. There was a nigh imperceivable shade of red on his cheeks. His mood then dampened and his tone became moderately pensive. "No, we're just fellow warriors with nigh exact interests who happened upon one another's path. She's the greatest friend and partner I've ever had the honor of fighting alongside with. It saddens me that I was unable to find her in this realm, but perhaps it was not meant to be."

"Don't worry Solaire, I'm sure you'll find her." Marco said, his words brimming with confidence. "And I'll be sure to let her know if I see her first."

"Thank you, Marco. That's all I ask."

Right when he turned back around. Solaire piped up again.

"Oh and one more thing."

Rather than say anything more, he held an outstretched fist to the side, with his elbow slightly bent. It was a gesture of silent resolve, wordlessly telling Marco to hold on to your hopes and dreams for dear life.

The boy raised an eyebrow, perplexed by the strange motion and ultimately not understanding it. The gears in his head whirred and spun as he processed the image until it eventually clicked. Smiling and silently showing his gratitude, he reciprocated the gesture, telling him to do the same and continue practicing what he wordlessly preached.

"Long may your sun shine, Marco."

With an assured and grateful nod, Marco dipped into the dense cloud, leaving Solaire's astral property for the time being. It rapidly faded from the doorframe instantly after.

With the room left in silence, Solaire did nothing else but recline in his chair and continued his staring contest with the sun.


	34. Sei Se Stella Fatti Vedere

"Oof!" Star fell flat on her face upon a linoleum floor that was reminiscent of the previous location. The stinging pain was a cruel, yet much-needed reminder that her gun-jumping tendencies hurt more than they helped and thus should be utilized in moderation. Or not, as is was the case with her. She got to her feet with a pained groan and a rubbing of her head.

"Ookayy... this is... different." Star commented as she looked this way, that way, and all around trying to process and rationalize what the heck she was looking at and standing in.

Things took a turn for the surreal and absurd when Star found herself in a maze of sorts. Blinking eyes covered the entirety of the ceiling with their gazes affixed towards one direction. She surmised that she was in some nightmare version of a school as evident by the endless rows of blue lockers lining the walls and the torn and dirtied academic motivational posters plastered on said lockers. Despite this being a school, there was a disturbing lack of classroom doors and any sign of life.

Balled up scraps of paper, overturned cafeteria trays filled with splattered food and clouded by flies, and...moist substances that belonged in the toilet littered the floor. The almost inaudible cackles of young children was ever present in the area, without a source to accurately pinpoint.

"Well, this got real crazy real quick." She remarked as she crossed her arms and contemplated her next course of action. "Man, whatever memory this was must've messed up Marco real bad. Wonder if he's had therapy as a kid or something."

Star's ears perked up when she started to hear a faint echoing of a repetitive metallic banging noise in the distance. It sounded as if someone was trying to break in or break out of a locker by colliding with it. Taking that as an objective to work towards, Star decided to follow the noise. She rounded every corner where it sounded like it was getting louder while simultaneously attempting to dodge all the garbage on the floor.

Star began to notice that the mess grew more dense as she traveled on, making it increasingly difficult to avoid all the unmentionables. She became aware that the eyes on the ceiling had their stares directed towards where she was going. She theorized that their presence was a means to guide her towards the objective. As she advanced further and further, the mess reached the point where she could barely see the floor and she had to deal with the feel and stench of whatever she ended up stepping on. Disgusting, but she's been through worse.

Eventually, Star reached a four way crossroads that ended up putting her at an impasse. The metallic banging noise along with the ghostly laughter was at is loudest and most clear in the path forward and the refuse ended up piling high enough to reach her shins. However, the eyes on the ceiling directed their gazes to her right, with the refuse being not as intense and slightly easier to wade through.

Quite a pickle she has ended up indeed. She wasn't sure whether she should trust the eyes on the ceiling or whatever she was hearing. In a place like this, what _can_ you trust? If this was part of Marco's consciousness, then surely it wouldn't dare lead her to harm, would it? Plus, Glossaryck never mentioned anything that could possibly hurt her while she was in here. His warning of the more traumatic memories neither confirmed nor denied any probability of encountering such.

So what to do? Much like the journey she embarked into her wand, she wasn't able to bring it with her and thus was only left with her wits to accompany and assist her. She didn't have a coin to flip to make this fifty-fifty decision, either.

Seems there was only one thing to do at a time like this.

"Eenie, meenie, minie, mo." Star pointed between the two paths as she spoke each word. "Catch a monster by the toe, if he hollers, let him go. My mommy told me to pick the very best one aaand. You. are. it."

Eyes it is, then. With a bit of spring in her step, Star followed the disembodied pupils, taking her through multiple twists and turns. As she ventured further, the sounds grew much fainter and fainter but has not reached the point of silence. The garbage on the floor was also lowering in abundance. She hadn't bothered to remember the path back as she had hoped that the eyes would help her out in that regard. If it wasn't for them, or the echoing noise going ad infinitum, she'd certainly wander this maze for eternities.

After what felt like forever but was in actuality about ten minutes, Star came across a T-junction where the gaze of every eye converged onto its center. They were focused on a lone locker. Hanging from one of its narrow openings was a long, white cloth sash. There was something written on it with black marker.

"Youuu... want me to take this?" She asked the eyes as she pointed at the white sash. As if in response, every eye present darted their pupils vertically as if to nod in confirmation.

With a shrug, she took it in her hands and give it a good once-over. The sash reminded her of what Marco wore on his waist along with his gi whenever he attended karate practice. As she examined it, the writing became much clearer.

 _06-06-07_

She narrowed her eyes at the set of numbers, trying to interpret its meaning and relevance. The way it was arranged made it look like a date. If that were the case, then it gave Star the idea that she certainly wasn't going through his memories in chronological order if she jumped six years following his birth. Moreover, something awful must've happened to Marco on that specific day if the event was repressed and obfuscated beneath such an out-there imagination. Sheesh and Star thought she was more disturbingly vivid.

Star's attention was diverted towards the ceiling when a series of overlapping squishing noises resounded from above and resonated throughout every hallway. All the eyeballs shifted their glances towards the left of the T-junction as opposed to behind, where Star came from. She figured this must've been a shorter route towards the looping sound.

With the white sash in hand, Star tied it around her waist. Once more, she had to abide by the whims of the ceiling eyes and commenced walking onward. Finally, they were leading her closer towards the source of the sound as it gradually increased in volume.

She eventually reached a hallway where the litter was pronounced enough to cover a good portion of the wall of lockers. Star wasn't sure if this was the same crossroads she found herself in previously, but it didn't matter to her. All that mattered was getting to the bottom of the metallic banging.

Star's movement and speed were severely hindered as she struggled to motion her legs through the still current of trash that collided with her shins. When she tried standing on the surface of the sea of trash thinking that it was solid enough to support her weight, she immediately dipped right back in, forced to travel almost knee deep in an abhorrent mixture of food, discarded schoolwork, and possibly fecal matter.

At some point, the mess reached slightly above her knees but it seemed as though their density capped right there and hadn't gone any higher since then. Also, amidst the frantic, repeated banging noise was a muffled screeched wailing that could either belong to a boy or a girl. While it was obvious that it belonged to a child who wasn't anywhere near ten years old, it was hard to tell whose voice it was. Even Star's narrowing distance towards the source wasn't making it any clearer.

The banging and disembodied, juvenile giggling reached the peak of their clarity and volume when Star came up on a complete dead end with a single row of lockers. One of them had its door bumping forward repeatedly, threatening to unhinge and unleash whatever was making their feeble attempt to escape. In between shrieks, the being behind the locker let loose a few choking sobs, then resumed its screaming once more.

Driven by the virtuous desire to help whoever was trapped, Star frantically ran towards the locker, stumbling and staggering as she cut through the high piling trash that tried but failed to impede her.

The locker was combination locked. Of course. But luckily, the numbers on that sash didn't prove difficult to remember whatsoever. She didn't even need to untie it from her waist.

"Six. Six. Seven." Star softly recited as she turned the circular dial according to its proper sequence. The rough rumbling of the locker made it somewhat difficult to focus and do it precisely, but Star was able to muscle through it.

Right as she input the final number, the locker swung open, pushing Star far aside and making way for a considerably younger Marco who bolted out of the rectangular box like a bat outta Hell, screaming his head off as he made his frenzied way. The eyes above followed his every move as he tore through the littered hallways.

Without further hesitation, Star made chase. Despite her heightened athleticism compared to 14-year-old Marco, she was unable to catch up to the frantic child, but followed close enough behind to maintain her sights on him. Despite the severely thick sea of trash surrounding them, neither's speed nor balance was mitigated in the very least.

Both stopped dead in their tracks when several elongated arms shot out of the garbage pile and grabbed at Marco's limbs, keeping him in place and preventing any further advancements. Several more sprouted from the ground, doing everything they could to injure him. Pinch, punch, scratch, slap, you name it. Sharp cries of pain periodically cut into his nonstop screaming as he writhed and struggled to escape the hands that assaulted him.

Star was on the cusp of bursting to action when she heard Glossaryck's words from earlier echoing in her mind right as she took her first step.

 _Everything has to play out exactly how it did in the past_

Mentally plagued by the potential to ruin his mind in any way, shape, or form, whether through minor or significant changes, Star ceased any further advances. Not wanting to witness young Marco's torture any longer, she averted her gaze as burning tears attempted to escape her tightly clenched eyelids. She wasn't sure if this whole thing was a product of the trauma wrought by the deplorable acts of their enemies or if this was a culmination of all of his fears and insecurities that were molded during his formative years. Either way, she wished that it would cease immediately.

"Suffering is delicious isn't it?" The Serpent piped up. "That's why you're letting it eat you up inside rather than do anything to stop it."

Star didn't say anything. She just wanted it to be over. The screaming kept going and the pain wouldn't subside.

"C'mon, why won't you help the poor kid out? Look at him. He's desperate for someone to save him. The only person who could do that right now is you and you're just standing there turning your back on him. Relishing in his despair."

Finding it all too much to bear any longer, Star proceeded to walk away from Marco, leaving him to handle his psychological persecution on his own. If he had to go through this without any alteration, then surely she wasn't needed as a witness.

But of course, a huge part of her thought otherwise and her body expressed it accordingly. Star felt a scorching sensation on her forearms as they began to get coated in dark purple corruption.

"Ah. Ah. Ahh. You're not getting off that easily." Snidely remarked the Serpent. "I can feel it loud and clear. Every part of you is screaming to go help him, but you deny the very needs of your aching heart. Why? Don't you love him? Don't you want to protect him? Don't you care about him?"

Star was nearing her wit's end, her fingers slipping from the thread of the idea that this Marco was simply a projection of his mind. It's justifiable to lament towards what's happening, but as Glossaryck so fervently requested of her, she shouldn't make any attempts to cease it no matter how much it internally devastated her and physically altered her.

Her ears perked up when she heard Marco's screaming gradually lowering in volume and his frantic footsteps resuming as she witnessed him free himself of his bounds and ran straight down the hall.

Overwhelmed by the lasting burn on her arms, she quickly followed suit, falling behind and maintaining the same distance as before. As she ran, the pain became less and less intense, but was still present enough to force Star's face to twist into a constant grimace as she made her way.

Right as Marco crossed into another hallway, Star slid to a stop as she witnessed the lockers on both sides slam their doors open and shoot out unending, unavoidable barrages of dodgeballs. His small form was getting pelted on both sides, pushing him roughly side to side as he could barely keep himself standing steady. At some point, he was tripped up by a ball that flew low and fell flat on his stomach. Rather than get to his feet to keep running, the boy wallowed in his despair and took to curling up into a fetal position. He wept and whimpered as the onslaught continued.

"It's not real. It's not real. It's not real." Star opted to repeat to herself loudly enough to drown out Marco's cries. To supplement the process, she also shut her eyes and covered her ears. "It's just a figment of his trauma. It's just a figment of his trauma."

"Yeah keep telling yourself that." The Serpent hissed. His voice was loud and clear even if everything else wasn't. "You gonna do the same thing even when he's actually getting hurt?"

She didn't bother to respond. To add reinforcement to the audial barriers she's put up, she ground her teeth as she repeated her mantra. Her words became incomprehensible as doing both while maintaining verbal clarity was difficult, but the general idea remained.

The piercing screech of a gym whistle gripped Star's attention. A moment after, the lockers stopped shooting dodgeballs and instantly slammed closed in unison. Taking advantage of the abrupt end of the rubber rain, Marco unfurled his body and shot forward to resume his wild run throughout the "school". With no desire left to argue with herself, she trailed right behind him.

The two eventually ran into a corridor that lacked any scrap of trash and was far wider than the hallways they traversed prior. Up ahead, Star could see the end of the hallway, which appeared to be the entrance/exit of the school signified by several rows of glass doors. A rectangular purple poster with a crude depiction of a black shoe was adhered to the one at the very center. Rather than display the image of the outside where a suburban portion of Echo Creek should be, it was instead displaying the interior of... The strip mall dojo?

Right as Marco was just several feet from potential freedom, his body dropped into a raging whirlpool that materialized beneath his feet out of nowhere. He spun round and round in the sickeningly green and feces-filled vortex, gradually advancing towards the vacuuming center with every lap he made.

For once throughout the entire nightmarish marathon in which he was an unfortunate participant of, Marco held his hand outwards and screamed for help. He thrashed his arms all about as his hands clawed at the air in a feeble attempt to grab onto something.

Seeing as how this was a legitimate life-or-death situation, Star absentmindedly threw Glossaryck's earlier warnings to the wind and started to look around for any way to save him. Out of sheer desperation, she looked to the ceiling for anything the eyes could direct towards in order to save him.

Strangely enough, they no longer had their focus affixed to Marco since he fell into that whirlpool. In fact, their gazes landed upon the row of doors that lead to the bizarrely oriented dojo.

She ran up to one of the doors and made an attempt to pull its handle. Locked. She repeated the action with the rest. Also locked.

If the eyes didn't want her to enter the bizarrely oriented dojo, what did they want her to do? Clearly if they were apparently directing her towards the correct course of action, they wouldn't have shifted their gazes for no reason. Though, with some quick thinking, Star did realize that the white sash did, in fact, have something to do with karate since the dojo happened to be located in here of all places. Or a projection of it at least.

A light bulb flashed above her noggin when she became keenly aware of the belt wound around her waist. She looked at it once more, then looked back towards the dojo past the doors.

"Oh!" She sharply uttered as the solution finally dawned on her.

Star looked back at the still wailing Marco. He was already halfway towards the middle.

With no more time to waste, she untied the sash and stood at the edge of the vortex. Using the fishing knowledge she gained from Marco on that camping trip, she cast the length of a belt exactly like a fishing line, aiming for where his grasping hands were headed. She missed. She tried again. She missed again. The distance between him and the center were dangerously closing in.

"C'mon! C'mon!" She shouted, internally pleading for Marco to grab the far end as she whipped the belt over and over with very little effect.

The Serpent piped up. "Oh, now you want to-"

"SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUUUUUP!" Star wildly screeched as she made every attempt to get Marco to catch his lifeline. The Serpent remained silent after that.

Right as he was grazing the edge of the vortex's center, he managed to get a tight grip on the end of the belt, much to Star's relief and joy. His screams were replaced with strained groans and gasping of breaths as he made every effort to hold onto his end of the sash for dear life and fight against the spiraling current.

Feeling the major resistance the pool was giving her, Star released the grip of one hand on her end of the suprisingly resilient sash, then reached for one of the door handles. With as much of her mewman might as she could muster, she slowly shuffled towards the door. Though not without a lot of strain on her body, she managed to sink her fingers onto the metal handle and held the tightest death grip. She began feeling as though she was slowly being torn in half as she played this fatal game of tug of war with Marco's nightmare.

At the very least, he wasn't getting any closer to being engulfed by the whirlpool but he wasn't getting any further away from it either. He was kept in a tight spot in between, with nothing to assist in grabbing on the edge nor any strength to pull himself forward. Most of Star's strength was diverted towards maintaining his position as she couldn't find any more to pull him to safety. And she dared not ask that lecherous creature of darkness for help. Even though she was keeping him alive (Or delaying his fate) there didn't seem to be any progress being made. Despite how her body agonized over the strain of her current ordeal, she decided to gather as much brain power as she could to ponder on the situation she found herself in.

Was this whole ordeal actually part of the memory? Or was it just the set up to the actual resurgence of said memory? Star thought back to when she was in the hospital and she had to pick up baby Marco and put him in Angie's arms before the wheels started turning and everything moved forward.

If it was the latter question, then this attempt to preserve Marco's life would be all for naught. It would make much more sense to simply release her grasp and let him get flushed down to who knows where. It would fall in line to what Glossaryck said about letting things play out exactly as they should.

But if that were the case, then what would be the point of the dojo being beyond the doors if not to serve as his final destination? And what important role would the white sash play? Sure, they had the code to free Marco, but that could've been found on anything or anywhere else, like a locker, a specific spot on the floor, or one of the many pieces of balled up paper. And clearly, the dojo and the sash had a connection to unlocking this specific memory

Still struggling to maintain a tight grip, Star's view darted all around hoping to find some sort of hint. A written word somewhere or a picture conveying what she should do next. But nope. It was nothing but the eyes on the ceiling dictating where to go and that was it.

Speaking of which, Star gave the ceiling another look to see if she was interpreting the eyes correctly. While they did indeed looked to these doors, she noticed that their gazes were directed in such a way that they were pointing her towards somewhere specific. The eyes that were farther away from the middle had their pupils pointing diagonally towards the center. The ones that were placed directly above the doors followed a similar method where the ones away from the very center looked sharply towards the side, converging on the eyes that peered directly below.

"Th-the poster?" Star frantically asked as her view flicked between the large sheet and the ceiling. Like before, the eyes bounced their pupils up and down in approval.

"If the poster's the key, then what am I supposed to do with it?" She asked the eyes again. Much to her annoyance, they said and did nothing but moved their dotted pupils towards the poster again.

Taking their ambiguous advice, Star decided to inspect the poster, attempting to balance focus and resolve. She noted that, unlike the countless others she walked by, it was in almost pristine condition as if it came fresh out of the printer. Upon further inspection the black sneaker had its laces tied and was decorated with big, joyous anime-esque eyes on its surface. Surrounding the shoe was some sort of motto written in big, bold white that read, "Stay up, tie 'em down". Star guessed that it had to do with keeping your shoes tied so you wouldn't trip. On the lower right corner of the poster were the initials "MD". Figures.

Well, clearly tying her shoes wasn't the solution to this puzzle and she couldn't do it anyways because her boots didn't have laces and she was currently preventing her best friend from drowning.

"Stay up, tie 'em down..." Star quietly recited as her eyes glided across those childishly handwritten words. She repeated them over and over, digging as deep as she could to search for the meaning behind such a simple phrase.

She sharply gasped as the solution dawned on her. As weird as it was, she interpreted that all signs pointed to this being the correct decision to make.

Star planted her feet far firmer than she already has been to the point where she could feel the soles of her boots being embedded into the linoleum floor. Then, taking a huge risk, she released the grip on the handle, but was able to remain affixed to her spot. She started pulling as hard as she could to make enough slack for her end of the belt. Thankfully, it still showed no signs of ripping as she attempted this.

With the amount of slack she managed to procure, she began tying her end of the belt to the handle of the door. At the exact moment she finalized the knot, a flash of light rose from it, rapidly engulfing the entire area and filling Star's vision with nothing but blank whiteness.

After several minutes of blindness, Star gasped as she found herself suddenly standing by the entrance of Sensei Brantley's dojo.

She was witnessing what appeared to be Marco's induction into the martial arts school. Sensei stood in front of him, holding a pristine white belt and honorably bestowing it upon his new student. The two were surrounded by other students of varying skill levels.

"Welcome to the Tang Soo Do discipline of Karate, grasshopper." Sensei calmly said as he bowed to his new student. "We hope to see you soar to new heights as you learn and train here."

"I will, Sensei. Thank you." Marco respectfully responded as reciprocated the bow.

"Oh wait. Uhh, we gotta do the Tang Soo Do oath. Almost forgot. Whoops." Sensei sheepishly said. He pulled out a thick, pocket-sized book as well as a pair of reading glasses. He flipped the book to a certain page, his eyes gliding across the intended words.

"Alright, alright." He spoke as he set the open book in front of Marco. "Raise your right hand and put the other one on the page."

Marco obliged, to which Sensei responded by raising his own hand and reciting the passage. "Do you, Marco Diaz, Initiate of the Tang Soo Do discipline, solemnly swear that your knowledge of the Art will be used _only_ as a tool of self-defense and self-improvement? To never be used in anger? Nor out of vengeance?"

"I swear." Marco confidently vowed with a nod.

Taking the book and closing it shut with finality, Sensei gave a warm smile. "Ok, _now_ I hereby welcome you into the Tang Soo Do discipline of Karate. Welcome aboard, little dude."

And with that, Star sank into the floor once again, momentarily submerged beneath an out-of-nowhere body of water.

* * *

Back in the gray, dreary forest yet again. This time around, Marco was too fixated on his goal to feel any more fear. He had a sun to chase, after all. Well, metaphorically speaking. He still wasn't sure what Solaire ultimately achieved in his prior adventure, but it didn't matter at the moment. His words were enough to push him forward and search for the missing pieces of his past.

His fists clenched and with a strong spring in his step, he carried on. He had no idea what to expect when he first came here, but now that he was imbued with a purpose and invigorated by that drink from earlier, he felt ready to take on the entire Astral Plane. Ok, he was exaggerating a bit. More like whatever tried to get in his way. Except anything of god-like proportions. In the state that Marco was currently in, there was no way he could do a thing to them. At best, he could probably take on those red guys from earlier.

He felt that stabbing pain behind his neck again, followed by the familiar liquid warmth that slid down his neck. Marco surmised that it happened when those "Black Phantoms", as dubbed by Solaire, were present.

 _Well, bring it on,_ He thought as he took a fighting stance and kept his feet planted firmly on the ground. He looked every which way to survey every possible angle they could strike from.

To Marco's suprise, rather than being met with someone running at him with a raised weapon or skulking around the trees or unseen footsteps in the distance, he was instead surrounded on all fronts by millions of incoherent whispers. He could barely make out what any of them were saying as every voice interrupted and overlapped one another.

This daunted Marco considerably. It appeared that every spirit in the realm converged onto his position. The worst part was that he couldn't see any of them, but they sounded like they were just a few feet away. He didn't know what they looked like or what they would do to him when they eventually shift into view.

Despite that he was now visibly shaking in his shoes, he kept his stance firm and steady, still willing to fight no matter how potentially high the odds would be stacked against him.

There was a wriggling feeling on his shins that caused him to shudder profusely as if the temperature dropped to a chilling point. His gaze landed upon a dozen tiny creatures of various shapes, sizes, and anatomies slithering up his legs. Some of them tried to phase into him, only getting half their bodies inside while the now-aware Marco made every effort to keep the rest of them out of his body through sheer willpower. Their attempts to permeate his skin in a ghostly fashion didn't cause the least bit of pain, but it made him uncomfortable. A tingling freeze fell down his spine as he witnessed more and more appearing out of thin air and trying to infiltrate his body.

"Ah, ahh, aahhh...!" Marco uttered in discomfort as the miniscule spirits huddled around his legs. He kicked and thrashed about to shake them off to very little avail. The creatures themselves weren't anything he couldn't handle, but their gradually increasing numbers were beginning to overwhelm him. As he fought to disperse the miniscule masses, several more and then some appeared to fill the gaps in their ranks and piled higher and higher. He was getting especially tingly between his legs.

"Ohhhkaaayyy... feelin' weird! Bad touch! Bad touch!" He shouted as he resorted to repeatedly scraping them off and chucking them as far as he could as they began to slither around his torso. It was at this point that he was awash with remorse towards not running when they were just at his ankles. He asked himself why he put up a thin veil of bravado and subsequently underestimated these creatures in the first place. It reached the point where their sheer numbers weighed on his legs and rendered him incapable of budging the slightest inch.

As time went on, Marco's general discomfort increasingly escalated to severe panic. His being restrained as well as the penetrating feeling within his thighs flipped a switch in his brain that caused him to go frantic and convulse violently beneath the piling creatures that threatened to shroud his entire body. He gasped for breath as if he was drowning and his heart palpitated at alarming speeds. He hadn't the slightest idea where this intense emotional affliction came from and he loathed to find out. He wanted nothing more than to get out of this awful situation as soon as possible.

"St-stop..." He whispered without realizing it. He wanted so bad for someone like Solaire to come to his rescue, but the pessimist inside made him think otherwise.

"Please..." He pleaded, but he knew it wouldn't help. He faintly felt every fiber of his being gradually nibbled away.

Another button in his brain was pressed. Marco's pained grimace burned into a scorching scowl. He felt something rise up from within. Without thinking, his arms curved back and his fists clenched tightly and loudly. A guttural, feral scream blasted out of his throat and thundered across the transitory passage as Marco gave birth to a primal emotion that yearned to draw breath and unleash its scorn against its enemies.

With tremendous speed and precision that he never knew he was capable of, Marco let loose an endless barrage of fists that struck down every single creature and reduced them to ethereal wisps. It was as if he was firing off fifty punches per second as the rapid blurring of his arms cloaked his entire body. Steadily and surely, he was cutting their numbers down to size. All of his senses were momentarily traded for pure, unbridled savagery as his scream continued unabated, a signal to all those who opposed him to either steer clear or succumb to his fury.

Intimidated by their prey's sudden rage-filled retaliation, many of the tiny spirits scattered and scurried away. Every spirit that attempted to enter his body quickly wriggled their way out and joined their fleeing brethren.

Not one was left inside or outside. Not a whisper stirred. The bleeding on the back of his neck ceased. The only sound that was present was Marco's slow, growling pants. His wild gaze darted every which way to check if anyone else was willing to paint themselves as a target of his ire.

Taking the extended silence and the lack of spectral presence as a sign of safety, Marco closed his eyes, straightened his posture, and stiffened his body. His arms slowly arched above his head as he made a sharp intake of air. Then he lowered to his waist as he made a downward pushing motion while simultaneously exhaling. He stayed in that position for several minutes more, repeatedly breathing in and out, returning to slumber the fighting spirit that awakened and subduing his quivering nerves. The strife in his mind dissolved to tranquility and his heart stabilized to its normal speed.

Despite being a bumbling manchild who ran a cheap strip mall dojo, Sensei was at least an effective teacher. Never mind the fact that he wasn't even a black belt, his lessons helped Marco get through life regardless. And now they were helping him through the afterlife. Truly, they were teachings that transcended life and death.

"Wait, what?" His breathing exercise was cut abruptly and his eyes shot open as he surprised himself with his own musings. He was suddenly provided with recollections that came out of nowhere, yet he had an feeling that they were there for the longest time.

His perplexity and curiosity deepened when a thick wall of fog suddenly appeared directly in front of him.

"Huh?" He looked around to see if anyone was arriving at their home in the Nexus, but to his further confusion, nothing and nobody was present. He concluded that maybe the realm mistakenly prepared a resting place for him even though it was made clear that he wasn't here to stay.

Or maybe it was bringing him to a place he needed to be to meet someone he needed to meet. Either way, it wanted him to enter the fog and Marco wasn't gonna defy a world or entity that had more power and knowledge than he ever would.

With a noncommittal shrug, the boy casually strolled right in, somewhat looking forward to whatever happy place this next person resided in.


	35. The Stone that the Builder Refused

Once the mist faded from his vision and dispersed from his body, Marco found himself in a rather... ordinary looking place. It was nice and all, but it wasn't as visually stimulating as Solaire's astral abode.

Though much like his, Marco found himself in a bright, sunny place. There wasn't as much of an abundance of flowers, but there were a few of them scattered about upon a wide open grassy meadow. Tall oak trees surrounded the entire property, creating some sort of circular, isolated wall. There was the sound of chirping birds, despite there being none to be found.

The centerpiece of the whole place was the strangest part. In the midst of all this vibrant nature was a rectangular single-story building with its perimeter wrapped in clear windows, while topped off and bottomed out by beige bricks. On the topmost section of the building was a sign that read "Armstrong Dojo". Muffled music blared from the interior as two men stood side by side and repeatedly punched the air to the beat.

One of them was a rather stocky, muscular man wearing a white and dark gray gi and black belt. His age looked to stand within a wide gap of 30 and 40. His face was surrounded by a thick helmet of black hair as a short afro merged with his large, bushy beard. His eyes were narrowed in an expression that could best be described as serious neutrality, slightly scrunched into an endless furrowing of his brows and the wrinkling of his forehead. Marco could tell by his look that this dude had to have seen some serious shit.

Right beside him was a considerably and relatively younger man who looked to have a few years over Marco. His gi was all white, in stark contrast to his black belt. Like the other man, his face was smooth but with considerably less hair as he sported a blonde mullet. Despite being just as or more muscular than his, presumably, master and giving the impression that he could break a cinderblock with his bare hands, he bore a timid expression devoid of any noticeable confidence whatsoever.

Marco arched an eyebrow as he mulled over how oddly convenient it was that the Nexus took him to a dojo of all places. And if their current exercise and the music was anything to go by, class seemed to still be in session. He wondered if the blonde guy was the only student. He briefly considered perhaps enrolling in this dojo if that were the case, but he immediately shot down the idea as he was still under Brantley's tutelage and it would be in bad taste if he abandoned his school for another. Half because they were dojo bros and half because Brantley would most likely bawl like a baby.

But at the very least, he could see what the Nexus wanted him to experience here. Perhaps he could learn a move or two as well.

Walking up to the entrance, Marco tapped on the glass entrance to get their attention. Their sides were turned to him and they didn't seem to notice him quite yet. It had to be the music, because Marco could feel the strong vibrations on every knock with his knuckle.

He decided to wave in the hopes that they'll notice him standing on the outermost edge of their periphery. Unfortunately, they seemed to be too lost in their routine to notice anything going on in the outside world.

Going for a more initiative approach, Marco pushed open the door. The second it opened into the most narrow of slivers, his eardrums were immediately assaulted by the blasting speakers. Resonating powerfully throughout the building was a really weird tune that had a sample of a gruff, strained voice going "Ugh Huh!" over and over again at different pitches and speeds throughout the song's duration while backed by a repetitive drum beat.

Right as the door closed behind him, the blonde guy stopped dead in his tracks and shifted his gaze towards him. He looked surprised, almost concerned even that Marco happened to be standing here. He tapped his master on the shoulder, getting his attention. Then he gestured him towards the door where their visitor stood and the master stopped and dropped his hands to his side. He walked over to a nearby boombox that practically jumped in place and turned the music off with a single click. "Ugh Huh!" immediately blinked off into silence that rapidly engulfed the room in a palpable atmosphere of awkwardness.

Rather than say anything, the master crossed his arms and gazed downwards. His stern expression reflected off the thoroughly waxed hard wood floor. His student stood behind him, poking his index fingers together. He seemed a rather coy sort from what Marco could tell.

"Um... is this a bad time?" Marco sheepishly asked as he nervously scratched his head. His thumb pointed to the door. "I can... stay outside till you guys finish or..." He trailed off, making way for the uncomfortable silence to return and linger.

The master's eyes flicked up to Marco, his stern look unchanging. The teen felt like he was being judged even though he didn't do anything wrong. Though in retrospect, he probably should've just stayed put outside.

"Sorry." The master finally spoke up. His voice was deep and rugged, made accentuated by his calm and soft-spoken demeanor. "It's just... we've never had any visitors since we first got here. Really took us off guard seeing one for the first time in... a while."

"Oh." Marco simply said.

"When we first arrived, the woman at the gate did say we can have people over, I never bothered to try and make friends here, so no one ever came. Guess we owe it to the fact that we keep to ourselves normally."

Marco arched an eyebrow. "So you don't have any other students?"

"I did... when I was alive."

"Um... I w-was, er, a-am one of them." The student spoke as he raised a hand. His voice was a tad higher pitched compared to his master's and his speech wavered.

"So..." The master unraveled his arms and let them hang to the side. "What... brings you here? You practice Karate?"

Marco's ears perked up and a mild smile crept into his face at the word "Karate". "I sure do. I'm already, erm, was enrolled in a school though."

"Oh?" Though his stern expression remained, intrigue laced his words. "What discipline and what belt?"

"Err," Marco's pupils shifted upwards as he tried to recall. "Tang Soo Do and... last belt I left off at was at red."

"Hmm." The man stroked his beard. "I'm sorry that your time came before you could get black belt."

"It's ok, I guess."

"Since you're here, you lookin' to enroll? I don't mind having another student to train with besides my boy here. I think he could use another sparring partner." The blonde man bashfully smiled and looked to the side.

"Actually...I'm not here to enroll."

The master and his student exchanged brief glances before turning back to their visitor. The former's face softened a bit as his stiffness loosened to give way to confusion and curiosity.

"Then what are you doing here? Come to think of it, did you even know about this place?"

"No, but I guess the Nexus... decided to take me here after I recently remembered I could do Karate."

"'Recently remembered?' Oh, you must be one of those guys that forgot everything after they died."

"Ehh, I guess you could say that. Except..." Marco heaved a sigh he prepared to give an inevitable explanation. "I haven't remembered _everything._ And the gatekeeper wasn't able to bring all my memories back either."

There was a momentary pause as Marco assumed his listeners had a response to his words that most likely puzzled them. Instead, the two lingered in silence, giving off the impression that they yearned for further elaboration.

"So, as for why I'm here." Marco continued. He considered mentioning that he was "chasing his sun", but he knew it would sound just as crazy to them as it did to him, so he opted to omit that. Sorry, Solaire. "I guess I'm just wandering until everything comes back to me. Honestly, I don't even know why I'm here or where I'm going. But the gatekeeper said the Nexus will just take me to 'where I'm meant to be'."

No one said anything more. The student merely looked to his master to see if he had anything worthwhile to say. The latter simply looked to the ground, his arms back into folding position as he ruminated over Marco's speech.

"Hmm." The master finally said after a lengthy pause. "Sounds like you're dealing with shit that'd go way over my head. And I think I'd just be more confused even if you try to explain it." He turned to his student. "What do you think, Dusty?"

The man in question was apprehensive at first, but he quickly loosened up and gave his input. "I. I think we shouldn't p-pry any further, Master Armstrong."

"I agree." He responded. "I barely understood the lady's talk about 'Astral Realms' and souls and dimensions and all that other mystic stuff. I think it'd be best if I don't know the details of what you're going through and why."

Marco merely shuffled his foot against the floor as he was at a loss for what to do next. "So, what should I do, then?"

"Well since you're here anyways and you practiced karate and we have about..." Master Armstrong looked to a nearby clock on the wall. "Five minutes til class is dismissed, we can spend the remaining time evaluating your skills."

"But I said I wasn't enrolling."

The instructor gave a faint shrug. "Just one sparring session, kid. I think Dusty's been itching for

another opponent besides me. Isn't that right?"

The aforementioned man gave a bashful smile. "I... wouldn't mind. If it's ok with him that is."

The master looked to his visitor with an inquisitive look. "What do you say?"

Marco tapped a chin in thought as he took Armstrong's offer into consideration. He thought about the fact that he's been pursued by spirits of many kinds since he first got here. Though he dealt with them well enough, it wouldn't hurt at all to refine his recently awakened skills just a bit. Might as well see how well he would fare against actual human opponents. Who knows, he'd most likely end up learning new tactics and techniques to approach future fights with.

"You know what? Why not?" Marco affirmed with a casual shrug of his own. His peers nodded and smiled in warm acceptance

"Alright then. I guess introductions are in order. Name's Brad Armstrong. Just call me Brad."

" _Hai,_ Armstrong-sensei."Driven by his years of mental conditioning, Marco immediately ignored his request and properly greeted as he respectfully bowed. The unnecessary formality elicited a rolling of Brad's eyes.

"D-Dustin." He introduced with a timid raise of his hand. "But um. You can call me Dusty, too."

Marco responded with another bow to which the student reciprocated with one of his own.

"And you?" Brad inquired.

"Marco Diaz."

"Alright, Marco. Lemme get you a gi and the right belt and we'll get this started."

A trip to the bathroom later, Marco stood on the wide blue sparring mat a few feet from his opponent. Brad stood between the two.

"Wait, we're not gonna use pads?" Marco's safe kid tendencies kicked in.

"That won't be necessary." Brad answered. "I was told that frequent fightin' types like me and Dusty get special amenities here that instantly heal our wounds the moment our sparring session ends. She also said that it's impossible to die in our own resting place. I dunno how it works, but I'm thankful for it. And besides, The Armstrong Style utilizes pain as a supplement to the regular teachings of the master."

"Armstrong Style?"

"My own brand of Martial Arts. When I first got my own school, I only taught regular Karate, but I personally tutored Dusty on the Armstrong Style. You'll learn a thing or two about it while you're up against my star student."

Marco quietly gulped as he became acutely aware just how Dusty practically towered over him. If he hadn't exerted such meekness and passivity, Marco would've been far more intimidated and less inclined to partake in this friendly bout. If he was the best student _and_ the only one to learn that unique style, then he has to have broken a few bones in his past life. That weren't his.

"D-do your best, Marco." Dusty encouraged with a warm smile. "Don't hold back."

With that, the fighters put their right fists to their left palms, followed by a bow to signify a friendly, fair match free of any grudges or malice. After a quick, sporty bumping of their fists, they parted farther to provide their opponent enough room to breathe and mentally prepare themselves. Immediately, they bent and stiffened what was needed to form their respective fighting stances, their gazes locked in impending combat. Marco was taken slightly off guard when Dusty's soft, almost sad-looking expression hardened to that of fiery determination. He made an attempt to match his attitude, but came up relatively short.

Brad backed into the sidelines and raised his hand. "Good, clean fight, boys. All in good fun."

They shared a single nod.

With that, the master dropped his hand in a swift chopping motion and, as the gesture was treated like a Martial Artist's starting gun, sent the two shuffling forward.

As he made his gradual advance, Marco shifted sideways in a serpentine style in an attempt to throw off his opponent and conceal the telling angles of his oncoming strikes. On the contrary, Dusty merely walked forward, his fists raised where ws needed to effectively shield the necessary parts of his body while also preparing to throw a blow when the chance revealed itself.

The second they each drew within effective range, each of their arm disappeared in a split-second blur and then reappeared with their knuckles clutching together as their strikes clashed with a thundering crack. The hems of their uniforms, along with Brad's, billowed as if a strong gust spawned from the very core of their collision.

For a few moments, their fists remained adhered to one another and the two fighters switched moods from the beginning of their match as it was now Dusty who was in slight discomposure and Marco was being the one whose vigor hardened his visage and his body while being driven by the prospect of a good fight.

Instantly, the two leaped backwards. Rather than advance once again, they circled the arena. They each took one another's passivity as an opportunity to meticulously scan and study their opponent after giving and simultaneously receiving that single strike.

Marco felt his fist nearly cave in beneath that punch. That beefy, sturdy bod of his foe's was definitely not for show. A testament to, what he presumed as, his harsh, demanding training. Even so, he had this lingering feeling that, unlike himself, Dusty didn't put everything into that punch.

"I thought you said not to hold back." Marco remarked as the two continued circling and waiting for the next strike. Whose strike would appear first didn't matter so long as one of them made a move that the other could capitalize on.

"I-I'm not." His stuttering speech and soft voice belied his firm expression. "M-maybe you're stronger and better than you think you are."

"But I'm just a red belt. You're a black belt just like your master. Heck, you _are_ a master."

"A b-belt doesn't nece...ssarily determine your potential or your physical prowess. I-if that were the case, then many recruits would become black belts in a heartbeat. The first black belt is a sssign that you only reached c-c-competency in a. Technique. Not complete mastery."

Marco's face fell as his mind dissolved into a state of contemplation, though he absentmindedly continued his movement with less concentration on his opponent. He had always assumed that having a black belt would mean the end of your learning, but it would seem as though that was not the case. Quite the opposite if you only achieved base sufficiency upon earning it for the first time.

Noticing the sliver of vulnerability, Dusty rapidly zipped right up to Marco and thrust his clenched fingers towards his heart in the blink of an eye, his hand acting like the tip of a sword.

The latter reacted just in the nick of time as his foe's hand was clasped between his palms. He caught him right as his middle finger was but a hair's width of his heart.

"F-focus, Marco." Dusty chided as he made every attempt to drive his fingers further towards his opponent's heart, though not without immense resistance. "I kn-know this is a friendly f-fight, b-but you can't let your concentr-tration slip in the slightest if yo-you ever get in a non-friendly fffight. Th-that being said, I knew you'd be fast enough to react and strong enough to k-keep me at bay."

Marco briefly took the time to appreciate Dusty's compliment, but maintained focus on the defensive, following his upperclassman's advice.

Much to the former's complete shock, the latter used his opponent's deathly tight grip to his advantage and exerted his superior strength to jerk Marco's body towards his in a swift, fluid motion that tripped and flipped the victim with his back sent towards the mat.

However, rather than fall flat on the padded floor, Marco managed to catch himself in time and land on his feet. His tight grasp on Dusty's hand showed no signs of loosening. Both were standing in a position of solidified stalemate where each had their back turned to the other with Dusty's trapped arm arched over his shoulder as both of Marco's arching as well in order to keep his grip firm and unyielding.

"That's enough." Brad dryly announced as he sliced the air again. "I've seen as much as I needed."

Marco's grasped released and Dusty afterwards rubbed and applied some pressure on the slightly injured appendage with his fingers. The former was seized with sudden exhaustion as his lungs grasped at air to catch his breath. Despite how short that match was, it took a lot more out of him than he realized. He held onto his knees as he struggled to keep himself steady. Perhaps it was a delayed result of his ardent defensive against countless covetous spirits shortly prior to being here and all the fatigue just caught up to him right then and there. It was a good thing it didn't kick in during their spar.

"Y-you had a fight before coming here, didn't you?" It was like he read Marco's mind.

"How did... you know?" He softly spoke through heaved breaths.

Dusty crossed his arms. "A-as much as you showed otherw-wise, you w-weren't all th-there."

"I saw it, too." Brad added. "That's why I stopped it before you guys went any further. Well that and the last five minutes were up. Either way, can't have contenders less than a hundred percent when they're squaring off. But even so, you did pretty good with what you had, kid. Especially against someone like Dusty."

"Thank you, Armstrong-sensei." Marco gave the instructor the usual respect.

"Don't mention it." He responded with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Now then, let's hit the showers and meet out back for some rest and refreshments."

With an affirmative nod from each student and a changing of clothes later, the three met at the appointed place. Brad switched from his gi to a pair of black jeans topped by a pink, unbuttoned shirt that gave way to a white tank top and a pronounced beer belly. Dusty changed to blue jeans and a solid black shirt depicting a large, pixelated red skull.

Six lawn chairs and a large red cooler awaited them. Four of the seats were folded and stacked on top of one another while two were already set up. Dusty graciously took one of the four and set a seat up for Marco, to which he rested upon as he thanked one of his hosts.

"What're ya feelin', Marco?" Brad asked as he opened the cooler. "Cocola Cola? Some iced tea? Beer?"

"Got any water?" He had plenty to drink prior to coming here, but again, he didn't want to offend by refusing.

"Sure, here ya go." He tossed his visitor a full plastic bottle, to which he quickly twisted open the cap and took a mild swig.

They all sat there in silence as they took sips and the occasional large gulp of their own beverages. The two hosts' demeanors were dormant and gave no sign of any rise to an ice breaker. Brad's drink was a frosty brown bottle of something called "Olathian Beer". Dusty drank a lime green can of soda labeled, "Diet Cocola Cola."

"Not much for conversation, huh guys?" Marco quipped as he didn't want the silence to cultivate and grow his discomfort to lofty proportions.

"Yup." The instructor dryly responded as he peered down the neck of his bottle. "Don't really have much to say, honestly."

"I mean, surely you've got some stories to tell when you were... alive. Like how you developed that Armstrong Style. I bet that's something worth talking about, huh?"

Brad merely closed his eyes and sighed. He then sat his drink down as he took on a more downtrodden and personal attitude. Marco immediately wanted to retract his statement as he felt as though he might've offended the master in some way. He looked to Dusty with a lost look in his eyes, to which he shot back with one of his own that indicated mild despondence.

"Um, I'm sorry if I said anything wrong." Marco apologized as he tried to speak as calming and comforting as possible. "If it's a touchy subject, we don't have to get into it."

"It's funny." Despite what Brad had just said, he wasn't even remotely smiling. "I spent my whole life running away from my past. No matter what I did and where I went, it was always breathing down my neck. You being here, supposedly looking for yours, reminded me of that."

"I'm sorry." The teen said in the hopes that it would make things even a tad better.

"I appreciate it, but it's not your fault. If anything, it's mine. You know, when I first got to the gates, I was just like you. Came here with no memory of who I was or what I did. The lady used her magic or whatever it was to bring it back. When all the pain from the past came rushing into my head, I immediately screamed at her to take it all away. But she wouldn't do it. Said I had to live my eternities with everything that got me here in the first place."

"Then you had to have been a really good guy to get here, though." Marco's pointed out, trying to accentuate the unsaid positives."This is the 'Nexus of Departed Heroes' after all."

"That's the hilarious part." He ironically says without cracking so much as a grin. "I'm not a hero at all. Not in any sense of the word. Hell, I don't even consider myself a decent person. I've done some shit that was so horrible and stupid that I used to occasionally find myself wondering why I'm here and not burning for eternity somewhere down low."

"B-but, M-master Armstrong." Dusty piped up, sounding as if he was chastising his own master. "I k-keep saying that you-you did just as much g-good as well. Risked life and limb for everyone wh-who was close to you. H-helped others w-without being asked. N-not a lot of pe-people can do or even say that in the world we. Lived in."

"If I'm one of the best Olathe could offer, then that says a lot about how fucked that place is, huh?"

"C-considering what you've be-been through, I think it's well justif-fied." Dusty retorted.

"I guess you're not wrong. I'm at least happy I was given a break anyways. It's one that I needed, but something that, in the back of my mind, I still don't feel that I deserve."

Marco ultimately remained silent and refrained from adding anything during that whole exchange. While neither delved too much into detail, the vague information provided was enough to give him the broad spectrum of what they spoke of. He opted not to ask, the main concern being the possibility of opening old wounds that would bleed a path towards a potentially dark and depressing recollection.

"But... to answer your question, Marco." Brad turned towards the boy, his expression softening. "I don't wanna disturb you with the details, but I took up Karate because, well... I didn't have such a good childhood. Owing to this, I eventually became an instructor to help kids protect themselves and then developed my own style along the way."

"I can relate." He responded half-heartedly. Then he took on a somber tone as he spoke. "My childhood wasn't the worst, but." There was a hitch in his throat. "I wasn't... treated the best at school when I was

younger."

"Sorry to hear that." The instructor solemnly spoke as he took his drink to his lips.

"I guess... Karate was like an escape for me. Taught me a lot of lessons that helped me get through life. I mean, I eventually moved past everything, but... it still messed me up anyways. Made me too cautious and insecure."

"Yeah, you gave off that impression." Brad demonstrated his master's intuition. "From what I saw in your fight with Dusty, you lack a good bit of self-confidence, too."

Marco didn't comment. He let the words hang in the air and settle in his mind. His eyes dropped towards the green grassy ground as he silently agreed with that statement. This wasn't left unnoticed.

"I-it's ok, Marco." Dusty tried to cheer him up. "I... st-started out that way, too. A-as you prog-progress in a Martial Art, you c-can only grow towards gre-greater ability and strength. Y-you could be c-capable of so much more. I-it's n-not too late, even if it might seem that way."

"The offer still stands. You said this realm would take you where you're meant to be. Maybe you were meant to further your studies in the Art."

Marco indeed wanted to know more and possibly even master the Armstrong Style. This might even be his only chance to get a black belt that would pave the path to his becoming a master in Karate. However, even the most meager consideration died upon its inception as a result of that faint tugging and rising warmth in his heart. The feelings intensified slightly, yet noticeably and it prompted Marco to absentmindedly move a hand over his heart.

"Nah..." Marco softly answered, disappointed and mildly dejected that he turned down such an opportunity. "I think I need to keep going. I still need to find my su- er, my past."

Brad and Dusty exchanged momentary glances, then immediately shifted back to their visitor and nodded understandably. They took it far better than he expected.

"Ya got someone you care about?"

The spontaneous question briefly took Marco aback for reasons he couldn't accurately describe. It was a similar feeling to when Solaire asked him if he had a "sun". His stiff expression eroded to sincerity as he softly spoke with great difficulty.

"I... I remember my parents... I mean, I love them of course, but... as far as I could remember I didn't have any friends or... someone to... cherish..."

"I-I think you a-actually do." Dusty sincerely stated.

Marco felt a sharp pull and a simultaneous tightening beneath his chest and he involuntarily winced. "How do you know?"

"Th-The way you're sp-speaking... Your body language... M-maybe you-you forget now, but deep in here." He patted his hardy, broad chest. "The fffeelings. Remain."

The tugging repeated multiple times. Marco gritted his teeth to endure. His lips visibly trembled.

"You ok, son?" Brad worriedly asked as he saw the teen's faint, yet perceivable turmoil.

He felt a stinging burn in his heart as he felt it slowly tearing apart at the seams.

"I..." Marco darted to his feet and his water bottle fell upon the grass with soft thud. "I gotta go."

The moment the last syllable was uttered, a dense wall of fog appeared a trivial distance behind Marco and covered a vast majority of the property, including the dojo beneath its obscuring presence.

"That never happened before." Though remaining stoic, there was still a hint of concern and intrigue smuggled in his words.

"M-master... wha-what's happening?" Confusion was evident in Dusty's fragmented speech.

"That's my cue to leave." The teen said with absolute certainty. He bowed to his hosts as he expressed his appreciation. "Thank you for everything, you two. I'm glad we met."

"Likewise." Brad responded with the faintest shadow of a smile. "Hope you find what you're looking for."

"I h-hope you c-come back soon." Dusty added, poking his index fingers together. "Good luck."

With a solitary, confident nod, Marco made a brisk path towards the wall of fog that silently beckoned him to continue his journey onward. It was made clear to him that there was plenty more to experience and plenty more people to meet. He had no idea when and where his journey will end, but he anticipated it with a clear, open heart.

"Marco." Right as the addressee lifted his foot to take a step into the thick cloud, he was met with Brad standing just a few feet from him.

"Yes?" His attention was thoroughly grasped as the burly Karate instructor locked his narrow, darkened gaze with the red-hooded teen's one of youthful naivete.

"There's a favor I need to ask of you. It's really important. Probably the most important thing I'd ask of anyone in my entire existence."

Marco thought back to the favor Solaire asked of him. He almost asked if there was anyone in particular he was looking for or needed to relay a message to, but he kept his expectations to a neutral. "What is it?"

Brad looked wistfully to the side for a few moments. Then he peered back to Marco as he began. "Whenever you find the rest of your past..." He held a lingering pause and hefted a sigh before continuing. "If there was anything... unspeakable that ever happened... or a horrible mistake you may have made... don't run away from it. Don't take any shortcuts to suppress it, either. You'll only end up scarring yourself when it all comes back in small, numerous bursts or at full force. Take it from me, kid. Every mistake was made to make you smarter and all the moments of pain you've ever felt existed to make you stronger. All in all, the past is supposed to push you towards being the best you could be. Never let it drag you down and hinder your growth."

Marco gave a solemn, affirmative nod as he allowed the sensei's words to etch themselves to his heart. He brought a fist to his heart as the heated statement derived from his lungs with such spirit and gusto. "I promise I won't. I'll embrace them with open arms no matter how big or small the bad memories might be. I'll make sure it raises me up rather than bring me down. You can count on me."

"Thank you. It would put my heart at ease knowing I could keep someone from turning into something I used to be. Something I hated for the longest time."

"I understand. Thank you once again."

With that, Marco dove into another dense cloud. The fog dissipated just as instantaneously as it came, taking the teen along with it. Brad did nothing else but return to his seat and continued lounging with his student in silence. Both relaxed and reclined in their seats, taking frequent sips whenever the need surfaced.

"M-master." Dusty broke the elongated silence as he sat up in his chair. He peered into his own worried face reflecting from the shiny, aluminum surface of his half finished soda can. "Why did you stop our match so a-abruptly?"

Brad took a hearty gulp of his beer before he answered. "I was worried."

"About what?"

"You already know why."

Mildly perplexed, his perpetually shy eyes bounced to his master. "I kn-know he wasn't all there, b-but we didn't get to s-see all that he had to o-offer regardless."

"I saw plenty, all right."

"H-how? Like we both said, he wasn't at a h-hundred percent."

"And I stick by it." He downed the rest of his drink, the bottom pointing skyward. With a relieved, resounding sigh, he swung open the cooler and pulled out another cold one and quickly twisted open the cap. The drink revealed itself with an acute, brief hiss. A small cloud of fizz bubbled up to the tip of the cap and cascaded down the neck of the bottle.

"S-so what were you wo-worried about, then?"

Brad heaved another hefty gulp. Some fizz stuck to his black, bushy beard.

"If he gave one hundred percent, then you wouldn't be my best student anymore."


	36. You Saw Me Standin' Alone

"Ah good evening, Laurence. What brings you to the campus grounds on this wee hour?"

"I should ask the same of you. Taking a moonlit stroll, perhaps?"

"Not quite. But if you must know, I am on my way to converse with Master Willem. I take it you've just done the same?"

"Yes. For the last time, I'm afraid."

"Oh. Finally leaving Byrgenwerth, are you?"

"Indeed. Have you decided to change your mind and join me?"

"My humblest apologies Laurence, but I've still no interest in the machinations of blood and its potential for your people's benefit. It is pertinent to my studies that I remain here."

"How ironic that such rebellious royalty has ultimately conformed to the whims of the establishment."

"Rest assured my friend, that my continued attendance is for my own interests. Not that of Willem's or the rest of the school's."

"Mind you, I am speaking in jest. Of course I completely understand. For what purpose do you seek the old man, if I may ask?"

"Well, do you recall weeks ago during one of our underground expeditions, I stumbled upon _this_?"

"Your ghastly amulet? What about it?"

"Yes well, I've yet to tell anyone until now, but ever since I first acquired it, I've been having a series of... recurring dreams every other night that seem to weave a narrative with each consecutive night. It started out frivolous enough to bear not mentioning, but the vividness of the imagery and their influence increased over time. Tonight was the breaking point in which I could not even close my eyes without beginning to hear... the voices and seeing their distinct, indescribable forms errantly cutting through the darkness of my dormitory."

"This sounds rather grave. What has been ailing you?"

"I've been getting confronted by visions of... five inhuman beings... every night. Demanding things of me through baffling abstraction after baffling abstraction. Constantly stating that I am their kin and we shall inevitably meet at the appointed time and place. They continued referring to me as the 'Bearer of the Crimson Behelit' and 'Queen of the Black Sun'. Strangely enough, I've yet to be crowned queen, but they insist on addressing me as such. I thought very little of it at first, but the consistence and their eventual manifesting before my sight compelled me to be here tonight."

"Eclipsa, are you sure these aren't just fabrications of your addled mind born from your fervent research into the 'Old Arts'? Have you been regularly taking your Sedatives as urged by the professors?"

"Of course I have, but they simply refuse to let up. As ridiculous as this sounds, I think I might have been contacted by Great Ones. Through this... 'Behelit' I believe they were referencing."

"That is a rather bold claim, Eclipsa... regardless, what else have they been telling you?"

"As I've mentioned, they've uttered very specific demands that offered very little in the way of clarity and rationality. Though, this only occured on a seldom few of my encounters with them. The first one was, 'Seek the mind united and the mind unseen with a mind unclouded'. Then it was 'swim with the vacuous beneath the fluid surface of knowledge. Another was 'Sever the ties of progenitor and progeny before the pale evening'. And finally, and this is the vaguest one yet, 'Unite, feed, ascend'."

"But that's impossible. Do you have any idea how long Willem and even Micolash have been making attempts to contact the Great Ones to very little avail? And now a group of them are just speaking to you in dreams? Unsolicited and unprovoked? Has Willem harvested all those eyes for naught? I honestly find this very hard to believe."

"I understand your apprehension, but what other explanation would you have for something like this? The frequency and the circumstances are far too suspect to be mere illusions."

"Well, the mind is a rather fragile thing that delves into the realms of the absurd and the surreal when pushed its limits. Hallucinations and other mental afflictions run rampant among scholars of this institution, as you are well aware of. Rather than wait and allow myself to deteriorate like everyone else, I'm opting to move forward and expedite our much-needed advancement. For your sake, perhaps you ought to do the same."

"I'm already doing just that, Laurence. For my own kingdom. I just need to delve further into this new development. Who knows? If my suspicions are to be confirmed, then perhaps it would do well to bring me further and further towards the fruits of my labor. And could you imagine how severely his wrinkling face will tear at the seams of it turns out that I've contacted Great Ones well before they received even a hint of his existence?"

"Heh heh, I would very much enjoy seeing that. Well, whatever happens, I hope that all goes in your favor moving forward. It has been a pleasure, Eclipsa."

"The feeling is mutual. Goodbye, Laurence. May your future endeavors allow mankind to see the folly of their meager existence. Be sure to steer clear from any unfathomable depths, if the Adage is anything to go by."

"Many thanks. I urge you to do the same."

* * *

Star splashed right out of the bubble once again, but she was prepared enough to land on her feet as opposed to on her face.

"Ha! I was ready this time. Can't fool me twice!" She gloated to no one in particular. For a brief moment, the sea captain looked her way with those tired, baggy eyes, then continued staring into the flames once again.

"Alright the- whoa, wha?"

A feeling of shock and awe overtook Star as she surveyed the surrounding red sea. Many of the bubbles that were once blank now had clear, crisp images drawn across their surfaces. Every memory seemed to have filled in just by completing the arbitrary and somewhat confusing tasks ordained by the prior ordeal she just went through. As far as the eye could see, images of still events taken from Marco's perspective filled a huge chunk of the ocean with a few blank ones nestled in between. If the low point of view was anything to go by, then they all had to be childhood memories. Some were normal and mundane, some were pretty happy, and some... not so much. Star opted to ignore those as she scanned the area.

All in all, she was relieved that there was no need to go through and fix each individual memory. Not that she wouldn't be willing to do it, but it was a huge load off her shoulders knowing that this would end up being quicker and easier than she'd initially thought. Seems as though she only had to go through events that were pivotal to his upbringing and development as a person and in reviving those important moments, every other that were linked to them would in turn be revived as well.

"Hmm, I wonder..." Star curiously spoke. She was distracted by all the bubbles suddenly emerging from the sea to try it before, but she decided to take a hand to the one she just completed to see the result.

As she kept her touch on the surface, it replayed the memory of Sensei inducting Marco into his school. Star considered taking some time to go through these memories like some sort of movie marathon. She immediately crossed that off her mental to-do list when she realized that there were some things in Marco's mind that he'd most likely want to keep out of view from errant, curious eyes. There's a virtue in respecting another's privacy after all.

Seeing many blank bubbles beyond the horizon of filled in ones, Star's trek continued. Her wide blue eyes glazed over the fruits of her labor with each splashing step. Her gaze rose to the sky and she became ecstatic upon seeing her progress steadily perforating the field of clouds above, making way for the shining stars to grace the astral environment and lead her beloved back home.

With a gleam in her eyes and an inferno of determination burning brightly within the depths of her soul, Star marched on over to the next pivotal memory. A bubble swirling with a cloudy blend of varying shades of red and yellow. Learning her lesson from her last excursion, she opted to slowly walk into the water to insure a less painful transition.

* * *

"Whoa... I'm... huh?" Star's face went at every angle as she stood in a combination of confusion and disbelief. Her mouth repeatedly opened and closed as her mind fumbled to rationalize everything her eyes attempted to process.

By no means was this as baffling and surreal as her previous location. This was baffling and surreal for a different reason entirely.

This wasn't just a memory of Marco's, but a memory of hers as well. Her heart sunk into her stomach, then began pounding against every inch of its walls.

Though she was overtaken by her own emotions for a brief time, she understood exactly why she was here. In fact, this just might be _the_ most important memory she was tasked with fixing. The occasion that became the crux of Marco's recovery. The glue that kept the two united, whether directly or tangentially despite their current ordeals. The very reason why she was able to stand here in the first place. And it has all come full circle.

The Blood Moon Ball.

Just as she remembered, the entirety of the large, circular dance hall was filled to the brim with well-dressed, yet still ghastly-looking demons, all frozen in time. Tom shared the same condition, standing by the DJ as he was in the middle of administering his loud, angsty persuasion to change the music, his eyes and jaws stretched to angry lengths and widths.

Tragically for him, his desire to have his soul bound to Star's was immediately quashed when Marco came into the picture and instead it was Marco and Star whose souls were bound. Despite the fact that she ended up being somewhat furious towards his misplaced concerns and need to protect her, she was, in retrospect, beyond glad that he came by and acted as the "hero", regardless. But according to Glossaryck, Tom and Star's souls wouldn't have been tethered anyways on account of the lack of any significant connection. And even if they were still dating at that point, it would've been severed eventually.

Star noticed that upon entering here, she felt a little... exposed. Like her clothes suddenly shifted to something a little more loose.

And lo and behold, she was in the state of dress made for the occasion. That shoulder-exposing, solid pink, dress with its white-pink bow tied around her abdomen and its frilly, puffy skirt surrounded by hearts. The pair of white gloves that went up to her elbows and the white boots that lined her legs and went slightly above her knees. Her knee-length hair tied and culminating into a large, blonde bun that hung behind her head.

She noticed that all the bystanders were arranged in such a way that widened the space of a particular area, most notably around the center of the dance hall. Pushing past heavy, distinctly shaped bodies, she headed towards the middle of the room, knowing full well why it was the way it was.

Standing within the open ring made by the surrounding ball-goers was current-age Marco, clad in his black tux, red sombrero, and mustached skull mask. He stood alone, his hands wrapping and holding something or someone that wasn't there.

Peering down at her current wardrobe, it immediately clicked. Star's heart went aflutter as she skipped joyously towards her beloved as she looked forward to reliving such a magical moment in her youthful life.

Standing before him, she nestled herself between his body and the arm that wound around her waist, then wrapped his raised, bent fingers in hers. The very moment the two made contact and stood in position, the blood-red spotlight was cast upon them, the rest of the room darkened to accentuate its hue and brightness, and the appropriate waltz music commenced playing.

As before, Star allowed herself to be swept up and led around the dance floor. Much like before, she was captivated by her partner's dexterous and fluid motions, completely lost in her juvenile exuberance as her lithe form moved in smooth, frictionless tandem with his. This time, she knew exactly who the masked stranger was, and in direct opposition of the event's first occurrence, her knowledge of his identity did very negligibly to sully the immense passion that formed an impenetrable, obtrusive layer over her mind, body, and heart. Her shimmering blue eyes gazed passed though the flimsy skull mask and peered deep into the hazel abyss that lied beyond. Her consciousness was completely detached from her body as they acted on their own volition and followed his rhythm.

As they glided across their wide open space graciously provided for them, they held a death grip on the attention of everyone else in attendance, their pupils moving along with them as they smiled, oohed, ahhed, and were just generally enthralled by their graceful movements.

For the moment, nothing else but her and Marco existed in this world. Everything that surrounded her became a complete blur, accentuating her awareness towards her beloved even further as the concept of sense slipped off the edge of her psyche. At that very moment, in a multitude of ways, the two teens coalesced into one single entity.

"Star?" He called out to her. Just like before.

She didn't answer at first, just like before.

"Star..." He repeated. Again. Again-again, one might even say.

This time around, Star deviated from the script and once again remained silent. Instead opting to continue dreamily staring into his concealed countenance with half-lidded eyes.

"Star! It's me! Marco!" He says as he took a second to pull his mask off and reveal his face.

"Mm-hmm..." And now the rest of the script has been thrown away. Her gaze remained dreamily transfixed and her body refused to break routine.

"Uh, we gotta get outta here. This place is the worst!"

"But I don't wanna leave..." Her voice was low and longing. "I wanna stay here foreverrr..."

"What!? But Star, you-Oof!"

Breaking the proverbial spell that was put on Star, her eyes widened and her lips parted when she stared in shock at the fury-filled Tom roughly pushing Marco onto the ground. On cue, the blood-red spotlight faded from view, and the demon prince stood there, festering in his boiling anger and igniting his entire being to prepare to scorch his rival in hapless romance into a smoldering crater.

Something snapped within Star upon seeing her beloved laying flat on the ground. Exposed and vulnerable to any manner of heinous atrocities. For the narrowest of seconds, a familiar image flashed in her mind and pressed the switch that pushed her over the edge.

"That dance... WAS FOR-"

Rather than wait until Tom escalated his anger to the point of erupting the entire room in flames, Star tackled him into the ground. The fact that her wand, though a figment of a memory, was in her possession and primed for casting never once brushed her mind. Straddling her date's downed form, she began unleashing unrelenting punch after unrelenting punch upon Tom's face, gradually bruising it into a deeper shade of purple as her knuckles embedded into his flesh. The periodic cracks and thuds of fist hitting flesh and Star's vocal exertions were all that echoed throughout an otherwise silent ballroom.

The poor prince made every attempt to feebly block her savage strikes, crying and begging her to stop, but her feral fury numbed her to the unnecessary brutality of her actions and blinded her to the frozen gazes that bore witness to the brutal display before them. No one made even the slightest attempt to stop her. Not even Marco himself.

Just as she was lost within the throes of love and passion, so too was she lost in her own unbridled rage, disregarding the fact that she was severely altering the course of this event.

Satiated by Tom's visage reduced to an unrecognizable, swelling mass, she rose to her feet, taking a few moments to stabilize herself as as she panted profusely. The now-victim simply laid there. His body violently quivered. Soft, wavering whimpers escaped his swollen lips and tears slipped through the tightly shut cracks of his blackened eyes. Star got back on script and angrily trotted off in a huff. For reasons that weren't present the first time.

"Let's go, Marco." She breathed as she walked right past him. Marco staggered to his feet as he got up, briefly looking behind him in subtle worry as he followed his friend closely behind.

With that, the two departed the scene, leaving behind a silently sobbing, whimpering illusory mess and a horrified illusory crowd. The whole area dissolved into a blurry blend of colors, then into black as Marco and Star ascended their demonic carriage back home.

"Thanks for the lift!" Star flashed a moment of optimism before trudging into her room somewhat downtrodden as opposed to irritated. She was at odds with her own emotions now that she was retreading this event looking through a different set of lenses. A cracked, rose-tinted pair.

"Star? You ok?" He worriedly asked. She stayed silent. She merely plopped herself onto her bed and blankly stared at the ceiling.

Man, it felt like it's been ages since she's been here. She missed living with the Diaz family. She especially missed living in blissful ignorance of what horrors the future held that led up to this point in the first place. She wondered if she could just lay here and stay with this Marco forever.

With his sombrero and mask cast aside, he sat right beside her, letting the silence linger as he gazed into the floor and folded his hands.

"Um, thanks for saving me back there." He said as he rubbed the back of his head. "And yeah, I warned you about Tom. Though, I'm not sure if dealing with him that way was... really necessary."

"H-he... was going to hurt you..." She said, unconvincingly trying to justify her actions. She choked on her words a little as she made efforts to hold back the sorrow that attempted to spew forth. "If I hadn't stopped him, he would have..." She trailed off into silence. Her eyes haven't left the ceiling since she first spoke.

"Yeah, like I said, thanks. I guess he won't be bothering us any more after that, huh?" He shrugged and sheepishly smiled as he tried to bring a little levity to the situation.

Rather than think about the possible consequences of what she's done, she instead mulled over what Marco had said a few nights prior. That this was the night where his feelings for her reached their fever pitch. It's what pushed him to pursue her and brought them to this point in the first place. And she has this knowledge in hand while metaphorically going back in time.

She stood up on the bed and shared a solemn gaze with her best friend. While they were in different positions from the original event, Star still had the chance to make things right. She could fix this memory and go on to fix the rest of his mind and get him back. Sure, it'd be a bit different this time around, but the pivotal moment has yet to be realized. She just has to say "I don't need a hero, I need a friend". That was it. She just has to shoot him down this one time. She has to keep his mind's timeline on the right track.

So why was her face instead drawing closer to his?

Putting up no resistance or any effort to stop it, Marco immersed himself in the moment and allowed his lips to make contact with Star's, breaking every barrier and boundary that ever existed. Their contact pushed further as they held one another's cheeks to bring themselves even closer to the other. Their lips widened just a tad to engage in another passionate, fervent dance of tongues as they shared their fluids and their oxygen. A tantalizing fusion of his cologne and natural scent wafted into her nose, devolving her further and further into a lecherous frenzy. She didn't know why kissing a mere figment of her crush's memory felt as real as the actual person and she didn't care. Her primal desires clouded her judgement and melted away any and all inhibitions.

Her hands shifted from his face to his chest as she lightly pushed him flat on his back. Before their mouths were forced to part, her lips briefly gripped his lower lips. She momentarily lamented that they had to break off abruptly, even though she was the one who initiated it. She crawled on top of him and immediately pelted his face with consecutive, moist pecks. Then their lips met once again, the intensity of their consummation increasing with each breathless moment. Her hips began grinding against his. Wanting him. Needing him. To make him hers and hers alone. Her lust rocketed sky high when she felt a rather firm protrusion hitting her crotch. It was abundantly clear that he wanted the same thing.

"St... Star... we shouldn't-mmf." He attempted to speak within the fleeting reprieves between kisses, but she wanted nothing more than to bask in the moment and lose herself in their union. She was numb to the growing burning sensation in her forearm, its dermal effect concealed by her elbow-length glove.

With a quick smack, the two parted, though she kept her hands firmly on his cheeks as both of her thumbs gingerly rubbed circles against his soft, tan skin. She then started straddling and grinding against his hips, goading him further into giving into his clear desires so she could take the opportunity to placate her own. Just a scant few layers of cloths with one of them being damp was all that stood between her and complete gratification. To undo the errors of the past. To take back what was originally stolen from him.

 _Heh, a spitting image. I knew it._

Star's eyes went wide when she was drenched in the cold water bucket of realization. Her breath hitched and her heart sunk into her stomach when she became acutely aware of what she's been doing. What she has done. It was made even more plain to her when purple veins grew from the hems of her gloves and rose up her arm.

Countless cracking sounds resonated throughout the room as if it was made of glass that was on the precipice of breaking. Her eyes went all around as every inch of the environment was getting covered in dark purple veins spreading at the speed of wildfire. The very fabric of the space around her was steadily tearing at the seams.

"No! Nononononnoo! What have I done!? WHAT HAVE I DONE!?" Star shouted in peerless panic as the severity of her foolish, selfish decisions dawned on her.

Her eyes flicked to Marco, his face frozen in mid-grimace and his whole frozen in time as it was also enshrouded beneath all the branching lines that tore throughout his entire body.

"Marco!" She feebly yelled to no effect nor any purpose.

A high pitched whining noise pierced her ear drums as a purple-white light began cutting through all the cracks made in the environment and poured rapidly into the room, burying every distinct color until the light was all that remained. Marco's entire form ended up being cloaked beneath the blinding brightness as well and Star was left floating in an endless, colorless void.

A few seconds after and the entire "room" shattered into massive pieces of what looked like glowing, ethereal glass, revealing the Blood Moon-kissed, bubble-filled ocean that brought her here in the first place. She fell on her rear upon the solid water, her dress reverting back to her original clothes.

She sat there hopelessly, bearing witness to, with great devastation, the sight of every surrounding bubble, one after another, whether blank or otherwise, shattering like glass before her very eyes. Bit by bit, one by one, all of Marco's memories were breaking off into countless pieces, bringing her progress to a spiraling plummet and further destroying any hopes of ever recovering her beloved. His body would be comatose for the rest of his life and his soul will forever lack a proper vessel to return to. He has officially died. She'll never truly see him again. She'll never get to be with him in his entirety ever again. Eclipsa and Toffee has officially won. And it was all her fault.

No...Nononononononono! NO!

She refused. She will not be subjugated by her own flaws or the evil acts of others. She will not let the results of her mistakes remain. She will not let the likes of _them_ have even the most scarce chance of victory.

And most of all, she will not be the one to have a hand in Marco's demise.

While all the pieces of every memory still floated in the air, Star instantly shot to her feet and her eyes commenced glowing a blank white as she Dipped Down. And with a booming echo, she uttered the invocation for her mother's spell.

"Shining justice burning in me. Good as new will this body be. Unbreakable can we only aspire. Let the voice of love take us higher."

With her right hand raised to the air, she became cloaked in a sky blue aura, which soon spewed forth out of her open palm. Then it cloaked the space around the floating pieces in a cloud of energy, keeping them in place. From the ethereal blue mass, came more streams of magic that spread all throughout the field of shattered bubbles, grabbing each and every individual group of broken memories going so far as beyond the horizon.

Finally, with a hard squeeze of her palm, every piece fell back into place, returning and molding back to their liquid, spherical shapes. All the images for the revived memories were splayed across their watery orbs once again.

With a fading of the light in her eyes and a staggering of her body, Star emerged from her dipping down. Her head pounded against her skull and her lungs were on fire. She fell back onto the solid water, letting her exhaustion pass over as she wallowed in frustration and self-loathing. She pounded her fists to her temples repeatedly, rebuking herself over the absolutely slimy lecherousness of her actions.

"Oh ho ho, you are so lucky your mommy taught you that spell." The Serpent snarkily commented. "See what I mean when I said you needed me? You couldn't bring your wand, but at least I'm the next best thing."

"Fuck you." She shot back without a hint of emotion, yet with a dormant anger that lied beneath.

"Hey hey, who was the one who almost ruined everything again? And who was the one who ended up fixing it?"

She didn't say anything more. Instead she got back up and went back into the memory.

This time, she made every effort not to change any part of the memory. She decided to heed Glossaryck's warning this time and do as much as she could to maintain accuracy and get as close to her original actions and effects as she could. She wasn't completely meticulous over every single minute detail as she mainly focused on the broader, more crucial aspects.

Though she put on the best enamored teen girl act while dancing with Marco, she couldn't get into it as much as she did prior after that crisis that she fortuitously averted. It felt more like going through the motions at that point.

And instead of rearranging Tom's face to quell the inferno that enveloped his being and the room, she froze him in a block of ice with her wand as was intended. She even poofed his "0 Days Anger-Free" Pin onto his tux even though she didn't really have to. She didn't even consider seeing if she could cast any other spell with her replica wand. She was going through this thing again with absolutely zero deviations.

Then onto the climax of this whole debacle. The shootdown. While she was able to produce the genuine frustration needed for this part, it was still difficult to execute, all things considered. Though all of her intended lines were directed specifically at Marco, she pretended that she was chastising herself, as he as well as she deserved it for that moment, but for different reasons and in different points in time. She especially put more emphasis on the "You're infuriating" line, directing that more towards herself.

She also intensified her emotions and tone when she got to the "I don't need a hero, I need a friend" part. Not only was she saying it for his retrospective benefit, but it was a very subtle cry for help. The line rung true in more ways than one and right here, right now, she needed him now more than ever. The real him, not past him.

After all that's been said and done and Star urged him to go get her some Nachos, her body slacked and leaned against the stone railings of her balcony. She noticed the entire balcony was awash in a faint, red light that poured from the sky above.

"What? Was this here before?" She inquired out loud as she was genuinely surprised by this new development upon going through this event for the third time.

Her eyes followed the luminescence to the black, star-spotted evening sky.

While she did see the Blood Moon just looming over them as she expected, she could swear that, for a fraction of a second, she caught sight of something else that cut in front of it before it instantly blinked out of existence. The dark, abominable silhouette of something not of their world. It had unnaturally stretchy limbs, an elongated body, multiple tails, and a bulbous head crowned with wriggling tentacles.

Was that there originally, too?


	37. Sono Ai no GODDO HANDO

Back on the grassy, silent, misty, tree-y road again. Marco felt more coerced to move forward rather than confidently willing. He genuinely felt as if someone tied a rope to his heart and just kept on tugging and tugging until he reached them. There was even faint burning sensation beneath his chest too that felt akin to rope burn. Wasn't enough to hurt, but it'll definitely keep him awake and moving.

Marco walked on with a strong stride and a wary head. With every step he took, his view shifted this way and that as he anticipated the next strike of whatever or whoever wished him harm. He gingerly took a finger to the back of his neck to check for blood. Nothing yet.

He eventually deduced that the Brand the maiden referred to had to be this complex scar on his skin. And it apparently attracted harmful, evil spirits that wished to kill or possess him. How he got this brand and why it attracted beings of ill ilk involved information that has yet to be uncovered. What mattered was finding his past, though it slowly and surely eased into him as his journey went on. How that happened was also something that has yet to be determined. The memories just kinda came back out of nowhere. That was another mystery to solve. It seems that the pile of questions grew rather than diminish.

And another thing. He still hadn't the foggiest idea of what all of this was leading towards. Getting out of here? Finding a certain someone? Finally being at peace? This whole quest sounds like one, never-ending circle. Moving forward just to go back. The only question is, will that circle unwind and become a straight line towards a much clearer goal? Or will it just be an unfinished sentence forever left on an ellipses for all eternity?

Marco's ears perked up when a sharp, elongated sound cut through the silence. He stopped dead in his tracks so his footsteps wouldn't suppress its clarity. Since his scar wasn't reacting, he thought it safe enough to stop and listen closely.

It sounded like it came from up ahead. It was a bit tough to describe, but the closest that Marco could come up with was some sort of weird... breathing. It wasn't anything he could recall ever hearing before, but it sounded like it was being emitted by a human mouth.

"Koooohhhhhh..." Upon further inspection, the sound goes on for several seconds, then ceases, then starts again. Deep exhales intersperse within what he surmised to be a complex breathing exercise of some kind.

Like the tugging on his heart, Marco's ears were tugged by the noise ahead. His whole being was tugged by his general curiosity.

What was someone doing out here doing weird breathing exercises? Shouldn't they be in their heavenly homes like everyone else was? Weren't they worried of possibly getting attacked by unfriendly specters?

These questions and perhaps a few more unthought as of yet swam through the boy's mind as he made his way. The sound became louder and clearer as he traveled on. Eventually leading him to a dense, obfuscating wall of shrubbery that was around double his height. This puzzled him quite a bit since the only plant life he ever saw as he traveled through these open pathways were trees. But then the maiden's words echoed in his mind and placated every question and concern he ever had.

 _Space is convoluted._

With a shrug Marco put his hands through the brush just as he usually did with a wall of fog. Though he barely caressed it when the breathing abruptly stopped and followed by an uttering of words.

"Gents, is that you?" Spoke a soft, masculine British voice on the other side. "Gene? Master Ken?"

While Marco's worries about the source of the sound being a monster were quickly dashed upon hearing his presumably friendly voice, he wasn't sure how to respond to his call. Apparently, he was expecting people to meet him at this particular spot, and Marco had no idea how he'd react if it turns out he was neither of them.

Well, since he was lingering in silence, now he can't just walk right through. He didn't know if the person on the other side was paranoid enough to attack immediately nor was he aware of what he was capable of.

"Gene, if you're trying to scare me again, it's not going to work this time. Trust me."

Well, he sounded friendly enough. And he appeared to have some playfulness to him as well. Eh, might as well-

"Life Magnetism Overdrive!"

Marco yelped and violently recoiled as all the leaves suddenly flew away from him like they were being sucked into a powerful, industrial-sized vacuum, creating a wide parting of the bush that made way to a big circular clearing.

And in the middle of it was a tall, blue-haired young man with a very muscular build, wearing a blue vest and a pair of blue jeans. Every leaf that went away hovered around him while his entire being was enveloped in an golden aura that sparked small bursts of electricity every few seconds.

Silence washed over the entire area as two gazes were locked brown to blue in an awkward staring contest. Marco, very faintly, shivered beneath the stranger's towering, broad frame and his apparent power over nature. While he was absolutely sure that the man standing before him was friendly, he couldn't help but be mildly intimidated regardless.

"Erm... come in?" The young man sheepishly said as he still held up his hands as well as the floating leaves.

Without a word, the still-shaken teen sauntered past the parted bush. The second he entered the clearing, every leaf immediately went past him, golden light trailing behind them as they flew their way back home. And with the light flickering out of view upon their homecoming, the natural door was closed.

"H-how did you do that?" Marco asked as he was still gripped by his shock and awe.

"Oh, controlling the leaves? 'Tis but a result of my longtime Hamon training." He casually answered as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Hamon?" The teen raised an eyebrow as the word landed on his tongue and his mind but never quite settled.

"Oh, pardon me." The man apologized as he brought a hand to his temple. Sheesh, even his fingers were buff. "I'm used to speaking with people who are already aware of the abilities I hold. It's quite the rarity to meet a new, unfamiliar face. Other than the occasional passing spirit that is."

"So, was that you making that weird breathing noise just minutes ago?" He asked, harkoning back to the reason he came here in the first place.

"Ha. It may sound strange, but that particular type of breathing is a crucial part of channeling my Hamon. I've not much reason to do so anymore, but I shan't allow death to be an excuse to shirk my training."

"So what is that anyways? Some kinda magic martial art?"

"Ah." The man raised a scholarly finger. "A common misconception. Hamon itself is not the Martial Art being practiced. But rather, the solar-based energy that flows through one's body as they practice the actual Art of Sendo."

"And that golden light just now was Hamon?" Marco asks as he pointed a thumb towards the closed "entrance".

"Indeed."

"And you can control nature and stuff with it?"

"Well, not so much control nature, but rather, work in tandem with it. It allows you to manipulate the environment, whether natural or otherwise, in a way that befits and enhances whatever fighting style you're accustomed to. Its main uses also include, but are not limited to, healing wounds, affecting the physiology of organic matter, and, most important of all, combating vampires and any other manner of undead or cold-blooded creatures. All while utilizing power that is comparable to the sun."

"Whoa..." Marco was at the edge of his proverbial seat as he listened to the man's explanation. "You fought vampires?"

"And zombies..." He bashfully scratched his face. "Though that was... ages long passed."

"And you used the power of the-" Marco emitted a sharp, shocked gasp and his eyes and jaws widened. "Are you the sun that I'm looking for!?" He blurted out absentmindedly, a certain Knight of Sunlight's words internally jumped in place.

"Am I the sun that you-" He was confused at first, but then a knowing look immediately etched itself on his face. "Ohh, you must have conversed with Sir Solaire."

"You know him?"

"Why, he happens to be my student." He shined a warm smile as he spoke. Marco recalled that he mentioned someone helping him "become the sun". "While he certainly has the aptitude and potential, his eccentricities leave him... somewhat lacking in improvement and technique. Regardless, his peerless zeal is something to be admired, which is why I have never given up on him. His childlike dream of 'becoming the sun' is something I can never bring myself to prevent him from fulfilling."

"Do you..." The boy was almost afraid to ask, but nervously did so anyways. "Uh, do ya think you could... teach me some of that, too?"

"Hmm..." The man rubbed his chin as he pondered. His eyes scanned all around Marco's body, to which the boy felt like he was being judged for a crime he didn't commit. "Well... I wouldn't mind having one more student, but I'm afraid class is not in session at the moment. I'm expecting to meet some friends, actually."

"Oh." Marco's head hung in mild dejection.

"However." The man raised a finger again. "I _can_ help you get started by merely teaching you the single most important fundamental aspect in the Art. The controlled breathing which allows you to manifest Hamon in the first place. It won't take long and we can do it before they inevitably come here."

"Ok!" The boy responded, his body straightening in excitement and a smile of child-like glee plastered across his face. It was like learning Karate for the first time again. "Oh wait, I never got your name."

"Ah yes, of course!" The man slapped his forehead in self-chastisement. "Where are my manners? My name is Jonathan Joestar, but my friends call me JoJo. I wouldn't mind if you did the same."

Jonathan extended a hand in friendly greeting.

"Nice to meetcha, JoJo. Name's Marco Diaz."

Their open palms met and fused into a firm, warm handshake.

"What...?" A remark slithered from beneath Jonathan's breath after he withdrew his grip.

"Something wrong?"

"Er." The tall man said as he looked at his palm in what looked to be disbelief. "It's nothing. Uh... So Marco, are you ready to take your first step into the world of a mystical and versatile Art? It's not as powerful or deadly as my friend Ken's martial art, but I'd like to imagine it's close."

"I think with my Karate training, I'd be able to handle it if I do say so myself." Marco proudly stated as he held a thumb to his chest."

"Oh, so you already practice a Martial Art? Well then, this just might make things a little easier."

"Alright, so how do we get this started?"

Jonathan straightened his posture and exuded a scholarly aura as he spoke. "First. You must find the appropriate stance with which to facilitate the proper flow of Hamon from your bloodstream to the rest of your body. More advanced practitioners are able to achieve this with multiple stances, but for a beginner such as yourself, we shall start with one. It is different for everybody, which is why this is the most difficult part when first summoning your Hamon."

"There isn't an end-all-be-all stance for doing that?"

"Indeed there isn't. Sendo is a very flexible art and as such, the practitioner must also be flexible in mind, body, and spirit. Observe."

Jonathan proceeded to stand in such a way where his beefy legs were moderately spread apart. Then his right hand, with its fingers spread apart, hung in front of his face. His left hand parted from his body and faced diagonally downwards. And then, with his lips in a perfect "o" and his nostrils flared, he absorbed as much air as he could. Finally, with all the gusto and spirit that filled every fiber of his being, he commenced his distinct, elongated exhale.

"Koooohhhhhh..."

Golden, flame-like energy began enveloping Jonathan's stout form from head to toe as his breathing went on. Many minuscule symbols that looked like "コ" rose from the uppermost parts of his body. Sparks of electricity snaked and crackled around him every couple seconds.

Then he switched to another pose, while still maintaining the flow of Hamon. He narrowed the distance on his legs and he held his left forearm across his stomach while his right arm arched parallel to his head. His open right palm hung above his clenched left fist.

He switched to one more stance where his torso tilted to the side and both arms were spread wide. Each arm was bent in a slight obtuse angle with each hand still kept the same way. The golden aura as well as his breathing remained unabashed. Now he was just showing off.

Jonathan's body loosened as he released himself from his stances and stood straight. He looked to Marco with an encouraging look.

"Now you try. See if you can find the stance that feels natural and comfortable to you. Try not to break or pull anything when doing so. Ha ha!"

The student stood there tapping his chin and gazing into the grassy ground as he ran a slideshow of stances in his mind. While his years of Karate training lended him plenty of poses to choose from, he was searching for _the_ pose. The one that would strike fear into the hearts of his adversary's. The prime symbol of his skills and prowess as a fighter. His signature stance that would etch itself upon the minds of all who bear witness to this lean, mean Martial Arts machine.

A lightbulb flickered to life above his head and he snapped his fingers. The moment of inspiration was just short of an "A-ha!"

Marco's body stiffened and practically embedded his feet into the ground as he put one foot diagonally forward and one bent towards the opposite side. A flat, open palm pushed forward, with the other arm kept low and bent in a way that has the forearm parallel to his other arm and facing the same way.

"Is that the stance you choose?" Jonathan asked.

He simply nodded.

"Alright then. To prepare the exercise, one must first be clear of mind and tranquil of heart. Make absolutely sure that your respiratory and cardiovascular systems are well in order. Any deficiencies with either will make this impossible. Do you suffer from any issues of the sort?"

He simply shook his head. His eyes closed in order to narrow his focus and easily grasp the full breadth of the exercise.

"Good. Now draw within as much air as you possibly can, with every opening. Your mouth and your nostrils, I mean. But don't open your mouth too wide. Wouldn't want to accidentally swallow any spirits. Ha ha."

The pupil did as was asked. His lips were loosely puckered into a dot as his nostrils flared wide. He inhaled as much as he could all while still maintaining his stance without so much as a hair on his head budging an inch. Nothing but endless black filled his vision. His current sensei's voice and his own breathing were all that hit his ears.

"Once you have drawn in the air and absorbed all the oxygen, you must push not only with your diaphragm, but also your heart. Compress your throat just slightly as you exhale. Keep your breathing steady and stable and do not let it waver for even the briefest of seconds."

Once again, he followed the instructions to the letter. And with all the willpower and determination he held within his spirit, his breath flowed forth.

"Koooohhhhhh..."

Marco began feeling a relaxing heat caress his entire body. Electricity coursed through every inch of his nervous system. Sharp tingles surged throughout various parts of his skin, followed by quiet crackling could feel a fire resonating within his heart and even his soul. It was intense, but it was more empowering than harmful.

It almost felt like he injected some of Solaire's weird drink into his bloodstream and its effects were much stronger and everlasting as a result. It was a feeling that he just might get addicted to.

Marco opened his eyes and they, along with his jaw, expanded to cartoonish widths as he internally gushed over his success. While it was the same type of energy that Jonathan conjured up, it was outlined by a faint reddish tint that give him the impression that he really was on fire.

"JoJo, I did it! I summoned my Hamon!" He said with biggest, happiest grin on his face and the shiniest sparkle in his eyes.

"Goodness, you're a natural." The master complimented as he hovered an astonished hand over his mouth. "Are you sure you haven't used it until now?"

"No, this is the first time." He said as he surveyed his entire body.

"Did you have any family members that did?"

"Pretty sure no one in my family can do something like this. Heck, I don't think they even know this exists."

"Hmm..." Jonathan took an inquisitive hand to his chin once again. "What type of harsh situations have you endured in your past life?"

"Uhh." Apprehension mildly marred the mirthful moment he was having. "Why do you ask?"

"Well. The thing with Hamon is that only one in ten thousand people have the talent to learn and apply it effectively. In addition, part of driving it comes from the suffering and pressure one bears while going through harrowing ordeals in their lifetime. Although Sir Solaire had the capabilities and the potential necessary to propagate Hamon, his started out like... a series of small droplets. While yours is like a wellspring or a geyser."

"But that's good right?"

"Of course. It's excellent, I might even say." Jonathan's mood fell just a tad bit, delving into the realms of seriousness. "But the thing is... your Hamon... it's nigh on par with mine. And you claim that this is your first time. So what I'm trying to figure out is how much pain do you carry on your shoulders that allowed such talent to bloom forth in the first place."

"Um..." Marco dipped his toes into despondence as he spoke. "I... was bullied a lot in school... I think there was more, but I don't remember. And yeah, the gatekeeper wasn't able to bring back my memories, either."

"Really now? That's quite unusual indeed." Jonathan spoke sincerely. "There's still plenty I'm ignorant to in regards to this... Astral Realm. Perhaps it's a possible, yet rare occurrence among souls to have amnesia of some sort."

"Well, the way she reacted to my situation made it seem like I was the first she was unable to do anything about."

"What did she say to you?"

"She said I was Branded and a Bearer of the-"

"WRRRYYYYYYY!"

"Gah!" Jonathan yelped and subsequently jumped back as a man came up behind him and screeched directly in his ear. Marco's body stiffened as he was also taken off guard by the loud and piercing shriek.

"C'mon Johnny Boy, y'know ya gotta stay frosty when you're out here." Snidely spoke the young man. "Never know when they start lettin' vampires in the Nexus."

"Goodness Gene, was that really necessary?" Jonathan chided as he checked if his hearing was still the same after all that.

"Of course. I just love messin' with ya, big guy." Gene said as wrapped a facetiously friendly arm over Jonathan's shoulder, to which the latter responded by leering at him.

Gene looked to be around Jonathan's age as well as his height and build. He wore a black leather vest with long coattails trailing behind him. The lack of sleeves showed off his heavily tattooed, muscular arms. Black pants and black boots bordered beneath a black leather belt that wound around his waist. Short, light brown hair spiked back and crowned his scalp.

"So, you gonna introduce me to the little guy?" The brash man insisted as he pointed a finger towards Marco.

"Oh, right. Um." Jonathan waved a hand between the two as he made the quick introductions. "Marco, this is Gene. Gene, this is Marco."

"Nice to meetcha, buddy." Gene amiably greeted as he presented his fist.

"Pleasure's mine." Marco met his knuckles with his own in a quick fist bump.

"Whoa." After he drew back his hand, he peered at his own knuckles in confusion.

"You ok?" Marco asked.

"Uh yeah... you just uh, gotta good punching arm is all." He said disingenuously. The boy didn't think much of it.

A loud rustling came from behind them as another tall, muscular man cut through the thick wall of flora. He looked somewhat similar to Jonathan, but his somewhat spiky hair was a dark brown and his face was more slender and held a serious expression that equaled to that of Brad Armstrong's. He wore a blue vest not unlike Jonathan's, but it distinguishes itself with gray broad shoulder pads. Also like Gene, he wore a pair of black jeans alongside a pair of black boots. He came in carrying three folded lawn chairs in one hand and a large paper grocery bag in the other.

"You made Master Ken carry everything? It was supposed to be your turn today, Gene!" Jonathan rebuked his troublesome friend as he threw his hands down.

"Hey hey, don't yell at me." The defensive man held two hands in a stop motion. "He was the one who told me you were talking to someone. So I just... decided to check it out. Besides, he was cool with it."

"Don't push the blame on me." The other man said. He had a deep voice that seemed to belie nothing whatsoever. "I made a simple observation and he just ran off and let everything fall to the ground. It was a miracle nothing was damaged."

"Wait, so all of you guys just chill out here on the regular?" Marco asked, scratching his head.

"Yup." Gene answered with a nod. "Every weekend or so. Well, weekend according to us, that is. We synchronized our clocks and calendars."

"Why do you guys hang out here instead of your own homes? Aren't you afraid of getting ambushed by spirits?"

Jonathan proceeded to explain. "Because the transitory passages provide a spiritual atmosphere that allows our respective energies to flow seamlessly and more fluidly, giving us a feeling of unprecedented serenity. Sure, our own abodes could provide something similar, but it is not quite the same. The dimensional barriers that prevent wandering spirits from entering our home mitigates the full depth of the astral energy that they would otherwise be capable of emitting."

"And each of us are spiritually powerful enough that spirits dare not draw within close proximity." The other man explained. He extended a hand towards Marco. "By the way, my name is Kenshiro. 64th Grandmaster of Hokuto Shin Ken. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Marco."

"Wait, how do you know my name?" He asked as he shook his hand. When Kenshiro withdrew, he looked to his hand and back to Marco with a mildly puzzled expression. The latter neglected to notice.

"Ken's hearing is second to none." Jonathan pointed out.

"Yeah, if it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have the chance to scare the piss outta Johnny." Gene spoke with a smug grin.

"Anyways." Ken grabbed everyone's attention. "We should prepare everything as usual."

"Oh yeah. Here Ken, lemme set the chairs up."

And with that, an incomplete enclosed circle of chairs was created smack dab in the middle of the round grassy clearing. Everyone dug within the brown paper bag that was brought in by Ken and obtained their desired food and beverage. Jonathan, acting as the gentleman as he is, offered his chair to Marco, to which the latter refused and opted to sit upon the grass instead. The blue haired gent also offered some of his snacks and drinks to Marco, to which he also refused.

"Sorry we didn't bring anything for you." JoJo humbly apologized, even though the circumstances were reasonable. He sat to Marco's right."We didn't expect to have a guest."

"Nah it's fine." The teen said with a dismissive raise of his hand. "Besides, I'm not hungry. Or thirsty."

"Nobody is while they're here." Gene pointed out as he gulped down a strawberry. He ate out of a plastic box full of them as he sat a few feet in front of Marco.

"How come you guys got all these groceries, then?"

"You can never forget the feeling of being human." Kenshiro solemnly spoke, then he took a bite out of some jerky. He chewed and swallowed before continuing. "Eating, drinking, sleeping. They're optional now, but our minds refuse to deny what our bodies once habitually required. We cannot escape human nature even in our hereafter."

"Ken, how do ya even consider yourself human when you can go without food, water, and sleep waaayyyy longer than most anyone?" Gene asked. He finished his container full of strawberries and took to reclining in his chair, causing its joints and limbs to creak beneath his weight. He leaned his head on his hands and stared deep into the foggy sky.

"Knowing your circumstances Gene, how do _you_ consider yourself human?" Ken sharply, yet calmly rebutted.

"Tch. Ya got me there."

"Whaddya mean by that?" Marco asked as his gaze shifted to the left towards Ken.

The Grandmaster briefly exchanged glances with Gene. The latter shook his head, to which the former nodded his. Ken then looked back to Marco.

"Perhaps you should ask him yourself."

The hooded teen's inquisitive look shifted to Gene. He silently longed for an explanation and possibly a fun story that delved into his prior life.

"Ain't much to say, kid. I just fought a lotta demons and other weird shit when I was alive."

"Oh c'mon, now I know you've got more than that." Marco said as he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

Gene sat up and leaned forward in his chair and rested his forearms on his legs. His deep gaze went from the sky to Marco's eyes. "These guys've already heard my story so I don't wanna bore them by telling it again. Why don't you tell us yours instead? You're the more curious case here."

"Uh, me?" The teen pointed a finger to himself.

"Well, you're the only guest here, so yeah. You seem pretty young to be here. In a place for dead heroes, no less. So what's your story, dude?"

"Um, I-"

"He doesn't remember anything." Jonathan spoke on Marco's behalf.

"I asked him, not you Johnny." Gene looked back towards the boy in question. "Well?"

Marco began with a deep sigh. "No... he's right. I don't. I mean, I mostly remember my childhood memories, but that's about it. I dunno anything more than that. I don't even know what caused me to... come here."

"Hold up, so your memories are completely lost?"

"Not exactly. I mean, I've been gettin' them back slowly and surely, but even I dunno how that's happening."

"What did the lady at the gate tell you?"

"Just keep going forward and I'll figure everything out from there."

"She also mentioned that you were a Branded and... something else that I didn't get to hear because a certain someone decided to act out juvenile antics." Jonathan shot a swift sour glare towards Gene, who merely responded with an aloof shrug and a smug smirk. Then he turned back to Marco. "What else did she say?"

"Well, she said I was also a 'Tethered Soul of the Blood Moon and a Bearer of the God Hand."

The silence and the tension that followed shared air space with the omnipresent fog that filled the entire area. Both Jonathan and Kenshiro shared looks of silent astonishment which were then fallen on Gene, then back to Marco.

The former didn't look as taken aback as his friends. In fact he looked more pleasantly surprised than anything. His lips curved in the smallest fraction of a smile while he quietly chuckled.

"What? Do you guys know something?" Marco looked as visibly shaken as the ones standing by his side. He felt a chill slither down his spine and a cold sweat nesting on his face.

"Marco." Gene's deathly serious attitude compared to his earlier behavior made him flinch. "This is a weird thing I'm about to ask you to do, but bear with me. I need you to pull up your sleeves."

He loudly gulped. "M-my sleeves?"

"Yeah. Pull 'em up."

With a slow, uncertain nod, Marco obliged. Without really giving it much thought, he slid his left sleeve up first. It revealed a tan, somewhat muscular arm that was free of any blemishes or hair. His worried eyes landed on the man in front of him, silently asking him what the point of all this was.

To which he responded. "The other one."

With a soft sigh through his nostrils, he pulled up the last red sleeve. And to his surprise, there were blue swirling tattoos going from the base of his shoulder and converging up to his wrist.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. You're missing the circle, though." Gene pointed out as he held up and flashed the back of his right hand for the boy to see.

"What... what is this?" Marco asked as he peered down the length of his arm. "What does it mean?"

The tattooed man leaned further forward in his seat. "Look man. I dunno how you managed to get the God Hand and get branded by the dudes of the same name. But all you need to know is that you were in some pretty deep shit before you got here."

"Dudes with the same name? What're you-"

"Ah ah ah." He put up a hand to deter Marco from pressing any further. He leaned against his chair once again, this time putting one ankle over the other. "If that blind chick's words are anything to go by, then you gotta figure all that out on your own. I'm here to hang with my bros, not spoonfeed some kid I just met. In the meantime, just relax. Take a load off. I can tell you definitely need it."

"How can I relax when everything you just said put me on edge? Why can't you just explain it to me now?"

"Kid, do you really wanna doubt the words and commands of a freakin' Great One?"

"G-great one?" Marco gulped and his body recoiled at the sound of those syllables.

"Yeah dude. As in, something so powerful that it can kill you just by existing. And by their nature, they know all and see all. Well for her, not literally for obvious reasons. But you get what I mean. And I'll tell ya one more time. Chill. We're here to hang out, not stress out."

Taking his grave words to heart, he slumped and leaned further back against his arms. Marco noticed that the tugging in his heart hasn't come up in a while. Not since he got here. He decided to take the reprieve to follow Gene's advice and simply relax. At least there weren't any spirits around to attack him and even if there was, these three warriors would most likely dispatch them no problem.

Everyone else eased up just the same and continued consuming their snacks and drinks in peace and quiet. Gene eventually loosened up himself and broke the ice.

"So Marco, d'ya remember if you had a girl back home?"

"A... girl?" The word was almost like it came from a foreign language.

"Yeah. Y'know, like arm candy? Cuddle bug? Smooch buddy? Anything like that?"

"Is that what you called her?" Jonathan quipped while shooting the biggest shit-eating grin. Gene responded with a middle finger to his face while maintaining eye contact with the guy he's primarily conversing with.

"Well..." Marco scratched the back of his head as he rifled through his brain for answers. "I mean, there was this one girl that I liked since kindergarten... but we never shared anything more than... a nod."

"Damn... sorry you sorta kicked the bucket before you even got a chance to talk to her." Gene spoke somberly. "You seem like pretty cool guy. I think she would've come around eventually."

"You really think so?" Marco expected ridicule as he got from some of his classmates, but he was instead pleasantly surprised and grateful that Gene-despite being the sly joker that he has presented himself to be thus far- was instead kind to empathize.

"Yeah man. Takes a cool guy to know a cool guy." An instant, barely audible snicker came from Kenshiro. Gene had to have heard it because his pupils darted to the Grandmaster's direction for a split-second.

"Well, what about you guys?" Marco asked, trying to get everyone else to contribute to the conversation.

Silence fell once again as the two men on each side wistfully stared into the green grassy ground. Gene shifted his gaze from Marco to the sky as he remained in his chilled, leaning position. Then, one by one, counterclockwise starting from Marco, they threw names in the air.

"Erina."

"Olivia."

All eyes were on Kenshiro when he delayed on his contribution and allowed the uncomfortable silence to linger. His stern, grave gaze remained adhered to the ground beneath his feet. He clenched his fists so tightly that the stretching of his skin and the cracking of his bones very faintly resounded. He hefted possibly the heaviest sigh in existence as he finally joined the others.

"Yuria..."

They all suddenly became downtrodden upon uttering the names of their lovers as if it was a scar Marco inadvertently ripped from their flesh. The mood being dampened was a severe understatement. More like it drowned. "Sorry if I brought back some bad memories. I didn't mean to ruin your guys' buddy day."

"It's not your fault." Kenshiro assured. "It's just... no matter how much time you spend with the one you love. Whether it was decades or a millennium before your time inevitably comes... It never feels like it was long enough."

"You loved her that much, huh?" Marco asked with great sincerity.

Ken nodded. "I never brought myself to seek another lover once she passed away. She was the most important aspect of my life. Even when she wanted me to be happy and find someone else to love, I unwaveringly kept her in my heart even to this moment. I couldn't be truly happy without her."

"And you just... lived the rest of your life never truly finding happiness?" The teen asked.

"Let me impart a small lesson to you, young Marco. The power of the Martial Art I practice, Hokuto Shin Ken, lies not within one's strength, combat capabilities, or skill. The true foundations of its might lie within the knowledge of one's love and sorrow. If you can fully understand the very core of these concepts, then you are well on your way to mastering the Hokuto Style. In fact, I believe these ideas are what determines the true power of a person. Not wealth, societal influence, or physical prowess. But love and sorrow."

"Oh, I see." Marco said as he absentmindedly held a hand over his heart.

"And it's no secret to any of us that you are bearing quite a heavy burden on your shoulders." Kenshiro perceptively stated. "And there is something deep within that's beckoning you, isn't there?"

The teen said and did nothing but stare at Kenshiro incredulously. The Grandmaster's facial expression scarcely changed, but the most negligible hint of a smile could be percieved if one would squint hard enough.

"Y'know, you never did say what that girl's name was, now that I think about it." Gene commented.

"Yes, Marco. Since the rest of us told you ours, it's only fair that you too should tell us the name of the object of your affections." Jonathan added.

Just then, Marco's entire body stiffened intensely when he felt an audible crack from deep within his heart, like an instantaneous, yet powerful strike of lightning. Images. An overwhelming collage of tiny images filled his eyesight for but a fraction of a second. They were all so small, yet he was able to see exactly what each and every single one comprised of.

And then something started to rise up his throat and spread throughout the rest of his body. A word. It bounced around every wall of his mind like a small child driven by a particularly severe sugar rush. It beat against his eardrums repeatedly at countless beats per second.

No, it wasn't just a word. A name. It was rooted deep in his mind all along, primed and ready to be heard across the Multiverse. A name that smoothly glided off his tongue without a semblance of apprehension or hesitation. With a blinding gleam in his eye and a blistering blaze in beneath his breast, he spoke with as much clarity and certainty as was humanly possible.

"Star..."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Fun fact: Did you know that Marco's voice actor/seiyuu in the Japanese dub of Star vs. also voiced Jonathan Joestar in the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Anime?**

 **Fun fact nii: Did you also know that, according to the Star vs. Guidebook, Marco has strangely extensive knowledge of monster pressure points, one of which causes a monster to explode?**

 **I swear, I didn't know that last one until yesterday and I planned out this chapter way before then.**


	38. The Only Thing I Know For Real

"Star, huh?" Gene asked. A bit of intrigue crept into his voice. "Sounds cute."

"I bet she is a maiden who's as lovely as her name." Jonathan added, sounding somewhat happy for Marco.

Kenshiro merely nodded and his smile deepened. His serious disposition seemed to have explicitly dissolved at that moment.

"Pray tell, Marco. What's she like?" Jonathan inquired.

A smile snuck up on Marco's face unbeknownst to him. "Heh, what wasn't she like? She was crazy... oftentimes annoying. Destructive. Never thought things through. And she almost got me killed on multiple occasions..."

"Heh, sounds familiar." Gene wistfully responded with a smile.

"Wait, almost got you killed?" Jonathan arched an eyebrow. "Is this the same girl you had a crush on?"

"What? No, that girl was my girlfriend. Star is..." His heart skipped a beat. "...was my best friend..."

Jonathan said no more. He looked rather confused than anything.

"I guess you just suddenly remembered all that." Gene plainly spoke, his eyes remaining on the foggy sky above. "See, I told ya she'd come around."

"A man who swims between two rivers of opposing flow." Kenshiro stated. "I've been in a similar situation."

"Oh, I see." Jonathan said. He turned back to Marco. "Well, this other girl sounds rather... alarming. But if Master Ken is saying what I think he's saying, then surely she has plenty of qualities that belittle the flaws you've laid out for us."

"Well, of course." Marco's smile deepened and he still was still unaware of it. "She's cute, sweet, hilarious, loyal. Always there when you need her... Never a dull moment when she's around... always knows how to make you smile. She's... magical... She's the best thing that could've ever happened to me..."

"Damn, dude. Ya got it pretty bad."

"Master Ken, I think he's already chosen his river."

"I believe so as well." Kenshiro turned towards the teen with a look of utmost determination. "Marco, I urge you to carry on. Follow your star."

Driven solely by the Grandmaster's words and his own unclouded thoughts and actions, Marco shot to his feet. He paid no attention to the burning tugging in his chest. He held a fist to his chest as he made his ardent declaration. "You're right. I gotta find her."

"Succeed where we all failed, Marco." Jonathan softly spoke with a combination of subtle sorrow and hope. "For our sakes, stay by her side and never let go.

"You'll get to her, man. I know it." Gene said with an encouraging smile.

"Thank you, everyone." Marco expressed his gratitude with a slight bow as he shook each individual's hand in salutations.

"Don't worry about it, dude. Just go."

With that, the driven teen walked right past the trio and made his brisk way towards the other set of bushes.

But right as his hand was barely a hair's length from the floral wall, he stopped. He felt like he needed to do something for the three gentleman before he left. For their helping him grasp the full breadth of his journey.

"Hey guys." He called out, prompting everyone to turn towards his direction.

He then held his right fist up, aligned with his chest with his arm bent slightly obtuse. Just as Solaire showed him.

A silent message. To tell them to keep their hopes tightly in their fists. A gesture of inspiration. The very same that they all gave him.

They reciprocated by smiling and raising their fists in return, though theirs pointed towards the sky.

And with that last goodbye, Marco's body disappeared into the thick brush and his strong, motivated footsteps eventually faded into silence. The three were left to their own devices. To enjoy the rest of their "day" in lazy leisure.

"So Ken." Gene sat up and leaned towards said Grandmaster. "Whaddya make of the kid?"

"Yes, I'm curious about your input as well." Jonathan piped up. "His Hamon is stronger than it should be for a beginner. And the spark I felt from our handshake... it's abnormal."

"If I'm being honest, his bro fist kinda caught me off guard, too. But I got why."

Kenshiro was silent. He looked as if he was deep in contemplation. Jonathan and Gene exchanged glances, somewhat unnerved by their friend's hesitation.

With a soft exhale through his nostrils, the Grandmaster took on a solemn tone and held an attitude that had zero hint of uncertainty. "In all of Hokuto Shin Ken's 2000 years of existence and in all my years of studying and eventually mastering it, it is unheard of for anyone- with no prior knowledge of the Art- to have the potential for the Ultimate Technique."

"Master Ken, you don't mean... _that_?"

"Yes." He replied with a nod. "He possesses the right qualities. He fulfills the conditions. He needs not even skim the surface of the Art. It is merely a matter of time before he awakens it. How he uses it and when he'll master it is another matter entirely."

Silence fell once again. And it lingered on for the rest of the "day" as everyone continued to consume their products without uttering a single word. Not even Gene, the more outspoken of the three, wished to start a conversation. He took to pensively staring into the cloudy void above.

Everyone's attention was gripped by a nearby wall of fog materializing before them. Stepping out of the fog was a face everyone was familiar with.

* * *

There was no longer any doubt in his mind. There were no barriers, whether physical or mental, in his way. His heart and his mind had one thing and one thing in his mind right now. Everything had led up to one, single desire.

Find Star.

Perhaps this was the warmth and tugging that he's been feeling in his chest all along. She was beckoning him. Leading him towards her. She was waiting for him.

Could it be because of her that he was slowly remembering who he was? He wasn't certain about that.

What he was completely certain about, however, was that she was his true sun. The light that guided him on this unclear path unbeknownst to him. And he had to follow her.

The acute, stabbing pain interrupted his musing and ceased his determined stride. Instinctively, his hand went over the usual spot on his flesh.

Yup. Bleeding once again.

Marco got into his stance and breathed. If he was gonna test out his new abilities, this would be the best opportunity.

And as expected, the reddish-yellow energy surged throughout his body, ready to be unleashed upon any and all that stood in his way and intended on bringing him harm.

His wary gaze darted all around, attempting to peel away the fog and unveil whatever hid beyond.

His ears perked up when he heard slow, methodical footsteps slicing the silence directly in front of him. His eyes shifted in that direction, his scorching gaze attempting to cut whoever showed up.

It was one of those red guys again. A Black Phantom. Marco peered past it to see if it had brought any reinforcements. The space beyond it was devoid of life or undeath.

He warily looked around every direction once again. He didn't detect anyone trying to sneak up on him.

Marco noticed that, unlike the other Phantoms, this one wasn't attacking him right away. In fact, he was just standing there. His hand rested upon the grip of what appeared to be a katana sheathed at his hip. Held in his other hand was another. The hooded teen felt an aura of familiarity emanating from the specter and it put him at unease. The Phantom's passivity unnerved him more than anything.

From what Marco was able to gather despite his ethereal appearance and singular color pallet, the phantom was around his height and build. His face was slender and his long hair drooped on his shoulders. He looked to be wearing a set of robes reminiscent of those that belonged to samurai.

Marco was completely taken aback when the other katana was thrown in his direction and landed by his feet. He looked to the fallen weapon, then back to the phantom with great apprehension. The latter still stood there, his stance unchanging. Like he was waiting for something.

With his eyes adhered to his foe, Marco bent down to the pick the sword up. Its ghostly appearance dissolved into a corporeal state the very moment he grabbed a hold of it. Its sheath was pitch black. Below its flat, circular silver hilt was a grip wrapped in red gauze and bottomed out with more silver.

Holding the weapon horizontally in front of him, the blade gradually emerged from its sheath. The black-silver metal held an unsullied brilliance as if it was never used once. He can see his reflection upon its surface as clear as day.

With a shing, the full length of the blade emerged and Marco held it vertically in front of him. His Hamon began flowing from his body to the entirety of the weapon, bathing it in its golden, sun-kissed luminescence. Ready to strike down his enemy in what the two silently agreed on to be a duel of skill and honor. To his knowledge, he's never used a sword before, but it seems as though he's about to learn now. He at least remembered all the swordsman anime he's seen in the past, so he'll do his very best to emulate scenes from them.

With an instantaneous shing, the opposing phantom immediately went into a stance where his body curved low, and his blade was held behind him with its edge facing downwards.

And without sparing even a moment of time, the two ran towards one another at full speed ahead, their blades more than ready to inflict deep wounds and take someone's life.

* * *

Well this was new.

A memory that was neither familiar nor surreal. Quite barren if anything.

It was honestly a fresh of breath air for Star, despite the dry and atmospherically polluted appearance. Just a simple, empty, non-complex, non-tempting, normal desert standing beneath a sky obfuscated by a void of grayish green fog. With a straight, rocky road that cutting through. Either side of the road looked as if they stretched into infinity.

There was even so few people present. Just three of them standing there just several yards away. Well, two of them were standing and one of them sat on a rock a good distance away. Come to think of it, two of those people looked rather familiar. And there was a very familiar dragoncycle standing on the road just beside them.

Upon closing the distance between her and the scene, Star could see Hekapoo sitting on a rock holding a... what was that, a radio or something? Star had never laid eyes upon such a device before, but she deduced that it was an old music player of sorts judging by the speakers. Seems the forger of scissors was pretty old-school when it came to playing her tunes. Why she didn't just get with the times and use a phone instead was beyond her.

And just when Star thought she was well past the challenge of temptation, she laid eyes on Marco, who was his nigh shirtless, deliciously muscular 30-year-old self. It was a steep hill to overcome the mighty urge to stare, drool, and maybe fondle but she had learned her lesson from her previous ordeal. All things considered, it would be a lot more creepy if she tried anything this time around. Best wait for a moment when she could perhaps get some consent first.

The other person was definitely someone Star had never seen before. An elf who looked to be around Marco's age and height, wearing a blue leather trench coat. The dull shade of his yellow skin clashed with the shine of his white pony tail hair. Like Marco, a sword was gripped firmly in his hands and his face held a daunting expression that wrinkled the slender scar that bisected his left eye. At his hip was this weird, techy-looking sheathe.

Seems Star ended up in the middle of a fight. Or the beginning of it.

Though considering the minimalist scenario, there wasn't a whole lot of options for Star to replay this memory. She couldn't go down either road, as they were blocked by barely noticable, blurry walls. But then again, if Marco was in this general area then what would've been the point to heading down either side of the long, winding road?

It was a long shot, but the girl got the idea that perhaps unfreezing the memory had to do with the radio thing Hekapoo held on her lap. Geez, that thing was huge. It was a wonder how it wasn't crushing her bones to dust.

Upon inspecting the oversized metal box, the teen's eyes glazed over the line of buttons that were on top of it. There was one particular button that caught her attention. One that held a symbol that she definitely recognized.

Wait, it couldn't be _that_ easy, could it? It wouldn't be as simple as just pressing play and literally unpausing the events, would it?

Despite her wariness towards the simplicity of the task, Star saw no other option in sight. There didn't seem to be anything explicitly amiss with either combatant and the only thing surrounding everyone was a boundless, barren wasteland of dust, dirt, gravel and every other mineral beneath the sunless, noxious sky.

With a noncommittal shrug, Star took her finger to the play button and with a quick click-

 _MEMORIES BROKEN, THE TRUTH GOES UNSPOKEN, I'VE EVEN FORGOTTEN MY NAAAAME!_

The sound of a resounding clang carried off into the winds as steel clashed against steel. Sparks flew all about and momentarily illuminated the area around the two as their blades met. Colors coalesced into blurry blends of reds, blacks, silvers, and blues with every swift, successive strike. Grunts and shouts of extreme exertion accompanied the chorus of shings and clangs and the industrial metal song that serenaded the battlefield. From where Star stood, she could tell that each contender had the explicit intent to rip apart flesh and paint the dusty, barren canvas with the blood of their adversary. It was a feeling she was in more than friendly terms with.

Their onslaught ceased as their blades were kept between them. Metal ground against metal. The two dragged and pushed in an ardent attempt to drop the guard of the other. Neither one allowed the other's blade to move even an inch.

"Oh, I'm really feeling it, Mars." The unfamiliar face said through grit teeth. He sounded to have an accent that Star wasn't familiar with.

"Feel this!"

Marco ended up winning their shove of war when he managed to throw his opponent's blade to the side, briefly exposing him. The hooded man tried to follow up with a slash to his abdomen, to which the opponent denied by deftly parrying his strike.

Marco tried to make up for his failed attack by allowing his blade to slide off the edge of his foe's and twisting his own body in a spin that allowed his sword to come around into the same attempt. Same side, same angle.

Rather than parry once again, the enemy jumped and flipped back, his body flying in in an arc and landing several yards away. Instead of pursuing, Marco held his blade at the forefront in a defensive position, prepared to block whatever attack his opponent had in mind.

The elf sheathed his sword and curved his body as low as he possibly could. With a huge cloud of dust and rocks kicked up behind him, he propelled forward and flew across the ground at unnatural speeds.

His sword instantly unsheathed and met with Marco's in a quick, powerful slash that should have, in theory, shattered the opposing blade. However, whether by sheer willpower or well-crafted smithing, the steel, as well as its user's composure, remained unbroken, undented, and unbent.

The elf ended up whizzing right past his target in his slight flight, but he eventually skid to a stop just a short distance away. He repeated his previous action, his speed kept the same, but the angle of his strike differing.

And with quick enough reflexes, Marco once again successfully defended against the attack. The elf tried once again. Blocked. He did it again. Blocked. Once more. Blocked.

Rather than exhibit any bit of annoyance as one would expect, the elf instead flashed a bright, smug smile at his foe, to which the other met with a deeper scowl.

The elf proceeded to sheathe his blade once again. He then propelled forward once again. Star noticed that this time his finger was kept on the trigger that was built into his unusual sheathe.

With a resounding, metallic click, a cloud of gas spewed forth from the uppermost part of the sheathe right when the elf was within swinging distance. Countless sparks erupted from the opening as the blade was essentially shot from its sheath and flew towards its target in an almost immeasurable speed that aimed to split Marco's body down the middle.

Its goal ended up not coming to fruition as Marco, once again managed to parry the strike that would normally overwhelm an ordinary person with its blinding speed and tremendous power. However, both blades ending up flying far away from their owners' grasps as they spiraled and arced in the air then embedded themselves tip-first into the rocky surface. Each weapon stood behind their opposing users.

Both combatants looked absolutely dumbfounded upon this. With pupils of pinpricks and dropped jaws, the two looked back at their fallen blades, then back to each other.

The vocals on the song that boomed from the music player ceased, leaving only the guitars, drums, and techno mixing to play out.

Shaking off their awestruck stupor, the swordsmen leaped and parted far from one another. They followed by bending their bodies and raising their fists in preparation for some unarmed melee.

"Well then. Shall we have this dance, Mars?" The elf snidely remarked as he gave a much wider shit-eating grin.

Tossing away the need to make an equally snarky comeback, Marco instead ran at his opponent with a raised fist.

When he thrust it forward, the elf deftly grabbed his arm and, in a split-second, flipped the attacker onto his back, his body hitting the ground with a hard smack.

Standing over him and aiming to gloat, the elf stood over him with his feet near his foe's head. "C'mon Marco, that was an amateur's-"

Cutting his sentence abruptly was a hard steel-toed boot to the bridge of his nose. A spray of blood spurt forth from his nostrils as he staggered back far enough to allow the downed man enough space to nimbly jump to his feet.

"You were saying?" Marco snidely shot back, flashing a shit-eating smirk of his own.

With a frustrated growl and a wiping of his face, the elf readjusted himself and shuffled towards his foe. He advanced with a slight hop to his step.

Now somewhat angered, the blue-coated man threw a right hook to Marco's face, to which he parried with his bare forearm, then followed up with a right jab to the elf's stomach.

The impact caused him to bend forward just slightly, which allowed Marco to grab him by the temples and relentlessly drive his foe's face into his knee. He repeated this for several moments, countless droplets of blood fell between the two as Marco continued this assault.

The hooded man decided to end the repetitive combo by releasing his grip for a few fleeting moments and sending his fist in place of his knee for a powerful, well-placed uppercut that sent the elf flying back a few feet. He landed hard on his rear as he attempted to mitigate the impact.

Realizing his shift in orientation, Marco bolted right for his sword. Staggering to his feet, the elf made his frantic way towards his.

"Alright, Marco. I grow tired of toying with you." The elf seethed as he pulled his blue-bladed sword out of the ground.

"Heh, is that what you call that awful performance?" Marco playfully remarked, eliciting further ire from his already fuming opponent. He plucked his blade as music vocals returned as the two entered their readied positions. "What's the matter, Yang? Losing your edge?"

"Oh, I'll show you an edge. A hundred of them, that is." His lips curved from a frustrated frown to a confident smile as he sheathed his blade and bent his body lower once again. Though rather than propel himself forward, he opted to sprint instead.

Rather than stand and wait, Marco chose to meet Yang halfway and sprint just the same. His blade was kept to his side as he readied a slash.

Or multiple.

Now, even though Star had been watching as carefully and closely as she could without taking her eyes off of the entire debacle, she still had no idea what had just happened. The moment the two ran up to each other, there was like... a countless amount of clanging noises and sparks occurring within the most microscopic of time frames that it almost looked like it happened all at once... and suddenly Marco and Yang stood a paltry distance apart with their backs facing one another.

"So you countered my _Zankazeto_ with one of your own." Yang plainly spoke through labored breaths.

"I prefer what Dai-sensei called it. 'Blinding Blade'." Marco snapped back, also panting profusely. A cocky grin slashed across his face. "Wind-cutting blade's a cool name in its own right, but Blinding Blade just rolls off the tongue better."

"Dai-sensei... he always said you were his favorite..." He took on a slightly somber tone.

"You jelly?"

"Not really." He didn't sound very convincing. He was probably aware of that. "If anything, I've always thought your graduation was a result of nepotism."

"Ya want me to prove you wrong?"

"Heh... I'd love to see that, actually."

With that, Yang jumped back and broadened the distance between him and his opponent once again. And for the umpteenth time, he sheathed his blade.

"I don't remember the last time I've ever needed to use an Assured Kill Technique. But it would seem that you've forced my hand today, Mars." Yang sounded a tad apologetic as he spoke. "For you, I'll use my favorite one. _Zantetsuken._ It goes beyond normal speed and is imperceptible before the naked eye. It is invincible."

"Give it to me straight then." Marco beckoned as he positioned himself. His head shifted towards the side as his back was kept facing his opponent. He held his own blade horizontally across his head. His right hand grasped closely to the hilt while his left fingers loosely rested near the butt-end of the grip.

"Marco, please. I'd rather you look my way. At least provide for me an honorable death." Yang urged.

"Don't worry. You'll get it soon enough." He still refused to budge an inch despite his statement. There was a deep ocean of determination and confidence hidden beneath the dry and brief delivery of his words. Star sensed it.

"Fine, be that way. If that is what you desire, then who am I to deny the last wishes of a dead man?"

The second Yang shifted even the most negligible inch forward, time appeared to have slowed down immensely. Immune to the temporal effects, Star's gaze darted all around as she stood within a bubble of her own confusion.

Then, echoing throughout the area were voices. Two to be exact. A series of omnipresent conversations were being had loud and clear. As if the echoes of one or more memories seeped into this one.

 _C'mon Dai-sensei, how long do I hafta keep swinging at this swallow?_

 _Until you strike it dead with your blade. And his name is Missy Buzz-Buzz!_

 _Dai-sensei, it keeps dodging my strikes. How do you expect me to hit it when it's moving faster than_ _me?_

 _Trap its path._

 _Trap i- how!?_

 _You'll figure it out._

 _What do I need to do to figure it out?_

 _Perhaps you could start by determining its airspeed velocity. That shall be your homework for tonight!_

 _Ok, well is it a Mountain or a Forest swallow?_

 _... Keep swinging, boy! Disregard the homework!_

 _Dai-sensei, we've been at this every day for two years! And I still can't hit your stupid bird!_

 _His name is Missy Buzz-Buzz the second and you will address him as such! You will not graduate until you can strike down this swallow!_

 _I- wait, second? What happened to the first?_

 _Nevermind that, boy! Keep swinging! Even if it takes two years more!_

 _Dai-sensei, I did it! I did it! Oh my gosh, I don't even know how I did! It was so weird! It was like a flash and, and my body just-_

 _OH! MY! GOD! Missy Buzz-Buzz the sixth! Speak to me! Speak to me-hee-heeee!_

 _Uh, Dai-sensei? The bird is in literal pieces._

 _LEAVE US, BOY! Let me grieve in peace!_

 _Uh, ok._

 _Oh and ooone moore thing. Superb job executing that technique. Such a fabled strike is only known and utilized by a scarce few and even a few of those few were able to truly master it._

 _Wait, was I the only student here who learned this technique?_

 _In the thousands of years that Aoikage has existed, yes._

 _Why?_

 _You were the only one stupid enough to keep trying after the first day. Everyone else that was asked gave up. Even Yang._

 _So what was that about denying me graduation, then!?_

 _Well, you were so far along, I might as well have raised the stakes to maintain your diligence._

 _Ugh, I'll be on my way. Arigato-gozaimasu, Dai-sensei._

 _Ooone moore thing, Marco-kun._

 _Yes?_

 _Should you ever find yourself even considering using that move, then you better be absolutely sure that you want your target to be as dead as Missy Buzz-Buzz the sixth. There is no executing this attack halfway. It either succeeds or it fails._

 _Hai, Dai-sensei. I'll never forget it._

 _Oh and you owe me a new swallow. Go to the pet shop and pick one up for me._

 _Mountain or Forest?_

 _You know what, just get me a goldfish instead. Those aren't as suicidal._

Right as the last word was uttered, time slowly returned to normal. Yang was immediately propelled forward at a speed that went beyond Star's perceptible limits.

And right as he was within a blade's length, the elf's body disappeared within the blink of an eye, followed by a flash and the instantaneous sound of steel rending flesh. Just as quickly as he vanished, Yang reappeared just a few yards away from his opponent. His blade held low and blood dripping from its edge with a slow rhythm of splishes and splashes.

Marco's position also changed, unbeknownst to Star. He was in a similar stance to his foe. Blood also dripped where he stood, but they instead escaped from a long, diagonal gash across his bare chest. Some of the crimson liquid slipped through the end of the hooded man's lips.

The music stopped. The entire area was absolutely bereft of sound. There was nothing but the brisk wind that caressed the forms of all in attendance. Star and even Hekapoo held their breaths while their jaws were threatening to pop out and fall off. Nachos looked to be on the precipice of shedding tears as her master shed blood.

Yang straightened his posture and turned around. A pristine, white smile shined on his face as a celebration of his victory.

"Well Marco, I told you. _Zantetsuken_ is invinci-"

An agonizing groan spewed from his lungs and cut his gloating short as, out of nowhere, three simultaneous slashes appeared on Yang's being. Two diagonal, intersecting wounds arced from his back to his chest and one horizontal red line went across his stomach. Blood spurted profusely from each elongated cut as well as his mouth. His blade fell to the ground with a piercing ding.

"Holy shit..." Hekapoo whispered as she held both hands over her mouth.

Star's eyes simply widened beyond the outlines of her eyelids. Her breathing quivered in quick succession as her addled mind made every attempt to interpret and process what had just happened.

" _M-ma-masaka..."_ Yang uttered beneath his breath in disbelief. He fell to his knees, the loss and the pain exceeding what his legs could bear. "This te-technique... is a work of fiction...a myth... How. How could you have possibly executed it?"

Marco merely shrugged as he turned to face his losing opponent. He holstered his blade. Surprisingly, it had nary a drop of blood on any part of it. He wiped his mouth and walked forward. Upon further inspection, the laceration on his torso wasn't as deep as it could've been and didn't bleed as badly as Yang's.

"I just did it, Yang. That's all there was to it."

"No... you can't simply downplay _Tsubame Gaeshi_ like that _..._ " The elf coughed more mouthfuls of blood before feebly straining his voice again. "You... you had to have completely ignored the laws of time, space, and physics. Transcended the very limits of mortal ability..."

The victor said nothing more. But he couldn't help but peer into Yang's cloudy blue eyes in pity and sorrow. A bloody smile that could be mistaken for a facial wound was slashed across the elf's face.

"Ha... ha ha..." He rasped and wheezed out a weak laughter. " _So desu ka_... For but a fleeting instant... you genuinely projected the _sakki_ needed to defeat me... and I see why now."

"Why?" Marco simply asked.

"Heh... your purpose... why you fight... it flashed before my very eyes." Yang struggled to hang his quivering arm in the air. He peered into his moist, red hand, his smile unwavering. Then he pointed his open palm towards Marco, showing him the blood that overshadowed the yellow color of his skin.

"This... this is why I fight." He withdrew his hand and turned his weakened, half-lidded gaze in Hekapoo and Star's direction, shooting a quick wink. His line of sight wasn't as precise as it should've been and it almost looked as if he winked at Star. Most likely because he was on the cusp of death.

His gaze returned to Marco. For the first time in their ten year rivalry, Yang held a genuinely happy and friendly face that belied no grudge nor animosity whatsoever. For the first time, they were on amiable terms.

" _Sarabada..._ Mars."

Once the remaining embers of life flickered into thin air and all the vitality drained from his very being, Yang slumped and fell to the side with a resounding thud. Blood began pooling beneath him as his body expunged every last drop.

Marco's face fell to that of total shock when something was happening to the corpse.

All the yellow color gradually faded from the flesh and unveiled a lightly tanned skin. So too did the bright white sheen of his hair slowly vanished and gave way to jet black hair. His pointed ears shrunk inward and became more rounded. His blue eyes became green.

But it didn't stop there. Yang's entire body started to shrink at an alarming rate. His limbs sank into his large trench coat as his size diminished in several magnitudes. His face smoothed out and revealed the countenance of a boy that was around Marco's age when he first entered this dimension.

"I... I k-killed a-a..." Marco was asphyxiated by the realization of what he's done as the weight of his actions went beyond what every fiber of his being could handle. Star was completely frozen in her spot, holding both hands over her mouth in horror at what she bore witness to.

"Yup." Hekapoo plainly said, indifferent to the events that unfolded. "He was just like you when this whole thing started."

"B-b-but... the... he was... an elf... how did he...?" He fell to his knees as he held his temples in disbelief.

"He had a bounty on his head. Like a really huge one, too. Figured the only way to get out of it was to change his name, his origins and his appearance with something called a 'Glamour'. I thought it'd be permanent, but it looks like it wears off after death."

Marco said nothing. His mortified expression was completely transfixed as the severity of his actions debilitated his senses and his motor skills. The only thing the full-grown adult emitted were nearly inaudible whimpers belonging to that of a child. He was numb to the burning tears that fell down his cheek. Nachos wheeled up to her sorrow-stricken master. She nuzzled her scaly face against his cheek, to which he returned the affectionate gesture with a small embrace of her head.

Star was on the verge of walking up to her best friend and wrapping an arm around him. Not out of any sordid intent, but to comfort him as he writhed in a festering pile of grief. She ultimately stayed her hand. He was a projection, not the real thing. She didn't want a repeat of earlier.

A device in Hekapoo's hand entered Marco's blurry line of sight.

"W-what's this?" He shakily stated with a wiping of his eyes and a sniffle.

"Tape recorder." The scissorsmith softly spoke. "One of the things we talked about was, if you ever managed to strike him down, he'd want you to have it. It has pretty much every thought he ever had since he got here and our conversation before you came here."

Marco gingerly took it in his hand. He squeezed it with great fervor but took great care not to crush it beneath his death grip.

Somewhat driven by Yang's posthumous parting gift, the hooded man slowly rose to his feet. He walked over to his former rival's downed blade and gently picked it up. As he held and thoroughly examined the blue blade in his hand, he began experiencing an almost unnoticeable pins and needles feeling in his palm.

"The Azure Aurora is what he called it." Hekapoo said solemnly. "Got it from his dad. He also told me that if he ever died, the sword 'wouldn't remain masterless for long.' I dunno what he meant, but I figured he might've wanted you to have that, too."

"Is this thing magic? I'm getting like a weird feeling from this thing."

"Well, not in the enhancement sense, but he said it had something in it. He wouldn't say what. It was a family secret or something." Hekapoo handed the mechanical sheathe to Marco.

Then, he walked back a several feet, then slashed the air to wipe the blood off the sword's edge. With a bending of his legs, a lowering of his body and the sheathe close to his hip, Marco directed the tip of the blade towards the slit of the sheathe. Both objects converged and with a resounding, metallic click, the two became one.

"I know what you said but..." There was lump in his throat for a mere moment. "I think it's better if we bury this with him. They say that warriors take their weapons to the afterlife or... wherever he's going. If you bury them with their weapons."

Hekapoo shrugged. "Whatever, man. Not my sword. I'll help you bury 'im, though."

With that, the scissorsmith spawned a good amount of clones to assist in the burial. Marco gently placed the sheathed katana upon his torso with both of his hands resting on its handle. Then they proceeded with filling his grave proper.

The two shared several more moments of silence as they stood over the fallen swordsman's resting place.

" _Arigato_... Yang. This has truly, truly been... a long, winding path. I'm glad I walked it with you."

"That's not his name, by the way."

"Oh... what was it, then?"

Hekapoo shrugged again. "I dunno his real name but... before he changed himself. Before you two met. He called himself _Mare Aureo._ The Golden Sea."

Marco simply nodded in silence, allowing the name to land and settle in his mind.

"Well, I'll leave ya alone for a bit. I think you need it. See ya around, Marco." Hekapoo waved before entering a rift in space. Nachos, Marco, and Star were all that remained.

The dragoncycle peered up at Marco with sad, puppy-esque eyes. She gurgled and whined inquisitively.

"I don't even know anymore." He responded with the same amount of sorrow. "It was him or me, y'know? But it doesn't make it any better."

Nachos gurgled once more, adding a few clicks of the tongue as she did so.

"See? Even you're not sure. I mean, you're used to only fighting alone to survive before we met, so I get why you don't get it... but I don't either..."

She gave a soft, vibrating hum and a low growl.

"Yeah, there isn't an end-all-be-all answer. Guess I gotta figure that out on my own. C'mon. Let's get out of here."

Marco gently placed himself on Nachos' back. With a series of loud, distinct growls that were akin to a motor revving, the two drove down the road, eventually picking up speed and gradually ascended to the sky.

Little did they know, they left behind a lone Star, still shaken by the events that unraveled before her.

Was the real challenge of this memory to watch that whole thing without peering at her best friend from a new, somewhat intimidated perspective? Without seeing him as something that went far beyond her usual expectations of him?

Because it worked. And by all accounts, she failed.

Yet, she instantly sank into the watery ground like always.


	39. Paper Boats

A brisk, yet chilling wind bit against Marco's skin as he made his steady trek up the rocky mountain path. Unfortunately for him, his red hoodie was torn to shreds during one of his many skirmishes with the local rabble and wildlife. At least he eventually managed to find a leather jacket, but it bared his torso to elements. He crossed his arms and rubbed a pair of gloved hands against his exposed arms to warm them up, but to little avail.

Swallows chirped and fluttered about, seemingly going his way. One of them flew too close for comfort and forced the young man to swat them away. Now that he thought about it, he was feeling a bit peckish. He rested a hand on his sheathed machete, preparing himself just in case some more decided to orbit him again.

It's been six years since he was first forced into this little, cross-dimensional game with Hekapoo. Six long, harrowing years. He had to count himself lucky that he possessed a decent amount of combat and survival skills as well as a plethora of interdimensional adventuring experience prior to being here. Otherwise, he would've perished a while ago. Maybe the first week if he was lucky.

While hunting animals for sustenance was one thing, hunting an extremely elusive fire elf lady was a whole 'nother. Marco had to rely on diligence and local hearsay to get a lead on at least one of her clones. And this particular side quest was no different.

There. He made it. Just like they said, he'd be in a little shack on the mountain. Isolated from civilization. Where lived one of the oldest beings in this dimension. Said to have close relations with the Smith of Scissors herself.

The shack was essentially a poorly-built, dilapidated pile of wood and nails that looked like it would collapse at any moment. Heck, many of the boards and the shutters quivered beneath the mild wind. At least the swallows liked the place enough to perch upon the roof, for better or worse.

The little wooden steps leading up to the entrance softly groaned and bent beneath Marco's feet. Instead of a door with hinges, it's one of those that slid open. Strangely enough, it wasn't even locked, but considering the ramshackle nature of the dwelling, it wasn't much of a surprise.

"You've already walked up the steps, you might as well let yourself in." Marco's heart skipped a beat the moment the strangely hospitable words hit his ears. "Take off your shoes before entering, please."

Still retaining his common courtesy after all these years, the hooded man obliged to the hosts' humble request and slipped his boots off and left them outside by the doorway.

The door slid all the way through, giving way to the most rundown and minimalist of homes Marco has ever seen.

The interior didn't look any better than the exterior, that's for sure. The whole place was covered with unlit candles and storage chests full of junk. At the far end of the room was a scroll of some sort hanging up on the wall with some letters he couldn't read.

And the old man was sat right in front of it with his legs crossed and facing his visitor. He fit the description Marco was given.

He was what could best be described as a gray-skinned, humanoid turtle without his shell. A slender white beard hung from his chin and his yellow eyes were kept at a constant squint. He wore robes reminiscent of those worn by Japanese swordsman during the Feudal Era, with a white top and purple bottoms.

"Now. To what do I owe the pleasure of having you in my company?" The turtle man asked, his tone remaining calm and warm. His voice was scratchy and somewhat hoarse. Like he smoked several packs a day his entire life.

"Um..." Marco awkwardly scratched his head. "I heard you knew Hekapoo pretty well. Don't suppose you'd uh... tell me where she is?"

"Hmm..." The old man pondered as he stroked his beard, causing it to spring up and down as he did so. "Maybe I do. Maybe I don't. What's it to ya?"

"I... just want to catch her so I can get those scissors and go home."

The turtle flashed his gums in a grin. "Ahh, so you too have been caught in her little game."

"Yes. So can you help me or not?"

"Mmm... nah."

Marco raised an eyebrow. "Okaayy... anything in particular you want from me? A task you need help with maybe? Or money?"

A momentary pause. "Nope. Don't need anything at all. You have nothing for me."

"What!?" Marco instinctively gripped his machete. He really didn't want to threaten this old man's life, but push has come to shove multiple times in the past whenever he was met with those who exhibited difficulties in cooperating.

The turtle said nothing. His dotted pupils flitted towards Marco's weapon then to his eyes. "Don't even think about it. I've sent guys stronger than you packin'. Besides. You won't kill me. And even if you wanted to, you can't."

"You wanna try me?" Over the years, Marco's gotten a knack for acting like the scariest cold-blooded killer to get what he wanted. It worked pretty much 99% of the time.

This was the 1%.

"Don't need to. Maybe you've managed to fool others into thinking you're more than willing to take their lives, but you can't fool me. You don't even project the necessary _sakki._ "

"The what now?" Marco's feigned fury eroded into confusion. "Isn't that an alcoholic drink?"

"No, not sake. _Sakki._ The true intent to kill. Otherwise known as the Death Lust. That which allows you to swing your blade in the first place. And even if you were able to project it, you still wouldn't be able to kill me. No one can."

"Oh? And why's that? You some all-powerful god or something?"

The old man simply chuckled at the comment. "Of course not. Quite simply, you cannot kill that which does not exist."

Marco was completely dumbfounded. He was told that the old man was a bit out there, but this was a whole other plane of lunacy that he never thought he'd be able to reach, much less understand.

"The heck are you talking about?"

He took on a much more serious tone as he elaborated. "You can't kill he who has abandoned and forgotten self. For whom the objective and subjective are as one. In which the line between life and death endlessly blurs. One who has merged with the emptiness of _Mu._ "

The hooded man's jaw hung as he struggled to parse his words. As he thought about it a bit more, he sounded like one of those gurus from all those martial arts and samurai shows he's watched in the past. He wasn't sure how to further approach this now that the old man unleashed this psychological kung fu and flipped his mind on its back.

The turtle tapped the wooded floor before him. "Sit down, boy. Lemme give you this lesson for free."

He was hesitant at first, but his apprehension quickly subsided and he ultimately relaxed. Neither had any reason to attack the other. He walked up to him and sat cross-legged. He folded his hands and kept them on his lap as he remained quiet and allowed the senior to speak.

"As I've said, if you truly wish to kill or, at the very least, fight with zero inhibitions, then you must project _Sakki._ If your opponent meets _sakki_ with _sakki_ or with fear, then you can make that strike."

Marco nodded in comprehension.

"But _Mu... Mu_ is pure, untouched emptiness. No energy. No movement. You would think that nothingness is the complete opposite of having an abundance of power. But in reality, nothingness is the greatest power one could attain. Because from nothingness is where all life springs forth."

"So... what happens if I meet nothingness with death lust?"

"The _sakki_ you project would rebound on itself, and you would end up cutting yourself. And if you meet _Mu_ with no _sakki,_ then it'd be like swinging at air. Nothingness is eternal and omnipresent. It pervades all layers of existence. Such a state would very easily allow you to pursue and catch Hekapoo-sama with ease."

His last sentence caused Marco's eyes to widen and his body to lean forward in excitement. "C-can you teach me how to do it? Teach me how to reach _Mu_?"

The turtle slowly shook his head. "It cannot be taught nor learned. Only found. That is a journey one must undertake themselves."

Marco hung his head in dejection upon hearing this.

"However." The young man's ears perked back up. "I run an academy of warriors that lies just beyond the mountains, hidden deep within a forest. The _Hana Aoikage_ School. We can push you in the right direction, but I cannot promise that you will reach _Mu_ at any point during your attendance. We can teach you how to properly project _Sakki,_ at least _._ "

There were sparkles dancing on Marco's eyes as he heard this. "A school for warriors!? Ok, where do I sign up?"

"Well, I have the applications somewhere around here." The turtle man looked around as he spoke. "Ah, but first. Which sect of the school would you like to train under? Bushido or Ninjitsu?"

Assuming the latter was all about murder, Marco definitely wanted no part of that. However he also hoped that the former section didn't force him to do anything of the sort, if that was to be his final choice.

On the other hand, he'd get to emulate all the awesome techniques from his Chinese cartoons. Maybe. Karate in reality wasn't as flashy and cool as the cartoons made it out to be, but he enjoyed learning it nonetheless. Learning the way of the sword most likely wouldn't be any different.

But then again, he'd get to swing around glorious nippon steel folded over a thousand times.

"Bushido." Marco answered with all the certainty his body would allow.

"Heh. I had a feeling you'd choose that. You don't seem like the assassin type to me, anyways." The turtle man extended a hand. "By the way, since I am Dai-sensei of the academy, you will address me as such from now on."

"Dai-sensei?" Marco asked as he took his hand in a firm shake. "I've heard of sensei, but what's Dai-sensei?"

"Grandmaster." He simply answered. "It fits because I'm pretty damn old. Ha ha ha!"

* * *

Labored lungs, a racing heart, and a plethora of gashes was all that was left of Marco. It was a tough battle, but somehow... he was able to reign victorious over the Black Phantom. The golden aura that enveloped his body faded away as the battle was unquestionably over.

The specter was kneeling at a mild distance away. Its body bent forward as it clutched its stomach in soundless agony. Countless tiny red particles emerged from its being and vanished into the air, its body gradually joining them.

The phantom looked back at Marco. He could swear that he caught a glimpse of it winking at him a split second before its existence flickered out of view.

He didn't know why, but he felt a faint pang of pity and sorrow strike his heart as he witnessed his foe dissolve to nothingness.

"See you ghost samurai..." Marco solemnly spoke. He felt the need to show the phantom some semblance of respect after that honorable duel. With that, he sheathed his newfound sword and stuck the whole thing through one of his belt loops. And his journey continued.

As he walked forward, Marco began recalling the last time he had a fight like that. Actually, he's had countless of them. With one guy. Yang was his name. He didn't know when he remembered that, but he surmised that it might've been at some point in the fight. Maybe that's why he ended up winning in the end.

Was that him as a Black Phantom? Is that how he ended up after falling by Marco's hand? There was something familiar about him. And he felt kinda sad as he saw him "die". Like when he killed...

Marco decided to halt that train of thought before it sent him spiraling into a more severe fit of sadness. He didn't want to think about how he, as a 30-year-old man, brutally murdered some kid who barely dipped his toes into adolescence. He also didn't want to think about how he possibly just sent that same guy into a state of nonexistence.

What did Armstrong-sensei ask him to do again? Not to run away from his past?

Well, he resolved that he won't run away from it. While keeping it in mind, he'll set it off to the side until he decides he's ready to acknowledge and embrace it.

Just like his feelings for Star.

"Welcome back, Awakened One." A familiar, tranquil voice cut through Marco's musings and sent his steps to an instant halt. "Hast thou a pleasant journey?"

The hooded teen was surprised to find himself right back at the gate. Where his spiritual journey of self-discovery began. He kinda sorta had a grasp on how space in this place worked, but it's something he could never get used to.

"Y-you." Was all his addled mind thought it'd be best to say.

"Yes, a pleasure to see'st thou once again." The Maiden smiled as she bowed. "I presume thou hast found that which was lost?"

"Yeah. And then some." Marco responded with bolstered confidence. "I think I know exactly what I need to do."

Her smile deepened. "Then thou art able to return from whence thou came. Ah, but first. A final parting message from the souls you have made contact with."

She extended her arm with her palm facing upwards. A shining white sphere hovered above her hand, with little wisps of similar color orbiting around it. The very same magical construct that floated between his chest and her hand when she was scanning his soul earlier.

"Touch it, Awakened One."

With an assured nod, Marco obliged. As he hovered his hand over it, he felt a comforting warmth wash over his entire body. Then, a series of voices began speaking to him from within. One after another, they expressed their farewell words of encouragement.

 _Bring back tales that I will remember for eternities, Marco. Oh, and I'm proud to hear that you managed to impress Master Jonathan. Keep it up! Don't forget my favor!_

 _Kid, I don't say this often, but I'm cheerin' for ya. Whenever you're done, you're welcome to the dojo anytime._

 _D-do your best, Marco! I hope you c-come back soon so you could sh-show me what you're really mm-made of!_

 _As your Hamon Instructor, I urge you to maintain regular breathing exercises at least ten minutes every day. Twice. Please refrain from skipping even one. And good luck finding your beloved!_

 _Sarabada, Marco. Keep her close and cherish her as much as you can. Your time spent with loved ones is just as valuable as time spent improving yourself as a fighter and a person._

 _Dragon kick their asses to the Milky Way, Marco. I'm counting on ya. And take good care of that Hand. That's my arm you're using._

Upon the uttering of the last message, the mass of energy exploded in a small, blinding flash. Marco then began feeling a rising heat channel from his heart and course through his right arm. Golden slender lines that wound up to his wrist shined through his red sleeve.

"You are ready. Please, step through the gate once more." The Maiden gestured towards the entrance as she made one more solemn bow.

"I can't thank you enough for everything." Marco expressed his most sincere gratitude with a bow of his own.

She modestly held up a hand. "I ultimately did very little to supplement thine journey. I merely pointed thou in the right direction."

"But still, I couldn't have gone through all this without you."

"Perhaps. But there is someone else for whom your gratitude is most deserving of. Now go forth. May your righteous path continue unwavering and may strength be granted so that your world might be mended."

With another nod of utmost confidence, Marco stepped through the gate. As his body penetrated the fog, the ground beneath his feet disappeared and he felt himself fall down a bottomless void with a loud, startled yelp. His body was plummeting through an endless expanse of clouds.

His piercing, elongated shriek eventually veered off into silence as unconsciousness was fast approaching him. The clouds that surrounded him began fading to black and his body sunk to unfathomable depths. His soul felt relaxed and his mind was serene. It was as if he was on his death bed, except he was more or less returning back to life and instead of heading towards the light, he was falling into darkness.

* * *

Marco's eyes slid open as he was awoken by the audible pushing and pulling of nearby waves. As sensation returned to his body, he noticed that he was laying flat on his back upon a bed of sand.

Or an endless expanse of it.

He found himself in a beach that seemed to go on forever. A barren landscape of sand bordered an equally endless sea, with countless large bubbles hovering a few inches above the shimmering surface. Presiding over the entire area and possibly serving as the source of the red tint that filled Marco's eyesight was a gigantic red moon hovering among the dark-crimson, star-filled sky. A few stray clouds floated among the celestial bodies as well.

He quickly found out that he wasn't alone. Sitting near the shoreline in front of a campfire was the familiar image of a certain Sea Captain that hung itself on Star's bedroom wall. Except he was an actual guy, living, breathing, and existing right there.

Marco frantically got to his feet as the sight of the guy sent him running. He left behind footsteps that rapidly disappeared after a few seconds.

"You! You were the one who told me about the Blood Moon!" He practically shouted, completely dumbfounded by what he was seeing.

"Aye." He merely uttered without taking his eyes off the bright flame that danced before him. His face was awash in an eerie orange glow, illuminating and simultaneously accentuating the many wrinkles that scarred his face and the dark bags that hung beneath his eyes.

"I mean, it's not that I don't appreciate you or anything, but... I gotta ask, why?"

He remained silent and transfixed on his little source of light for a few moments. He then slowly turned towards Marco and locked gazes.

"It ain't 'portant right now." He breathed a laborious sigh before turning back to his flame. He then pointed a wrinkly finger towards the ocean. "Ye should be on yer way. She's awaitin'. She's been workin' hard while ye were a driftin'. See them bubbles?"

Marco looked to where he was pointing and he then noticed that essentially every bubble within view was filled with images of everything he's ever experienced in life. Every sight, every gain, every loss, every relationship, every smile, every cry, every laugh, every embarrassment, every victory. Just... pretty much everything that his mind perceived and subsequently processed and saved. Everything.

"Yer memories. All empty before ye came." The Cap'n continued. "The lass ran herself ragged bringin' everything back. Waded through treacherous waters to get ye here."

"Star..." He uttered beneath his breath as he blankly stared into the bubble filled ocean.

"Well, don't be gawkin'. Run forward."

He looked back to the old man with wide eyes. "Do you have a boat or-"

"Just run forward."

Taking heed of the old man's increasingly irritated tone, Marco ran past him and up to the shoreline. He wasn't sure if he was expected to swim to her or what.

He shifted an inquisitive gaze towards the man, silently longing for some guidance. The old man simply nodded once, then turned back towards his campfire. It was a surprise how he didn't go blind considering how much he loved staring at that burning pile of wood.

Was... was he expecting him to walk _on_ the water?

He was understandably hesitant at first, but he resolved to the fact that stranger things have happened in much stranger environments.

With a noncommittal shrug, Marco dipped the tip of his shoe upon the fluid surface. He quickly recoiled upon being taken aback by the feeling of stepping onto a heavily wet floor. He decided to plant his entire sole upon the water. Then the other.

Welp, now he's officially done everything.

But no time to dwell on that, he has a best friend to meet.

"Star! Staaaarrr!" He repeatedly cried out her name as if his life depended on it. He sprinted across the sea with speedy splish-splashes, dodging around the bubbles as he followed the heated tugging beneath his breast and made his rapid way.

* * *

As Star stepped out of the bubble, she couldn't help but feel a little bummed towards what she saw. It wasn't his fault per se and he had no way of knowing but it didn't make it any less horrifying. At least he was remorseful and respectful at the end of it all. Now she was kinda glad that Marco, at the time, ended up forgetting most of what he experienced while enduring those trials and tribulations in Hekapoo's dimension.

Which begs the question. Now that she's fixed all those particular memories, will they all come back fresh in his mind as if everything had happened mere moments ago as opposed to fading into near obscurity the moment he returned to Earth? Guess she'll find out once he comes back.

"Heh, a cold-blooded killer. Just the way I like it. Clearly you were meant for each other." Snidely hissed the Serpent.

Star opted to refrain from dignifying its words with a response. She was getting tired of its shit and she wasn't fond of having another back and forth with it.

"Aw don't be like that, he- wait... you hear that?"

Star said and did nothing but raise a confuse eyebrow. She tried listening closely for whatever the Serpent managed to catch that she didn't.

The sound that ended up landing on her ears caused her heart to skip a beat. She thought she was going insane, but what echoed throughout the sea was as real as it got.

"Star! Staaaarrr!" Cried out the faint, familiar voice of the goal that every single bit of her efforts worked towards. The unwavering object of her affections. Her beloved bestie.

"Marcoooo!" She yelled back, hoping to direct him towards her. A blistering, but bearable heat radiated beneath her chest, causing her to instinctively clutch her heart in response.

An unseen force took the helm of her motor skills and she suddenly found herself heading towards the source of the loud, repeating calls with great haste, skirting around the liquid memories as she did so.

She stopped dead in her tracks as all the bubbles that surrounded her quickly sunk back into the deep red water. One by one, then dozens by dozens, then hundreds by hundreds until every single one was no longer in sight. As if deliberately, the entire seascape became completely empty.

Save for a certain red-hooded teenager running right at her.

A loud gasp escaped her as she was in near disbelief at what she was seeing. She was close to believing this was a mere illusion, but she wasn't in any of the memories. It was actually him heading straight for her.

And nothing stood in the way of her being with the one she so desperately needed right at that very moment.

"Sta-oof!" She didn't even stop, she just tackled him to the watery ground, sending them both sliding back a few feet as she grasped his body for dear life.

"I...is it r-really you?" She asked through choking sobs and sharp inhales. She gazed into his serene brown eyes with blue eyes ladened with tears.

"Yeah... it's me." He softly answered as he ran his fingers through her flowing hair.

She dug her face into his chest as she continued to openly weep. "M-Marco... I... Y-you... guh... I th-thought y-you w-were... I mm-miss-" Her voice shattered in between sobs as she struggled to keep herself together.

"Shh... it's ok, Star. I'm here, I'm here." He made every effort to console her in the most comforting and assuring way possible. He tried to match her tight embrace, but no dice. He didn't care about the fact that she was practically crushing his bones and his lungs. He was just beyond happy to finally be there with her.

They laid there in solemn silence for an amount of time that neither cared to measure. Frankly, it didn't matter to them how long it was. What really mattered was that they were finally together again. It felt like eons since they last saw each other. Especially after all that they've been through.

Marco continued to stare deeply into the starry scarlet sky as Star continued to allow her emotions and her tears to pool onto his chest. As time went on, her sobbing gradually became quieter and quieter until they completely ceased and dissolved into infrequent hiccups. The thought of letting go hasn't once grazed either of their minds.

"You good now?" Marco asked, lifting his head to check on his best friend.

She nodded her head while still keeping her face burrowed into his hoodie. Despite no longer feeling any sorrow, she had no intention of getting up and letting go.

"Um, Star? I'm enjoying this as much as you are right now, but I think we should get up."

"Right. Yeah. Sorry." Her response was muffled as she spoke with his chest still in her face.

After a few more moments, it took every bit of strength she had to tear herself off his body and rise to her feet. He soon followed suit.

His eyes widened when he noticed something drastically different about her.

"Star, your arms..." He worriedly said as he delicately grasped and lifted them up. "What... what happened?"

"Oh..." She bashfully averted her gaze. She felt as embarrassed as if he pointed out a zit on her face. "It's kind of a long story. I-"

Her sentence was cut off and both of them held onto each other to steady their balance as the sea beneath their feet trembled violently. In fact, the entire world around them began shaking, feeling as if it was threatening to collapse at any moment. Their gazes darted frantically all around, yet not a bit of fear touched either of their hearts. Despite what was happening, they were both ready for whatever came their way so long as they had each other.

Their attentions were directed towards the horizon when something started to rise from the ocean. Something massive.

As it rose higher and higher it turned out to be a more colossal version of all the bubbles that Star had to deal with prior. It made small waves that ran over their ankles as it freed itself from its watery prison and hovered several feet above the red sea.

Unlike the other bubbles, it held no image nor was it translucent. It was completely pitch black, like it came from an ocean made of tar. It was gigantic enough to look as if it replaced the Blood Moon as the new celestial body that loomed over this entire pocket dimension.

A green spot subtley shimmered in the midst of all the darkness.

"Star... what is that?" A noticeable tinge of uncertainty and dread creeped into his voice.

She knew exactly what it was. She hasn't thought about it once since she started this whole recovery process, but she knew that they had to confront this particular memory sooner or later. Her entire body shuddered profusely.

Words couldn't begin to describe what they're about to go through again. Her grip on his hand tightened immensely.


	40. In the Face of Evil

As anger-inducing as those words were when they first fell upon Star's ears, she couldn't help but think back to them as the two continued gazing into the Abyss floating ahead. At that moment, she was at odds with herself whether to agree with them or not.

 _...that perhaps your ultimate desire isn't necessarily that of your lover's._

"Who said that?" Marco asked Star as the words rung from within. She was unaware that the Skull Knight's words, or her thoughts in general, could be heard by him at that moment. Though, considering where they were and the circumstances that led up to this point, it kinda made sense why that was the case.

"Wait, you heard that?"

"Yeah... Kinda loud and clear. What was that all about?"

"It's just..." She was hesitant, but ultimately relented to telling him. "A guy that rescued us... from that." She pointed forward. "He was telling me how you might not want to... go back to that particular memory while I'm in the process of recovering you."

Marco shifted his worried gaze to the yet-to-be revived memory. He then made a loud swallow that indicated his dread and reluctance.

Star peered deep into her friend's eyes with a look that begged to preserve his sanity and innocence. Despite what she's been going through before he arrived, the realization of how much sense the Skull Knight's prior comment made has left her more hesitant than ever. However, she was also aware that, now that he's here in complete lucidity, the decision of what to do with his mind and body wasn't ultimately hers to make.

"Marco. We... If you don't want to... we don't have to keep going." Despite her saying that, she herself wasn't sure if abstaining and leaving right then and there was even a viable option at that point.

Though he was assailed by an abundance of apprehension, he too couldn't help but recall some choice words given to him not too long ago. A vehement request besought to him during his astral adventure.

 _If there was anything... unspeakable that ever happened... don't run away from it._

Star heard the words, but didn't bother to comment or inquire. In fact she became unsure which course of action was best to take. She tilted her head to the side as she continued staring at Marco, silently longing for a decision.

"How bad is it?" He knew that if the memory depicted itself as something as massive and as dark as that, it had to be an event that even he couldn't imagine. Something that he would never think would happen to him in a million years, despite all that he's already experienced thus far.

Star wanted nothing more than to be as blissfully ignorant. Rather than answer right away, she simply shook her head as her jaw slightly parted. She couldn't imagine how anyone, including herself, even with all the time in the Multiverse, could possibly articulate the horrors brought upon them by Toffee and Eclipsa.

"It's like that guy said... it's unspeakable..." Melancholy weighed heavy in her tone. She briefly recalled the dream-turned-nightmare she had after the implied event.

Marco merely nodded and looked back at the black mass floating before them. He took in as much air as he could as if he was about to submerge into some unfathomable depths, then hefted a heavy-hearted sigh.

"I'm going in there." He finally said without a hint of doubt.

Star's eyes broadened slightly and she emitted a brief gasp. She had the most powerful urge to talk him out of it, but pushed it as far down as she could. "Are... are you sure?"

He silently nodded again. "That guy you just heard? He also said that the past was supposed to make me a stronger and better person. And if I suppress it, it would just make things worse down the line. How can I expect to move on and grow from the experience if I don't see how it got me to this point in the first place?"

She said nothing. She respected his decision and understood his reasoning, but still couldn't bring herself to be one hundred percent behind it. She wasn't sure if better judgement was a viable tool at this point.

She stood there with her mouth still agape. Her lips began quivering and almost inaudible whimpers escaped her. Marco perceived her subtle, grief-stricken body language and decided to try his best to assuage her concerns.

"Star." He lifted her hands up to their chests and tightly wound his fingers around hers. His determined gaze cut through the sorrow behind her eyes and her visage softened. Despite the discoloration of her forearms, her hands felt as silky as they've always been.

"You've done so much for me at this point. Definitely more than I could ever imagine. I feel like such a burden for worrying you and putting you through all of this for my sake."

"Marco..." Her eyes started to burn from the tears and emotions that threatened to spill over. "You know I-"

He delicately put a couple fingers to her lips. He continued. "Just let me take it from here, ok? If this is my trauma, then I've gotta deal with it. Lemme be you for a change and face it head-on. If this is something you don't wanna go through again, then I won't hold it against you for not following me.

Marco parted himself and began marching away without another word. He was dead set on facing whatever abysmal memory awaited him. He wasn't sure why but he began feeling that warmth on his right arm again. The same type of heat that radiated when he heard his new friends' parting messages. He guessed that they were cheering him on as he made his stride towards what could be interpreted as his final and most difficult challenge.

Rapid splashing steps emanated from behind before he felt a sharp tug of his arm that stopped him dead in his tracks.

"What are you-"

Now it was his turn to have his lips momentarily sealed. Compared to just several moments ago, her face held a similar amount of dauntlessness that he had on his face and simultaneously felt in his heart. Much stranger was the fact that she also bore a half-smile that bordered between confidence and nervousness.

"Marco." Her attitude was thick with peerless determination. "This isn't just your trauma. It's _our_ trauma. And we're gonna go through it again _together._ "

"Star..." His solemn call of her name was muffled beneath her two fingers. His eyes shimmered as he focused deeply into her confident eyes.

"Ya see where we are?" She gestured with one of her hands to give a sense of scale. "Ya know why we're here?"

"The Blood Moon." He answered with great certainty.

She nodded in affirmation. "Yup. That means we're both bound for life. For better or worse. Through thick and thin. You think we're both here right now just for one of us to go through, by far, the most horrifyingly traumatizing experience either of us will ever have in our lives alone? Heck no! We're besties! Blood Moon Buddies! Trauma Twins! And we are gonna stick by each other till the very end. Even if it means decades of therapy. No ifs, ands, or buts about it."

He couldn't help but blink as his jaw was left hanging. It was clear how moved he was by her speech and he hadn't any reason to refuse her. She was right after all. If his recovered memories were anything to go off of, they've been through plenty of dire straits and harrowing conflicts in the past. Has any of them ever been endured alone? Can only one of them claim responsibility for every victory they've ever had during one of their many adventures? Well, maybe one of them can claim responsibility for causing the issues and exacerbating said issues, but that wasn't the point. The point was, they've experienced and grew from them together. Despite how monumentally worse this particular scenario was compared to everything else, it was definitely no exception.

"You're right." Marco's hand gripped Star's ever more firmly. "As long as you're around, this whole thing'll be a cakewalk. We're unstoppable."

"Well what are we waiting for, then?"

With a much fuller smile and a doubtless nod, the duo stood side-by-side as they made their brisk march into the maw of their misery. Or at least one of theirs. While Marco's fear of the unknown loomed over him with each step, his resolve refused to waver. So too did Star's despite her unabashed reluctance prior. Heck, she was reluctant now, but her burning love for the one beside her reduced all her fears to ashes.

 _The progenitor screams into the void._ Spoke a couple of different, overlapping disembodied voices that echoed across the sea. They were about a mile away from their destination.

"What was that?" Marco looked up and all around, somewhat taken aback.

"Dunno, don't care." Star dismissed.

 _She'll have her child one way or another._ Spoke a different duo in unison after a few more minutes.

"Uh." His gaze remained forward despite his apprehension.

"Just keep going. Ignore it. It's probably the memory or whatever messing with us."

 _Tied by her strings, you are slaves to her rhythm._ Another set of voices.

Neither of the two acknowledged or responded that time. They adhered their focus only on the black blob that floated within several feet from them.

 _You've met._ Now it sounded like hundreds speaking at once.

Star and Marco were now within arm's reach of their destination. With an exchange of determined glances and one more determined nod, the two dipped their hand into the black bubble. There was a rather thick resistance as it genuinely felt like they were dipping their hands in tar.

The two shared a look of disgust as the gooey texture disconcerted them, but did not completely deter them.

"You did something like this before you got here?" Star asked as she tried to plunge her arm further into the thick, viscous ball of slime. She wondered how he seemed to know what he was doing despite his first time being in this realm.

"Just with fog." He plainly answered as he followed her motions. "It was kinda dense, but not this dense."

Star emitted a sharp, mortified gasp when her hand began dipping into a layer that was squishy and... meaty in nature. It was a familiar, gross texture that caused her to gag and brought her to the brink of vomiting.

"Oh gosh, what is that?" Marco felt whatever Star was feeling. "Is that raw meat or some-"

The rest of his sentence died before it was born as the two were instantly yanked into the bubble as if it sucked them in and ate them up.

* * *

As expected, neither could formulate the words to describe what they've suddenly stepped foot in. Neither of their brains could also process the information given to them into something coherent or rational. To call it a horrific nightmare would be nothing short of an understatement. One thing for certain was that they were indeed back on the Butterfly Kingdom. Only it was... fucked up, for lack of an appropriate term.

They stood at the front gates, which, much like everything past it that should be a building comprised of stone, brick, and wood was instead molded with the mangled, bloody corpses of dead mewmans and kept together by sticky, chewed up viscera. The ground their feet were planted on was made out of vein-filled, pulsing muscle, like they were standing inside someone or something's body. The sky that ominously loomed over them was nothing but an endless mass of pulsating, interlocking intestines. At the very peak of the sky was a gaping black hole that supposedly served as the Black Sun ominously watching over all beneath its hazy, light-absorbing form.

What should be where Castle Butterfly stood was instead replaced by the familiar and deplorable towering black hand jutting out of the ground with its glowing green star crystal adorning its palm. Though the cosmic beings that once occupied each finger was nowhere to be found. It merely stood tall over all else as if beckoning for a soul to draw closer and become deathly embraced beneath its gigantic fingers.

The putrid, ever present stench of death and decay wormed itself into their nostrils. Once again, Star had the urge to vomit. The bile attempted to rise up her throat, but she reacted quickly enough to suppress and gulp it down. Marco made every attempt not to gag by squeezing his lips shut.

What pounded against their ear drums was the steady, omniscient rhythm of a beating heart thundering across the area. Accompanying it was the equally steady rhythm of deep inhales and exhales with each echoing pump. It definitely felt as though they were inside of something alive and it unnerved them to no end, but their convictions remained steadfast.

Marco could hear Star quietly hyperventilating as she took in her surroundings. Her eyes were wild and her pinprick pupils bounced all around. Her body shuddered excessively beneath his grip.

He began squeezing her hand even tighter. A silent reminder that she was not alone nor will she ever be. Her little panic attack began to die down to the point of ceasing, though her inner turmoil showed no signs of fading away any time soon.

"I... um. I guess that's where we need to go, right?" He softly asked as he gestured towards the colossal limb. While he was just as internally ailed as his best friend, his body felt no urge to react in a similar fashion. If anything he remained stable, all things considered.

When Marco began to walk forward, he felt a snag as the girl he was connected to stayed stone statue still in her spot. Her feet were firmly rooted to the meaty ground and her eyes were transfixed upon the towering limb ahead. They as well as her lips lightly quivered.

"Star?" He worriedly called out.

No response.

"Star." He sounded more firm.

But still nothing.

"Star!" He raised his voice as he snapped fingers directly in front of her.

"Huh?" She shook herself out of her grief-stricken stupor and attempted to find comfort in Marco's strong, brown gaze.

"You...need a minute? Maybe we should've waited a bit before walking in here. Give ourselves some time to mentally brace ourselves."

She profusely shook her head again before shooting him a look of clear unease followed by a sigh. "Let's just... let's just get this over with."

With each other still in tow, the two passed the gate and made their slow and steady walk through the kingdom. Their feet made sickening, splashy squelches with every step. All four eyes were kept forward as they resisted the urge to survey the visually chaotic sight that surrounded them.

In the corner of their eyes, they noticed that some of the bodies that formed the buildings writhed and wriggled. They weakly outstretched their skinned, mangled arms to gesture for help. Hollow, raspy words slithered into the teens' ears as they walked on by. Her efforts to deafen herself to their cries were in vain as Star couldn't help but shiver just a tad bit in response to what they were saying.

"Whyyyyy didn't you saaaave usss?"

"You... you abandoned uuusss..."

"Mewniiii is deeeaaad..."

"Aalll yourrrr faaaault..."

"No... I didn't... want to..." Star reflexively responded in fragmented whispers, ignoring her own advice from earlier.

"Star... stay with me, now." He urged without turning his head.

"Huh? Oh, right right..." His voice was like a splash of cold water. "They're not... not real..."

"Hey, y'know what we should do to turn our brains off from... all this?"

"Wha-what's that?"

"We should sing our favorite Love Sentence songs. Whaddya say?"

Star was taken aback by the weird suggestion at first, but quickly warmed up to it. She nodded in ardent agreement. "Yeah, yeah. Sounds good. What song, though?"

Marco took a moment to think it over. "How 'bout our second favorite song?"

"Just Friends?" She felt a faint pang in her heart as the title glided off her tongue. But regardless of the connotations it held, she'll take anything as long as she could detach herself from the ghastly situation at hand.

"That's the one."

"Ok uhh, how should we do it? Do we go line after line? Stanza after stanza? Orr...?"

"How bout at the same time?"

"S-sounds good. Whenever you're ready."

Just as they reached about halfway into what Star assumed to be the Middle District, a cacophony of agonizing wails rang in the air. Pushed by the familiar, abhorrent dirge, Star took her cue to start. Marco joined in the moment she began and their voices overlapped and attempted to overpower the more dreadful noise that attempted to waver their wills.

"Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh. Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh" The two played out the instrumentals in their heads before they sang the song proper and as a result, their thoughts seeped into one another, making it sound like they were actually hearing the music.

"It was no se-cret, the way that we feel." As much as they wanted to, they couldn't bring themselves to get fully into it and they ended up sounding a tad off-key and shaky. They kept going anyways. "A love that's so pure. A love that's so real."

The disembodied choir became louder and louder as the two walked further. They attempted to match, then surpass the surrounding volume.

"You showed me your world and it felt like a siiign. But you acted too slow and you ran out of tii-hiii-hiiiime!"

Shapes began rising out of the ground, then molded into moist, slippery torsos complete with arms and faces with sunken-eyes and mouths made out of gaping tears on their heads. Joining the symphony of begging bodies and the ambient noises, the torsos that popped out of the ground emitted elongated, pained moans while simultaneously swiping at Star and Marco's legs. While still keeping their minds on the song, the two did well to sidestep and dodge any and all wretched, writhing obstacles that tried to impede them.

"And now we'll be. Juuust frieeends... We will be. Juuust friends..."

The two unconsciously trailed off and skipped the latter half of the chorus and went straight to the next verse. Star felt something wet brush her shins, but she shrugged it off and focused on singing her part of the duet.

"I didn't mean to hurt youuuu... You didn't have a cluuue... So you went out and got buusyyy... and found somebody newww, newww, neeewwwww..."

"Staaarrr..." Moaned a familiar voice from a paltry distance away.

Marco was slightly yanked back once again when the girl he had in tow ceased their advance and their song abruptly. She followed with a loud, pained gasp.

When he turned around, he saw that she was staring off to the side, tears welling up in her eyes and a hand clasping her mouth. She started to whimper profusely.

"M-mom..."

When his gaze followed hers, he was mortified to see the torso of Moon being among the many that surrounded them. More disturbing was the fact that her royally kept hair was just as organic and veiny as the rest of her body.

"Wh-whyyy...?" She took a long, raspy gasp of air before she continued. "... did you... kiill meeee...?"

"I... I'm sorry mom! I didn't mean it. I swear, I didn't mean it!" Her burning tears overflowed as she was overwrought with grief.

"Star!" Marco shouted. With her hand still in his, he tried shaking her to keep her grounded. "Snap out of it, she's not real!"

"Oh, she's about as real as you, her, and me." A distinct voice overpowered the chaotic symphony of noise that rung around them and both of their attentions were tightly gripped by the source.

It was a voice that was familiar, yet unheard of at the same time. Distorted, gurgling, deepened, yet somewhat recognizable. To Marco at least.

Star's view tore away from her "mother" and towards the source that stood several yards away. She was even more surprised to see... that... just standing right there. In their path. Something that should've been kept caged within but was instead right before their very eyes.

Cold dread crept down Marco's spine as he peered at the being before him. Burning fury flowed throughout Star's veins as her icy gaze attempted to render the deplorable creature asunder.


	41. Libera Me

"T-T-To... Toffee!?" The name felt like regurgitating acid and glass shards as Marco struggled to spit it out. The memory if his kidnapping, his subsequent imprisonment in an unbreakable glass box, and the longtime belief that he was dead did little to allow the to name slide off his tongue any smoother. The utterance, as strained and barely shouted as it was spoken, rang resoundingly in Marco's ears. Its impact briefly overpowered the disembodied, agonizing choir that serenaded the area with their dark dirge.

"Mmm... a little bit of yes and a lot more no." The literally slimy, quadrupedal reptile gurgled with a playfully snide tone as an unusually shining white smile carved through its elongated maw. The ever-flowing black goo that composed its body pooled beneath its feet as it stood there.

"What the heck do you mean?" It was more of a heated demand for an answer than a question. Marco clenched his fist as the enemy's smug aura bore itself into his nerves.

"Why don't you ask your girlfriend over there?" The creature pointed a single white claw around Marco.

At that moment it had hit Marco that Star's grasp loosened from his at some point, the impact of reuniting with a wretched enemy briefly numbing his senses.

When he followed the creature's claw he was aghast to see Star, some meters behind him, completely surrounded by the flailing torsos that were now sickeningly uprooted from their organic soil with blood profusely spurting and trailing from their torn, gaping rears.

What was even more disturbing was that they all suddenly bore the appearance of Star's mother, their heads swelling to resemble her royal hairstyle.

Star stood petrified and simultaneously trembling as the sapient piles of meat crawled and writhed around her, their torn mouths shooting out loaded inquiries and derogatory statements in hoarse, haunting tones. Star was completely rooted to her spot, divorced from any desire to defend herself in any way.

"Whyy didn't you listeeeen...?"

"You're a mistaaaake..."

"A failuuuureee..."

"You're better off dead."

Too burdened by the vocal assault brought forth by the apparitions, Star made every effort to drown everything out by holding her temple, tightly shutting her eyes, and chomping on her lower lip. Part of her couldn't help but concede to their deprecating statements.

"Star!" Marco heatedly called out as he sprinted towards her and the surrounding group. Despite slight reservations, he then proceeded to punch and kick away as much of the monsters as he could. They offered no resistance whatsoever as their squishy bodies instantly tore to fleshy strips with each strike. In a matter of minutes, he cleared the area around Star.

"Star! Star! Snap out of it!" He shouted as he clenched her by the shoulders and lightly shook her. "I'm here. I'm here!"

"Ah! Aaahh!" She frightfully yelled as her eyes snapped open like she had just awoken from a ghastly nightmare only to see that she was still in it. Though, her entire being loosened and her face eased up upon seeing the comforting image of her beloved standing before her and holding her.

Rather than say anything further, Marco opted to deeply gaze into her dotted eyes with a piercing look of reassurance. Star took several moments to pant heavily before settling down and completely stabilizing herself with a final, heavy sigh.

"You good now?"

She looked side to side before her view settled on Marco and she gave a couple of slow nods.

"Yeah. Um," She cleared her throat. "Thanks."

"Hellooo? Forgetting something?" The Serpent of Corruption called out as he facetiously waved a hand.

With both Star and Marco's attentions shooting towards said Serpent, their brows furrowed and their faces became filled with malice. If looks could kill, that creature would've been reduced to a puddle right then and there.

They then realized that they were standing within just a manageable distance away from the base of the towering black hand. It's overwhelming height was made even more apparent now that they were that close to it.

"Star... what... who is that?" Marco asked, remembering what the creature had said previously.

"Something that we gotta kill right away." Star answered through gritted teeth as all of her fears and reservations from earlier were completely overwritten by the strong, self-serving desire to destroy the four-legged abomination that vexed her eyesight.

"How cute that you still believe you can get rid of me." Its smile widened to grossly smug proportions. "Do you still not understand that I'll be a part of you so long as you harbor such lecherous and primal emotions? You were the one that birthed me, Star. And as expected from a good mother, you fostered my growth into the being you see before you."

"Star... is that true?" Marco shot her with a glare wrought with concern and doubt.

She looked to the Serpent, then back to Marco. She gave a mournful look that seemed to silently beg forgiveness. Then, with a hefty sigh, she answered. "Yeah... though my grandma Eclipsa started it all, it was me who ended up making... that thing."

Marco began to bear a more grave expression. His eyebrows arched as everything began to make sense to him. As much sense as it could make, all things considered. "So... he's a result of all of this, huh?"

"More like given a proper form after the events depicted before you." The Serpent clarified.

"Hmph. Well, then." Marco's body stiffened and commenced bending his limbs and his torso into his stance. With an elongated "kooohhhh" his body was soon engulfed in the fiery golden aura streaming with small crackles of electricity. Star took on an expression of surprise as her best friend summoned forth a power the likes of which she has never seen before.

"Marco? How- What kinda magic is that?"

He peered over his shoulder and flashed a confident smile at Star. "I'll tell ya about it later." He hardened his expression and turned back towards the Serpent with flaming eyes that could melt bodies off if they could. "Right now, I think we gotta focus on taking this thing down. Toffee or not, he sure looks a lot like him."

Suddenly, an overpowering warmth snuck up and came over Star. She began feeling as if she was being periodically electrified in varying parts of her body, but they were more invigorating than painful. She wasn't sure where it came from or why it surfaced just then, but her fears and inhibitions immediately subsided. She soon found herself feeling just as confident as Marco and thus was compelled to stand directly beside him and take a fighting stance of her own.

She thought she might've been seeing things, but she could swear her entire body was outlined in a faint glowing gold.

Noticing that his best friend was taking a stand alongside him, he exchanged a knowing smile with her, then a firm, assured nod. Their dauntless stares directed themselves towards the Serpent, signifying their boundless readiness to slay that which threatened their well-being.

"Hmhmhmhmm. How cute." The reptile hummed a chuckle. "Have you learned nothing? I'm not the real threat here. I'm merely the effect of a much worse cause."

As if on cue, a sound-barrier shattering, eardrum destroying screech ripped every other noise in the area to shreds. Marco and Star reflexively covered their eardrums in a feeble attempt to suppress the sheer volume, but to very little effect. The unnaturally immense power of the noise was enough to make the meaty ground tremble beneath their feet. All else immediately fell silence once the shriek dissipated.

"Ah, speaking of which." The Serpent craned its neck to look upwards, towards the palm of the colossal hand. A massive, abominable shape leaped from the edge of the palm and plummeted to the ground with a squelching boom.

With their ears still ringing, the teens released their hands and unclenched their teeth. When their gazes returned forward, the Serpent was no longer in view, with something else standing in its place. Something far more monstrous in size and appearance. Something whose abhorrent appearance threatened to gnaw away what little sanity Star and Marco could barely hold onto the longer their gazes remained on it. Their hearts collectively sunk with a horror neither can but ill describe.

Much like the Serpent, it was an unnatural, dark colored creature of eldritch proportions. Its black-violet body as a whole resembled that of a tarantula with about six massive legs jutting out of its roundish, bulbous body. Instead of a thorax, however, were countless, thick tentacles spewing from its rear and aimlessly wriggling and snapping at the air as if they had hoped to capture unsuspecting prey in its slimy clutches. The "head" was but a thick, fleshy worm that held a pinkish inner mouth that lined vertically and overflowed with viscous, clear fluid as its "mouth" twitched and trembled incessantly. At the topmost end of the narrow orifice, was a singular dark-silver eyeball that rolled to and fro beneath a thin, pink hood.

Despite being somewhat taken aback by the hideousness of the creature as well as making a hard swallow, Marco's stance remained unyielding.

The creature's arthropod head uncontrollably convulsed and swung every which way as it emitted disgusting guttural choking noises. Soon, its head ceased and was kept stiffly straight ahead towards Star and Marco's direction.

Without a hint of warning or hesitation, the monster burst into a relentless skitter towards the two, shrieking its piercing shriek as it traveled down its unwavering, quickened path.

Star and Marco remained rooted to their spots, their hardened visages and their stances refusing to budge an inch even in the face of this wretched creature. What was there to fear and to run away from now that they were united and prepared to fight as one?

Once within range, the spider creature raised its body and its two front legs in an attempt to squash the two teens beneath them. It proved unsuccessful as the blatant tell and long windup provided them an open enough window to jump several meters to opposite sides and out of its effective range.

The spider immediately jumped towards Marco now that he was alone. The tentacles on its rear licked and lashed out at the boy in hopes to bind him in their slick grasp, though not without plenty of resistance.

Marco met the assault with a blinding fury of fists and feet. With all the strength and stamina he could muster, he constructed an almost impenetrable fortress of swinging and thrusting limbs that refused to allow any and all to get within an inch of his body. Between him and the spider was a blurry storm of appendages colliding with one another. A clash of unrelenting forces and immovable objects. Four limbs against countless others, with the former keeping up in speed and intensity.

Remembering the horrors that unfolded as a result of their separation, Star's legs into speeding towards them. She felt an intense burning in her heart that began to spread throughout the rest of her systems almost instantly. As she made her frantic way, the burning began to surface to her skin as if she was set ablaze. Though rather than being coated in agony, she was shrouded in determination to assist her friend in a fight that was rightfully theirs rather than one's or the other's.

The countless tendrils eventually proved far faster and more abundant than he could handle and one slightest slip up resulted in his grave undoing. One appendage managed to constrict his throat, restricting his breathing and subsequently dispersing his Hamon. Countless more immediately followed and wrapped him in a large, balled up knot. With his entire body ensnared in a mass of tendrils, Marco was pinned to the ground.

"Marcooo!" Star screamed as she witnessed a retelling of an awfully familiar scenario. She drastically picked up in speed, her body radiating pure wrath and desperation.

Her savage sprint was unfortunately cut short when squishy, pink tendrils not dissimilar to intestines tore out of the organic floor and wrapped around the entirety of her left arm. However, her legs refused to stop, once again ignoring the deterrents and throwing her own well-being to the wind in order to save her best friend.

Her strength and peerless drive allowed her to break off from any that tried to restrict her. She fought as hard as her being allowed her to, dispelling as much of the intestines as she could in order to make her advance.

Unfortunately, several dozen more tendrils grew out of the ground and wrapped every inch of her all at once, leaving not a single spot of her body untouched or uncovered. Every bit of her, sans her head, was completely obscured by layers upon layers of the thick, meaty ropes.

"Nonono! NOOOOO!" Star began screaming and flailing wildly, but none of the thick strands showed even the faintest sign of loosening. Her resistance was only met with gradually tighter squeezes.

The head of the spider lowered itself to Marco's level. Some of its tentacles unwound themselves from Marco's body, and deliberately left a clear, wide opening around the area between his legs. A slender, stretchy appendage not unlike its rear tentacles slithered out of its fleshy slit-like mouth and commenced dragging itself across Marco's face, much to his ardent disgust and discomfort. The action sent waves and waves of fear-driven frenzy across his body, prompting him to violently shake and squirm, though the tentacles held a tight, adamant grip that left nary any space to find the narrowest window of escape. All he could do was clench his eyes shut and grind his teeth as he tried his damnedest to endure the atrocity being inflicted upon him.

Again.

"Marco! Marcoooo!" She cried out in futility as she witnessed her lover getting violated. From where she laid, she could only see the creature's tongue slowly and sensually gliding itself across his figure as neither could do a thing about their respective ordeals.

She began feeling a weight pushing against her back and thick, mo drops rained upon her body. A pair of gooey, clawed hands sickeningly slapped against the side of her head as it was raised slightly higher in order to better witness the heinous act being committed.

"Deja Vu, huh?" The Serpent hissed as his visage donned a wretched smile. "I mean, what did you expect to happen while you two were in here? To save yourselves from the trauma? This is a memory, Star. Not a second chance. You can't undo what has already been done."

"AAAAAGGHHHH!" A feral, guttural scream exploded out of Star's lungs as she continued to struggle and writhe beneath her restrains. But once again, her efforts proved fruitless. She was making no progress and Marco was still getting assaulted. Though altered in a few ways, the encompassing agony and the horrific nature of the event remained roughly the same.

Within the blink of an eye, the gigantic Hand that loomed over the entire kingdom sprung to life and smashed its open palm against Marco and the spider.

Large strands of thick tar stretched and broke off in its wake as the Hand lifted itself off the ground. It left behind essentially a lake of slime shaped like its print upon the surface. Marco and the spider were no longer in sight.

Complete silence drowned the entire area once the echo of the impact faded away. Even the Serpent didn't bother to comment any further. Star had no words nor any further actions to pursue after all that. Whatever she wanted to say or do was instead expressed through the faint trembling of her mouth and a slight twitch in her left eye. The Serpent released his grip and allowed Star's head to hang as she went catatonic for the time being.

It was over. Marco was gone. Perhaps far more gone than he was prior. And she couldn't do it. She couldn't save him. She failed as a best friend and in turn failed as someone who was supposed to be there for him. It was like a combination of her mother's death and Marco's subsequent violation almost immediately after. Experiencing them all over again, the two events coalesced into a much greater tragedy as if the original events weren't horrifying enough as they were. Bound and powerless to do a thing about the travesties surrounding her and the travesties that unfolded before her very eyes.

However.

Star had no idea how nor any idea why, but she soon found herself making a mad dash towards the base of the giant hand. Her eyes were wild and a barrage of frantic, heavy pants fired from her lungs. The moment where her bounds came undone as well as her subsequent rise to her feet was blank in her mind. She did leave a torn, unwound pile of intestines behind, unbeknownst to her.

But none of that mattered to her at that moment. Every thought and every memory that once filled space in her mind were erased, leaving it void of anything except one particular image etching itself into her vision. All of her senses completely shut down, numbing her to the world around her, save for the sensation that she was being electrified while on fire. Her total and utter focus was taken by the overwhelming burning sensation that took hold of her very core as it pulled her towards her goal like she was strung along by super-heated chains tied to her heart. Her body rabidly moved on its own volition, driven by a loud, infectious mantra repeatedly pummeling her eardrums and ricocheting between every inch of her psyche.

Save Marco.

Star jumped several meters up the hand, using her Mewberty wings for the height she needed. Her fingers and feet rapidly dug into the viscous flesh as she essentially ran up the hand on all fours like some deranged beast. With unprecedented speed, she covered several meters after several meters within a matter of seconds, unmitigated by the slick and thick surface.

The palm of the hand was surprisingly barren. No God Hand members stood at the tips of the fingers nor was Toffee in attendance. Though one could argue that the Serpent of Corruption currently served as the villain's proxy for the moment. Even so, he was absent.

The disparity of details from this memory to the event proper was lost on Star as she bolted towards the middle of the palm. Without skipping a beat, she immediately commenced digging into the muck with her bare hands, scooping large handfuls of it as she gradually submerged into it, head-first. She didn't even think that Marco could possibly be buried under there. She knew.

"Marco! Marrrcooo!"

* * *

Bound by darkness. Blinded by darkness. Buried under darkness.

There was nothing that his eyes could perceive among the black, dense emptiness he was wrapped in. Not even his own body. He wasn't even sure if it was still there. It sure didn't feel like it.

He could hear his own pained, stifled whimpers loud and clear, echoing into what meager breathing room he was provided. Then it began again, ad infinitum.

He could feel it. Gnawing at his insides. An uncomfortable crawling sensation coursed throughout his being. There was a tightening, moist feeling accompanying it. He couldn't pinpoint what it was, but it made him feel awful. Violated. Dirty.

He wished it would stop. He wanted it to stop. Stop stop stop stop. The word was like a never-ending, fast-paced metronome in his mind.

He wanted to cry, scream, kick. Helpless and hopeless couldn't even begin to describe what he felt. He wished he didn't have to feel so... used.

Why? Why him, he internally inquired to no one in particular. Why did he have to suffer this way? In this everlasting plain of darkness while being subjected to this abysmal sensation for seemingly all eternity? What did he do to deserve this?

He was so close to finally retaking all of his memories. He was even closer to reunite with his beloved best friend. And yet... like the instant snuffing of a lit candle all the opportunities vanished. Lost to the darkness. Taken away from him as quickly as they surfaced.

"Star..." The weakly spoken name was like an oasis to his barren disposition. A quenching reprieve that touched his dry lips. At the very least, he could detach himself from the suffering he endured and desperately cling to the thoughts and memories of her. That was his only means of escape for the time being.

"Marco!" He nearly considered himself clinically insane for thinking he actually heard that, but he had to concede that he did. It was muffled and faint, but it was there. The full breadth of the voice was murky and unclear, but he knew in his heart of hearts who it belonged to. A faint warmth began enveloping his insides and spread throughout the rest of his body, instantly dispelling the uncomfortable crawling feeling that overtook his flesh.

"St-Star!" He cried back. He tried as much as he could to fight against his thick, adhesive restraints, but the asphyxiating grip that bogged him down disallowed any momentum to be gathered to break through.

"Marco!" He heard it again, digging into his ears at a much louder volume, yet still severely muffled. It was like she was just a few meters away. The warmth in his heart involved into a sharpened heat that compelled his arms to move once again. This time, his arms managed to move just barely, but not quite enough to consider it sufficient for freedom.

The wall of ooze started to weaken, making way for tiny pricks of light to poke through. Several more after another emerged. Then the entire thing collapsed, unveiling the wild, yet comforting visage of Star Butterfly.

Without a word nor any time to spare, Star began rapidly digging around Marco. Her strength proved more than sufficient to free him bit by bit. He supplemented Star's endeavors by moving parts of his body as the muck around them faded away. Soon, one arm was completely free, then another, then the rest of his limbs. And soon, the remainder of his body. The two eventually made enough room for both of them to stand in it.

"Oh, thank goodness Star, you-" The wind was driven from his lungs when the girl charged into his chest and wrapped him in a longing bear hug. He could feel that this was one of the tightest, most constricting hug she's ever given, yet he felt no pain nor any damage to his body. He reciprocated the embrace, holding her almost as tight.

Star said nothing as she buried her face into his chest but her body language just screamed on repeat, "I will never leave you ever again."

"Uh Star?" Marco began as he kept her in his hold. "As much as I'd like to stay like this till the end of time, I think we should get back to getting out of here."

She remained affixed to his chest for a few moments more before parting with a quick sniffle and a wiping of her eye. "Yeah... we definitely should."

The two began climbing up the hole dug by Star. Turns out Marco wasn't buried as deep into the slime as he initially thought, but it was still quite the effort to reach the surface.

Star emerged to the surface first, followed by Marco who grabbed onto an offered hand to rise to his feet.

The two were heading towards pondering a way to leave this distorted world when their attention was quickly grasped by something monstrous and abhorrent awaiting just many meters away on the edge of the palm.

The enormous spider's tubular head was pointing directly at them. Its ghastly mouth twitched and slobbered profusely as it hungered for the two teens within its sight. Or more specifically, Marco.

Rather than show even a scrap of fear or hesitation, Marco got into his stance and breathed to summon forth the fiery aura from before.

Like before, Star got into a fighting stance of her own. This time, she too was basked in the same energy, eliciting an expression of surprise from the both of them.

"What...?" Star quietly remarked to herself as she scanned her entire body. She was a tad startled by the small crackles of electricity periodically surging throughout her body.

Marco looked her way incredulously. "Whoa, how did you-"

The monster's piercing shriek interrupted any further commentary. Its many legs rapidly dug into the slime, bringing itself ever so closer to the duo at an alarming rate.

As it reached the last quarter of its distance it leaped into the air as it arced straight towards them. However, neither Star nor Marco had any inkling about dodging this time and their stances remained resolute. Instead, the two simultaneously braced themselves and brought their bent arms as low as they could, their fists facing their intended target.

Once the spider was but a few feet above them, their bodies rocketed into the air and delivered a powerful uppercut, sending the beast flying back several feet away. A good chunk of its "head" was melted beneath the intense heat of the Hamon, but the creature merely shrugged it off. Once it landed on its feet, the powerful momentum and the almost frictionless surface caused it to slide even further away from its prey, but not nearly to the point of falling of the edge quite yet.

Star and Marco recklessly charged after their enemy, throwing caution to the wind and keeping a deathly grip on their desire to destroy it.

Noticing this, the spider decided to stand its ground. Its many rear tentacles bent back and pointing their tips towards its opponents, prepared to lash out and wrap them in its slimy clutches.

The two drove a foot forward to halt themselves halfway, but allowed their momentum to slide their bodies across the slick surface. They took this as an opportunity to draw both their arms back as far as they could. They both drew in a long and sharp breath of air as they prepared their lungs for an explosion of a lifetime.

The very moment the creature's tentacles moved an inch forward, Star and Marco's arms were sent flying at an enumerable rate. A ceaseless discharge of punches burst forth as they worked their lungs beyond their capacity to unleash a battlecry that even figments of a traumatic memory would remember in their short, fabricated lives.

"AAAADIADIADIADIADIADIADIADIADI,"

Their clash ceased their sliding. Flashes and sparks of light and lightning exploded between the opposing forces as knuckle powerfully greeted tentacle. The immense speed of Marco and Star's joint assault went far beyond what the spider could handle and the accumulated power of their combined Hamon caused many of its appendages to burn and melt away on contact. It definitely had no shortage of tentacles, however. Whenever one burned to ashes, another took its place and immediately continued the attack. However, Star and Marco's strikes went marginally faster than the spider's tendril regeneration and it struggled to keep up.

The duo slowly advanced as their punches and screams remained unwavering. In response, the spider began fearfully shifting backwards, its self preservation overwriting its hunger for the young boy. Steadily, they all edged ever so closer to the wrist as their clash continued. Star and Marco paid no mind to their constantly changing position. The spider's worm head peered over its body as its tentacles maintained the defensive. As it drew nearer and nearer to the edge, it grew frantic as its eyes and its mouth winked profusely.

Desperation took hold of its abominable body as its head dove right into the slimy ground like a cowardly ostrich. The head anchored the rest of its body and kept it rooted on the spot. While the two teens were momentarily taken aback by the strange action, their assault adamantly continued without skipping a beat.

Faster than either of the two realized, the head of the beast emerged directly beneath Marco. He suddenly found himself neck deep in its tubular chasm and in the next instant, he was submerged in the palm once again.

The brief moment of hesitation that Star took cost her dearly as the tentacles caught her in their slimy hold and covered her entire being, save for her head. She was quickly pinned to the ground once again, left hopeless and powerless to fight back.

Once the spider dug its head back out, Marco screamed and tried to reach out to Star before getting swallowed in an instant. Star could only watch as her beloved was consumed within seconds, his outstretched, desperate hand being the last she ever saw of him. Everything immediately fell apart in the briefest, yet pivotal instant. Just when they thought victory, freedom, and rejuvenation were well within their grasps, the prospect of such became dust lost to the winds.

She could only lay there comatose as the weight of their defeat prevented any further thoughts and acts from surfacing. Once again, the prospect of saving Marco has eluded her. Completely consumed by the creature within the blink of an eye. And she's most likely the next course on the dinner table.

Right as she was about to concede that all hope was lost, a piercing, instantaneous sound of flesh being penetrated shattered the palpable silence. Star's ears perked up as her attention was firmly grasped by the noise coming from the spider's body.

A bare, radiant arm was jutting out of the spider's torso. Repeating, white-gold patterns of what looked like several Big Dippers behind one another wound around the entire length up to the wrist. On the back of the clenched hand was a circle, surrounded by five outward-pointing triangles arranged in such a way where the shapes unite into a star.

A slender blade of light, accompanied by a high-pitched ringing noise, tore out of the spider's body right next to the arm. Then another. And another. Then a few more at a time. Then significantly larger groups of them appeared one after another, filling the creature's entire body and turning it into a pincushion of light in a matter of seconds.

And then an explosive flash momentarily filled Star's eyesight with nothing but everlasting white. Her binds disappeared as did the ground beneath her and then did the world around her. It was as if everything was instantly erased and turned into a blank canvas.

She suddenly found herself in freefall, her body diving head first. Her heart sunk and her mind raced as she reflexively shut her eyes. She wasn't sure if this was the end of the memory since she was used to sinking into water as opposed to falling through air.

And then she felt arms gently wrapping themselves around her back and another body clasped against hers. In one breath, all of her fears and worries eroded into bliss. She didn't have to open her eyes to see who it was that she was hugging back with equal fervor. She was just ecstatic that she didn't have to fall down an endless void alone. Her squeezed shut eyes loosened but remained closed. She immersed herself in the comforting embrace as she rested her head against the crook of his neck.

"Did we do it?" She whispered almost dreamily. "Did we win?"

"I'd like to think so." Marco responded almost as quietly. "We're still falling, though."

"Hmm."

They remained silent for a few moments more. The seemingly endless drop gave them the time and space to mull over everything that had just happened. Or at least, Marco did. He couldn't help but grimace as everything came back to him. As the most recent memory, the catalyst of this whole debacle, played out in his head, he made every effort to stifle an incoming panic attack. Star noticed this and tightened her embrace, extinguishing the burning turmoil in his heart and sedating his mind. He soon relaxed and leaned his head against hers, their hair softly rubbing against one another.

"Hey Marco?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you a favor?"

He skeptically raised an eyebrow. His nostrils blew a quick puff of air. "While we're still falling? Sure, why not?" He remarked somewhat nervously.

As if Star's hug couldn't get any tighter, it managed to break expectations but not Marco's bones. She began digging her fingers into his hoodie and wrapping her legs around him to reinforce the impact of her coming statement.

"Don't let me go."

Splash.


	42. Still in a Snake, Dream Eater

Star and Marco tore out of the gigantic black bubble, still in one another's arms. Neither of the two were phased by their sudden change in environment or their rapid slide across the crimson sea. Neither showed any signs of letting go or getting up any time soon.

That is, until a tremor of the entire realm stirred them from their reprieve, their bodies hopping just slightly above water. Their gazes were directed towards the bubble.

Like an upset stomach, its surface bubbled and churned intensely as it shook the seas, the shores, and the sky. The whole world felt as if it threatened to collapse.

And then a mighty, deafening splash tore apart the rumbling as the black bubble exploded into countless normal bubbles with various images filling their translucent interiors. Finally acting like real bubbles, they fell ever so slowly, giving Star and Marco enough time to scan their contents.

As expected, every memory from when Marco first began this whole journey was what laid within each watery sphere. From the instant his and Janna's feet first touched Mewnian soil up to this very moment where the two were marveling at the rain of memories landing and subsequently melting into the red sea.

Star's eyes shifted upwards after the very last bubble. She softly smiled seeing the sky completely clear of the obfuscating clouds and giving way to a dark-red expanse of infinite stars. Undeniable proof that her efforts bore fruit. A fruit named Mango.

She wanted to lay back down onto Marco's chest, but remained aware that she had to come back to reality as soon as possible. As beautiful and as tranquil as the environment was and as much as she wanted nothing more than to stay here for all eternity with her beloved, there was some unfinished business left in the real world that the two simply could not put aside.

Much to her slight disappointment, she rose to her feet and helped Marco to his. Their hands remained entwined with one another as they made their way back to shore.

"So," Marco began as he peered at the sea beneath his feet. "How are we walking on water?"

"Don't worry about it too much." Star dismissively remarked. The logistics of this realm or pocket dimension or whatever baffled her just as much and she had no coherent or legitimate explanation for any of it.

"This place is a beauty though, isn't it?" Marco remarked as his eyes glazed over every inch of the environment. "Wouldn't mind going on dates in a place like this."

"Yeah," Star looked to the side as a wave of dull red washed over her face. "I wouldn't either..."

"How did you even get here anyways?"

"Um," Star took a finger to her chin as she tried to recall the exact circumstances. She hesitated a bit before explaining with a slight tinge of embarrassment. "I uh. Kinda had to fall asleep right next to you. Then Glossaryck poured some weird powder over us and suddenly I was here."

"Whaddya mean, fall asleep right next to- Ohh, right," Realization overwrote his initial confusion. "I almost forgot we're not really in our physical bodies."

"Mmhmm. So how was your journey through the Astral Realm? Bring back any souvenirs?"

"It was pretty... enlightening. Met some cool guys along the way." He smirked. "And sorry I couldn't find a gift shop. Even if I did, I don't think whatever I find could come anywhere close to repaying you for bringing me back."

"C'mon Marco, we're besties," She drew closer to him and affectionately held his bicep with her free hand while planting a cheek on his shoulder. "We don't hafta owe each other anything for doing what should be givens. Heck, you being around is a reward in and of itself."

"Heh, I guess you're right." He nervously scratched the back of his head. "Again, I really can't thank you enough."

As they drew near the shore, they saw that the old man had fallen asleep. He sat up straight with his arms crossed and his head hung forward. He looked as if he would drop into the fire at any moment. Rhythmic snores and aimless nothings dragged out of his throat.

"Hey, rise and shine pops." Star called out as the two walked up to him. The comment didn't hit its mark and fell on deaf ears instead.

"Nrrrrrghhh... Errm...Nrrrrrghhh... Errm, errr..."

"C'mon man, up and at 'em." Marco added. "We'd like to get outta here, if you don't mind."

"Urrrgh... E... Ecl... ipsaa... why..."

The two seized up as the fragmented name hit their ears. Marco's blood ran cold and his hands started to tremble. Star could only stare wide-eyed and slackjawed at the old man rambling in his sleep.

"What the? Hey! Whaddya know about-"

"Shh!" Marco interrupted with a quick raise of his hand. He then gestured to wait a while to see if his sleep-talking could provide more insight. Star was on the brink of protest, but Marco's sharp gaze cut down any arguments she may have had and promptly compelling her to nod in agreement.

"Nrrrrrghhh... we shoulda... listened to ye... Eclipsa... trapped forever... nrrrrrghhh..."

They both exchanged a concerned glance. Star silently asked if she could then prod the old man for information to which Marco responded with a slow shake of his head. Their attention returned to the old man.

"Shouldn't-a... messed with... nrrrrrghhh... all our fault... Yer trapped too, aren't ye, Ge- nrrrgh...We all are..."

The two waited to see if they could squeeze anything more out of him. Unfortunately, his mumbles lost their clarity and ended up veering off into more snores that lasted for ten more minutes. With her patience worn thin, Star nudged the man with her foot.

"Nrrr-Agh! No!" The old man began lashing out. His flailing arms drew dangerously close to the fire but never quite manage to graze it. His eyes snapped open and he looked to Star and Marco with a wild look that quickly dissolved into somber neutrality.

"Sorry 'bout that." He bashfully adjusted his hat. "Musta dozed off."

"We noticed." Star replied dryly. "So uh... you knew my ninth great grandma, huh?"

The man arched an eyebrow before turning his tired eyes back to the fire. "Been sleep-mumblin', have I?"

"Yup." Marco snapped back with his arms crossed.

"Whadja hear?"

"Oh, not much," Star slowly rolled her eyes as she spoke. "Just something about being trapped forever. And that you should've listened to Eclipsa about something. What was that all about, hmm?"

He didn't answer right away. He allowed his face to bask in the warmth and brilliance of the flames for a few moments before turning back and speaking once again.

"Look," His tone took on a grave essence free of any nonsense or nuance. "It's a long n' painful story. An' frankly, I don't think you two got the time to hear it. Dontcha got some important business to deal with in the real world?"

Star and Marco shared a long look. Star's determined expression conveyed her need to get some more insight on her grandmother. Marco's concerned face conveyed the contrary, however, as he silently agreed with the old man and urged for the both of them to get going. Once again, Star nodded in agreement.

"Alright, so how do we get outta here?" Marco inquired.

In a single breath, the old man pulled and unraveled a thick, slender bedroll that came out of nowhere. It laid flat just a few feet from the fire.

"Um." Star stared at the bedroll, scratching her head in confusion.

"Doze off," The Captain simply said, pointing at the roll.

"Uh, what now?"

"Ya heard me, lass."

Marco noticed that the bedroll had room for only one person. He sought to address this. "Uh, you got another one or-"

"Together." The old man firmly stated.

Star couldn't help but grin wildly at such a prospect, while Marco's face became warm and he looked none too thrilled about the idea. Though this was by no means the first time he had laid with Star, they'd have to squeeze pretty closely to stay within its boundaries. The last time wasn't as intimate (to Marco) as he did it more out of comfort for his troubled best friend. But due to recent developments, he started to think otherwise.

"Aw, c'mon Marco. It'll be just like that time we slept together. 'Member?" Star joyfully and almost teasingly recalled as she lightly jabbed him with an elbow.

"St-Staarr!" Marco snapped back, his being flustered and his face flushed. "The guy's gonna take it the wrong way."

"Eh, I've heard nastier." The Captain shrugged. "Now then, off ta bed you go."

With that, they both stood beside the bedroll, scanning it from top to bottom as they pondered on how to position themselves in a way that provided enough breathing room and comfort for each of them.

Star crawled up the length of the roll and laid on her side, filling about half of it. She bent her petite form just ever so slightly to provide Marco the space he needed. As soon as she got into her proper place, she patted its soft surface to silently beckon him.

With a gulp, he pushed through his reservations, promptly joining Star as he nestled into the roll. Their bodies faced one another, just short of them causing friction. Neither could stop themselves from getting enthralled by one another's eyes as blue and brown were locked in a still, shimmering dance. When some stray strands of blonde fell in front of Star's left eye, Marco promptly shifted them out of the way, eliciting a soft giggle out of his giddy partner.

"Y'know. This feels a lot different from before." Marco's voice bordered on whispering.

"How so?" She asked just as softly, with a hint of suggestive playfulness in her tone. Her dark-purple hand took to delicately stroking his cheek. Marco was on the verge of addressing her discolored arm but he ultimately stopped himself from breaking the flow of the moment.

"I mean," His eyes flitted downwards. "I guess I was too sleepy back then to realize how... intimate it was. Being this close is making me realize how intimate we're being right now."

"Y'mean like how we've always been?" Star spoke matter-of-factly with half-lidded eyes. They were growing heavy.

"Wait, what?" His eyebrows arched as if she had just dropped quite the bombshell on him.

"Yeah," She yawned, covering her mouth as to not assault Marco's nose with whatever pungent stench she might have lurking within her mouth. Her eyes were closed but sleep has yet to take her. "You haven't noticed how touchy-feely I've been for the past... forever?"

"Uhh..." He had no idea how to respond. However, he did manage to recall a few instances where that was the case. "I guess we've been around each other for so long, I never really thought much of it.

"Yeah, it wasn't such a big deal to me either. But considering how I feel about you, it kinda..." She made a much longer yawn, neglecting to cover her mouth that time. Marco didn't seem to mind. "...makes alot of sense... now."

She inevitably fell off into the throes of sleep and dove right into dreamland. Or out of it. Her soft, warm breaths gently tickled Marco's chin.

"See ya on the other side I guess." He said as he delicately glided a knuckle across her heart-strewn cheek. His eyes caught sight of his newly formed tattoos. Rather than simple swirling lines, they became more straight and orderly in nature. The lone circle on the back of his hand was now accompanied by surrounding triangles. He was wondering where his usual metal braces were, but he figured that they only manifested in the physical realm rather than whatever this place was.

Now that she was out of consciousness (or going back in) Marco wasn't sure what else to do. He didn't feel anywhere near as sleepy as she apparently was. He became a tad antsy and ashamed that he was, in a way, left behind. Out of courtesy, he flipped himself over as gently as humanly possible to prevent any disturbance. He commenced sharing the Captain's pastime of staring deeply into the flames. They lashed out at the sky as if they longed to detach themselves from their restricting pile of wood.

"Don't worry lad, she won't go without ya." The Captain commented, assuaging Marco's rising concern. "Both-a ya's gotta fall asleep at the same time to return."

"This place has some weird rules."

The Captain shrugged. "Bring it up to management if it doesn't please ya."

Marco lifted his head slightly. "Wait, you're not in charge of this place?"

"Aye. I been brought here just like you are right now. But I can never leave. Ever."

Well, now Marco definitely can't go to sleep. So many questions began swimming in his head, yearning to break surface. One of them managed to do so above all others.

"So... going back to my original question when I first got here," Marco peered through the clawing flames as his focus shifted to the old man. "how come you told me about the Blood Moon?"

The old man didn't answer right away. He gave a heavy sigh before shifting his sleep-deprived gaze towards Marco.

"Do you believe in gravity, boy?"

Marco drifted towards confusion, and rightfully so. "Uh, the force that brings things closer to the center of a planet? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Ain't talkin' about the literal meaning, but the concept's roughly the same."

"Ok, w-well..." Marco yawned. He could feel the claws of slumber digging into his being. Listening to the old man's rambling in his low, gravely voice started to feel sobering. "what are you talking about?"

The old man straightened his posture and started to exude a scholarly aura. "I'm talkin' about the strong, unseen attraction between people. That which draws ya ever so closer to one another, whether ya know it or not."

Marco remained silent, hoping the old man could further elaborate. His vision flickered in and out as he struggled to keep his consciousness afloat.

"Now, you and her? The attraction between ya's was pretty loud 'n clear. Not like with that one demon boy. I just gave ye the right push so you could unite under the blessing of the Blood Moon Presence."

"Blood Moon... Presence...?" Marco slurred his words as he was taken by the threshold of sleep. His vision flickered slower and slower until he fell into the dark, formless void. But not before loudly and clearly hearing the Captain's last parting words before everything went blank.

"She'll 'ave 'er child. One way 'er another."

* * *

Though darkness still filled his vision, Marco was roused from his slumber by the frequent sounds of birds chirping. His face contorted as a response to being tickled by the brisk wind and something soft and leafy caressing his cheeks.

His eyes quickly rose to a sliver before closing immediately as blinding sunlight threatened to burn into his eyes. He tried again, only considerably slower the second time as to let the daylight and the clear, blue sky ease and settle into his vision as he gave a few blinks. His head leaned to the side as he aimed to discover why his face was being tickled.

He was taken off guard by the sight of being surrounded by an endless, widespread bed of flowers. Pink flowers to be precise.

And an equally endless expanse of swords driven into the ground.

"What the?" Was all his confusion allowed to pass through his lips. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure where he should be at the moment and if this was the correct place. Seems as though there's only one person who would know. His eyes darted to and fro in order to find her.

He heard her groan of reluctance accompanied by a rustling of flowers nearby. She was a meager few feet away, laying on her side and grimacing at the prospect of waking up from a rather nice slumber. With a slow flickering of her eyelids they gradually revealed the full breadth of her eyes as her mind rose to its feet.

"Whoa, what?" Their current location took her by surprise just as much as it did Marco. Maybe even more considering her knowledge of the place beforehand.

Her body shot bolt upright. Her head darted every which way as perplexity took the helm of her motor skills. "When did we- how did we- what?"

"Yeah, I'm in the same boat." Marco commented as he rubbed the last remaining grains of sleep from his eye. He wobbled his way up to his feet with some parts of him still at rest. "Were we... supposed to be here?"

"Uh, nooo!" Star said without a dot of doubt. "We're supposed to be inside a Sanctuary! With Mina, Janna, and-"

Her clarification was cut short when she realized her left arm was still where it should be when it shouldn't. She brought it to her face and gave her fingers a few quick clenches to confirm what she couldn't believe.

"Well, I guess we're still not in the real world yet, since my braces are still gone." He raised his bare right arm to emphasize the fact. "And this whole place looks too... artsy to be a real. Kinda like one of those places in the Astral plane I was in. I mean, are we even on Mewni anymore? "

"Uh, yeah we are. But we're also not. This place _is_ in Mewni, though. So it's a real place, but _this_ isn't a real place. So like," She held herself by the temples trying to channel the energy to process everything into something clear and coherent. Sadly, it wasn't working. "uugghh, I don't even know anymore."

As he scanned the area, Marco discovered that they were laying just a paltry distance away from a lone tree. Its semi-bare branches were nearly stripped of any leaves or flowers. Tiny pink buds were struggling to stand firm upon the branches. He gently laid a hand on its bark and commenced running his fingers across the rough wooden surface as if grieving for the lost splendor of what should've been. Star eventually joined his side and partook in gazing into the tree as well.

"Well, one thing's for sure," As smile grew on Marco's face as he looked to the brighter side of things. "Even with this dead tree, this place definitely has that Blood Moon beach beaten by a landslide. I mean, swords mixed with flowers? It's like something out of an anime or something. How come you never told me about this place?"

"Uh, well I didn't know about this place till much recently. It was uncharted territory apparently."

"It was also where your mother and I would meet in secret."

The smooth, sinister voice sent waves of electricity coursing through their nerves and kicked their minds into overdrive. When they turned around, their faces bore a twisted mix of fury, fear, and disgust towards the pestilent sight that plagued their pupils. They were so engrossed that they didn't even notice their Brands bleeding so profusely it was like a miniature waterfall of crimson cascading down their napes.

Toffee stood just several yards away. His hands kept concealed behind his back to feebly shroud any and all ulterior motives. A bored expression was plastered on his reptilian face, which was pretty typical of someone whose ego went beyond the bounds of the Multiverse. His monochrome wardrobe clashed hideously with the vibrant, vivid landscape.

With the sight of the wretched lizard putting her mind in complete disarray, Star wasted no time recklessly rushing towards him and grabbing a sword along the way. Her face twisted into something wicked that her face muscles struggled to maintain. Her scream shot over the boundaries of her vocal range and lung capacity, far removed from anything a normal mewman could make. Toffee remained rooted to his spot. His scaly lips curved into a disingenuous grin which fueled Star's fury even further.

As she took the first swing, Toffee deftly caught the blade in his hand. His grin concurrently deepening along with Star's ire.

"Cute dagger." He snidely quipped. With one squeeze of his hand, he snapped the blade in two rendering it as useless as Star's attack.

She jumped back a few feet and threw the blade, aiming for his head. Without taking a single step yet again, he backhanded it out of the air. The impact emitted a strange clanging noise as if his arm was made of metal.

"Are you finished?" He facetiously asked as he arched an eyebrow. "I didn't come here to fight you."

His arms returned to their place behind his back. The very gesture itself told Star that he wasn't taking this seriously and it enraged her to no end. Being talked down by some good-for-nothing lizard who did nothing but ruin lives evoked a wellspring of wrath. She wanted nothing more than to eviscerate him to the point of nulling his regeneration.

"Rrrgh, SHUT UP!"

Right as Star's grip landed on another nearby sword, a red blur outlined in wavy gold zipped right past her. Before she knew it, Marco stood directly in front of Toffee, his radiant right arm preparing to deliver a devastating blow.

Still keeping his stance, Toffee engulfed his left arm in a cloak of green fire and his palm defensively collided with Marco's sun-infused fist. A resounding crack, not unlike a strike of lightning, thundered across the field, rendering everything within its limits completely still. The sheer power of their clash was enough to silence the chirping birds and halt the flowing wind.

Marco's fist remained buried beneath Toffee's flesh-rending grasp. The latter's claws dug into the former's hand and drips of blood rained down upon the flowers below. The unhinged wrath shared between him and Star numbed him to the gradually increasing pain. Marco's scowl attempted to bore holes into Toffee's skull while the latter's smug smirk remain unhindered.

"Have you gotten it out of your systems yet?" The lizard calmly inquired, completely disregarding the current circumstances. "Do you still feel the need to-"

A loud, bubbling noise cut his snark short. Toffee's eyes widened as he bore witness to an effect of his actions that couldn't have hoped to foresee.

A miniature wildfire rapidly ate away at his sleeve, revealing popping bubbles and tiny plums of smoke rising from his scaly skin. His dull olive flesh started to liquify at an alarming rate as branching, fiery fissures began rising up the length of his arm. The white of his bones were slowly seeing the light of day.

"I-impossible!" Toffee began briskly backing away as he held up his melting arm. He feebly tried to heal as much of his flesh as he could, but the solar energy acted far faster than his regeneration could.

Both Marco and Star ran forward in order to follow up, but Toffee was quick enough to raise his crystal-infused hand to the air and cast a spell.

Almost as quickly as his arm was being consumed, Toffee caused the entire world to darken and melt into an empty black void.

Despite this, Marco and Star maintained their advance, their brains railroaded into their mutual goal of murdering that which heralded nothing but evil and misery since the moment of their first encounter.

Right as the two pounced towards him to finish the job, Toffee's entire form was already obscured beneath the darkness. Their consciousness too were immersed into the empty void, possibly ushering them back to the realm of the living. Though their potential victory slipped between their fingers, never will they ever lose the notion that their hated foe, despite his recent ascension, was no less prone to death than they were.

* * *

"Arrgh! Dammit!" Toffee's agonizing cry echoed across the Master Bedroom. His entire arm completely melted off its socket and began forming a bubbling, boiling puddle on the bed. As the seconds ticked by, it started to seep into the floor.

"Back already?" Eclipsa apathetically asked as she gazed into her reflection. She was magically browsing through her wardrobe and instantly changing from one dress to another in order to find something satisfactory. "Hmm, no. No. No. Gods, no. No. No."

Toffee hissed through his teeth, the excruciating sensation surpassing his usually sky-high pain tolerance. No matter what, every scrap of flesh that tried to replace what was lost instantly turned to mush and added more to the puddle of what used to be a functioning limb.

"You know, Glossaryck always said that 'spying leads to crying'." Eclipsa plainly remarked with a faint hint of fitting irony in her voice. "Honestly, did you really have to spy on and _then_ approach them through Astral Projection? Right before a rather important banquet? And now you've gone and ruined your new suit. What will Mr. Valentine say about this?"

"I... urgh," The pain suppressed his vocal clarity, forcing him to speak through grit teeth. "I couldn't go on with this banquet without knowing what they've been up to. They've have been inactive for, agh... quite some time."

"Well? What did you manage to discover just now that caused you to nearly lose your arm?" Eclipsa inquired as she cast some sort of healing spell that reverted Toffee's arm back to its original, fully functional state. He bent and stretched his newly formed limb while repeatedly clenching his fingers. The pain may have subsided and he may have been whole again, but his suit was still ruined.

"Well, they're well on their way to getting the hooded boy back from the Astral Realm. In fact, I'd wager he's awake by now."

"Yes, and? What of the means of rendering your arm to near uselessness?"

Toffee shifted his yellowish gaze to the side in slight embarrassment. He didn't want a revered being such as she see him as some sort of fool, but he couldn't just leave the question hanging in the air like that.

"I don't know how or why, but it would seem that the boy attained a new power of sorts. Seems to act almost similarly to your Spacial Erasure in the sense that it severely hindered my regenerative abilities."

"Hm. A power like that used in conjunction with the Hand? Sounds like it should be cause for alarm, doesn't it?" Her lackadaisical tone severely downplayed the cautionary nature of her speech. She gave the impression that she was more intrigued than anything.

"Yes. Quite." He tightly clenched his fist, half determined and half dreading the moment he'd have to fully confront such a power again.

"In any case, I'd say we have plenty of time before we would get into any major conflicts." She strolled back to the mirror to further prepare herself. "In the meantime, why not relax for now and see if you could find yourself another suit? Make yourself look at least halfway presentable for our esteemed guest of honor."

As if on cue, few quick taps on the door brought their attention at full force. A meek, female voice filtered through the door. It was one of the many mewman maids hired from outside the kingdom.

"Lord Toffee? Lady Eclipsa? Is... Is this a bad time?"

"Depends. Is it important?" Irritation crept into Toffee's voice. He wasn't in the mood for someone lesser to see him in such an uncouth state.

"Y-yes. Very much so."

"Well out with it, girl." Eclipsa demanded as she brushed her curly, dark locks. "What is the cause of your being so insolent as to interrupt our preparations for an extremely crucial meeting?"

There was a lingering pause, followed by a loud clearing of the throat. The maid sounded like she had to force the words right out of her mouth. And what followed after was a silence so deafening that you could hear a mouse squeak from the ground floor of the castle. All that could be heard was the drop of a hairbrush as Eclipsa fell into a state of uncharacteristic discomposure.

"The one called the White Hawk has arrived."


	43. Clash of Cultures

"So, why are we all here like, an hour early?" Jackie asked as she stood shoulder to shoulder with the rest of her teammates in the royal dining hall. She was sandwiched between Hekapoo and Tom. The former donned her original orange poofy dress, finding the dominatrix getup too restricting for such a casual event.

"Yeah, me and Jackie were in the middle of a Ping-pong match," Tom sharply remarked with his arms crossed. "I was so about to win before you called us over here.

"Dude, we were tied and you didn't even get to serve the ball."

"Well, it _could_ have been game-set-match," Tom mumbled. He turned his gaze towards the Queen of Darkness."Say Eclipsa, you've got precognition. Do you think I could've won?"

"No, because I've besought your presence, leaving it in a tie for the rest of the day. Now please, do behave yourselves. He could be here at any moment."

Jackie shot a sly grin at her demon teammate to which he replied with a sharp scowl. The two dropped it from there.

"So, do you like-like him or something?" Hekapoo teasingly remarked, leaning forward in a rather suggestive manner. "You seem pretty stressed out for what should be a regular, everyday dinner."

"Well, excuse me for trying to uphold the utmost of presentation for a dear friend of mine." A shred of annoyance lay buried beneath her apathetic tone.

"I'm just saying." The smith of scissors shrugged. "You almost got the entire choir, the band of trumpeters, and the long red carpet for him. Too bad he had to come here earlier than we expected."

"And the food's not even ready yet." Rhombulus groaned as he held his stomach. "I'm starving."

"Dude, you don't even have a mouth." Hekapoo commented as she pointed towards her gem-headed cohort. "How do you eat?"

"Uh, hello?" The Right Snake hand perked up. "That's why we're here?"

"Oh, right. Ugh, why did Glossy hafta make your anatomy all weird?"

"Places everyone. He's just a few steps away." Toffee announced, silencing everyone and straightening their posture with his calm yet authoritative command.

Within seconds, the ornate, towering door slowly parted, with a mewman and a monster maid flanking each side of the doorway. At the heart of the entrance was a being whose appearance was far removed from any semblance of reality. His presence was overwhelming, the air becoming thick with an atmosphere that could not be described. All in attendance couldn't help but marvel at the brilliant aura he was exuding. Eclipsa was especially enthralled and enchanted.

He was a young, feminine-looking man well into his 20s. Long, silky streams of shining silver hair flowed down his shoulders. His shimmering blue eyes could cut into the very core of one's soul if they so desired and they conveyed that there was nothing he has yet to see. His pristine pale skin, in tandem with his polished and flawless white armor, radiated a faint essence that illuminated the meager proximity around him and outlined his entire form.

It bears mentioning that the man wasn't alone. Behind him was someone whose entire being was in stark contrast to the storybook hero he accompanied. His presence, however, was just as overwhelming, albeit owing to his size and intimidating appearance as opposed to something more subtle and mysterious.

He was a towering titan of a man, who looked to be around seven feet in height. Juxtaposing the regal and ornate nature of the other man's armor was a set that was scarce in comparison and more befitting of Barbarians. It was mainly composed of thick leather straps that intersected across his torso, a few buckles with one at the very center resembling a horned, three-eyed demon, and a fur cape and loincloth. There seemed to be nothing human or mewman about his face whatsoever, as it looked more close to a beast than anything.

"Griffith. Dearest friend," Eclipsa greeted with such enthusiasm that has never before been seen by her peers. She walked up to the young man and took his hand in hers in an almost intimate fashion. "I am beyond enchanted to see you again. I cannot apologize enough for not preparing a much more dignified greeting for your arrival. In all honesty, I did not foresee you arriving exceptionally early. Our meal has even yet to be prepared."

The young man gave a faint, amiable smile and dismissively raised his hand. "Do not concern yourself, fair Eclipsa. I care not for such frivolous fanfare, anyways. I'm just happy to see one of my closest confidants after so long. The only reason I arrived sooner than we had arranged was because a small part of me harbored guilt that I could no longer bare that stemmed from my failure to attend your Resurrection Ceremony and your partner's ascension into High Apostlehood."

"But of course. Being a ruler and a military commander often leaves very little in the way of free time." Eclipsa justified. "How is Falconia, by the way? Still the very apex of civilization and unity, I take it?"

"As it has been and always will be." Griffith replied with such resolute confidence. "Its very presence lends itself to all the effort and sacrifices made to allow such a society to give rise in the first place. It would be beneath me to allow even the tiniest chip of stone to fall off its impenetrable walls."

"Not to diminish your achievements, but did it not literally pop out of the ground?" Eclipsa remarked. The humor was not lost on him.

"Hmhmhmm, you're not wrong." He softly chuckled. "If I must be honest, the city's emergence was, in part, the result of someone's incompetence."

"Ah yes, I remember the story quite vividly." Eclipsa's eyes as well as her heart fluttered as she spoke.

"It's good to see you as well, Lady Eclipsa." The giant man grumbled as he averted his gaze and folded his hulking arms.

"Oh Zodd, did you honestly think I could forget about an incomparable warrior such as yourself?" Eclipsa released her grip on Griffith's hands and peered at the brute looming over her. "Did you manage to encounter any more worthy opponents?"

"Besides the usual? Unfortunately not." Zodd huffed. "Do any worthy fighters reside in this land other than the Skull Knight's wench?"

"Hmm, well my entourage behind me could prove formidable. Oh! How rude of me. I haven't even introduced you to them." Eclipsa turned towards her teammates and made an introductory gesture. "Everyone, this is Griffith. King of Falconia, Leader of the New Band of the Hawk, and fifth member of the God Hand. And this is his Captain, Nosferatu Zodd. These are the guests I've invited for tonight."

"Who's the third guy?" Jackie asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Third guy?" Hekapoo asked.

"I didn't see anyone else come in here." Rhombulus turned to his sapient hands. "Did you guys see anybody?" Both snakes shook their heads.

"The heck are you talking about, Jackie?" Tom along with Hekapoo, Rhombulus, and the snake hands all looked at her as if she was insane. The three that were closest to the door bore no reaction to her question. "Only two of them came through the door."

"Uh, nuh-uh. You guys don't notice him in the corner over there?"

Everyone barring Griffith, Eclipsa, Zodd, and Toffee glazed over a scarcely shadowed corner located a few feet from the door. Then they looked back at Jackie, shrugging and silently asking what her deal was.

"You gonna show yourself, dude or...?"

No response. The corner was still as barren as it was since the beginning. Not a single alteration to it whatsoever.

Rolling her eyes, the teen pulled a throwing knife from her vest and deftly sent it flying towards the corner in question. Much to many of her peers' abject shock, the dagger bounced off with a resounding clang before reaching any part of the wall.

Materializing out of thin air was a circular white mask with three orange eyes, two slanted ones that stood normally with a much larger one displayed vertically between. Two black teardrops were painted at the lower center and eight spikes protruded from the bottom rim of the mask, resembling sharp, pointed teeth. Emerging from behind the mask was a broad black cloak that gave the impression that the being possessed no discernible form or anatomy.

"Heh heh heh... interesting." He spoke in a low, raspy voice. "Your group, Lady Eclipsa... a fine group indeed. The lizard and the girl were the only ones who noticed me."

"I have completely forgotten that he was accompanying us." Zodd dryly remarked.

"You always do." Griffith reminded.

"Ah yes. That would be Raksas, Griffith's personal assassin and commander of the Band's Search and Destroy Division." Eclipsa introduced, unable to stifle a subtle smirk. "I was hoping he'd end up frightening one of you while we dined. But it would seem that the only human among us proved to be far more perceptive than I realize."

"Yeah, camping out in a jungle full of giant, bloodthirsty chameleons for a few weeks could do that to you." Jackie's gaze collided with Hekapoo's for a split second.

Toffee loudly cleared his throat, gathering the attention of all in attendance. Eclipsa caught the hint and a thin layer of embarrassment momentarily washed over her.

"Goodness, my deepest apologies." Eclipsa hovered a hand over her mouth. "Griffith, Zodd... Raksas... these are the ones who are helping me retake and reshape Mewni into the perfect world I've always dreamed it would be."

For the briefest of moments, Toffee's eyes flitted to Eclipsa as he walked past her and up to Griffith. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance." The lizard amiably introduced as he shook Griffith's hand.

"Likewise. It's good to meet another esteemed Apostle among our ranks." The young king responded. "Eclipsa has informed me of your struggles and your exploits. And I must say, I'm impressed."

"The feeling is mutual." Toffee remarked, flashing a genuine smile. "She's spoken very highly of you as well. Almost zealously so."

"Has she now?"

"Quite. Prior to this, she spent several hours browsing through countless dresses to wear only to realize that you take a fancy to her usual garb because-"

"Ahem." Eclipsa fake-cleared her throat, diverting the two men's attention to her. "Should we not continue with introducing the rest?"

"Of course. Perhaps we could further our conversation a tad later." Toffee gave a courteous bow before making his way to his spot at the extended dining table. He sat upon one of two chairs located at the very end, across the room and closest to the fireplace.

"I'm Thomas Lucitor. Prince of the Underworld. Nice to meetcha." Tom introduced himself and gave a handshake of his own. When he withdrew, he looked at his own hand with a surprising look. He couldn't help but whisper "whoa" to himself.

"The pleasure is all mine, venerable Prince." Griffith affably spoke. "I'd like to inquire more about the Hands once our banquet gets underway."

"Sure, why not?" Tom casually shrugged.

"I must ask. Will the king be joining us at some point?"

"Nah, he's still on vacation. Kinda running the Underworld on my own right now."

"Someone of your age ruling what equates to Hell with an iron fist, I see. Quite a remarkable undertaking."

"Why thanks." The demon flashed a flattered grin. He then made a path towards his spot on the table.

When Rhombulus stepped up to greet the guest of honor, he stopped just short.

"Uhh." He pondered as his one-eyed gaze shifted between his hands. He then decided to just bow. "I'm Rhombulus. I uh, trap guys in crystals I guess?"

"Intriguing. You remind me of one of my knights, Grunbeld. Or at least, his Apostle form."

Rhombulus's eyebrow raised. His singular pupil darted up to the giant that loomed over him. "Uh, Apostle form?"

"Indeed. Every Apostle has the ability to shift into something far more powerful than their original form. Such is the benefit for abandoning their mortality and giving themselves to the God Hand. In Grunbeld's case, he transforms into an enormous dragon composed entirely of solid crystal."

"Uh." Rhombulus's crystal cranium commenced playing a game of ping-pong with his eye. "That sounds..."

"Awesome!" His right snake exclaimed, shooting up in excitement.

"Yo Toffee, could you transform, too?" The left snake shouted across the room. The suited septarian could only roll his eyes in response.

"Uh anyways, nice to meetcha!" Rhombulus hurriedly spoke before scurrying to his seat.

Hekapoo shook her head as she looked back at Rhombulus with shame. She then gave a curtsy to the guest of honor. "My name's Hekapoo. I oversee the dimensional transportation around these parts."

"Ah yes. Eclipsa did mention how this universe uses... shears to travel. A strange and unorthodox method, but I suppose it is rather convenient."

"Yeah. Heh heh." Hekapoo proceeded to eye the young man from head to toe, tracing every contour and crevasse. The biting of her lip and the arching of her eyebrow indicated her interest.

"Say. Eclipsa was right. You are pretty cu- whoa!"

The ground beneath the fiery woman disappeared in a flash and replaced with a black portal that brought her to a forcefully designated seat. Eclipsa put her hand down and nonchalantly averted her gaze.

The last, but not least to introduce herself was Jackie.

"Cool to meet ya, Griffith. My name's- dude, get out of my shadow."

The cloaked creep from before emerged from behind Jackie as he was addressed. He brought his masked face just a touch short from her's.

"Heh heh... impressive." Raksas cackled. He took on a threatening tone as he spoke. "Allow me to make it clear to you. That Griffith is _my_ quarry. And I intend to preserve his life so that I may someday take it myself. I highly suggest you keep your distance."

"Ok? Wasn't planning on killing him. We just met." Jackie retorted deadpan. She bore no animosity nor any fear whatsoever.

"Perhaps not. But we assassins are a covetous sort. Endlessly thirsting for blood and taking every chance to satiate it. The best of us bear no long-term loyalty without a contingency plan. I'm sure these are ideals you are well acquainted with, girl."

Raksas sank into the ground. His entire shapeless form along with his mask disappeared into thin air and possibly slithering off somewhere else in the room.

"Geez, what's his damage?" Jackie pointed a thumb at a nearby potted plant.

"Excuse him. He's a rather... eccentric sort. A foreigner in my land, you see."

"Gotcha." The young assassin extended a hand. "Anyways, name's Jackie Lynn Thomas. From Earth."

"Ah yes, a fellow Earth-dweller" He remarked as he shook her hand. "Pray tell, does yours happen to have a country called Midland'?"

"It's not a place I've ever heard of in school, so I don't think so."

"I see. Is this your first time on Mewni?"

"Been here for a good bit, but yeah. You?"

"Not quite." Griffith's eyes trailed off to the side. "I've had a rather fateful encounter with... this land's previous queen some odd years ago."

"Oh... that reminds me," Jackie's attitude grew a tad grave. "did you hear what the princess did to her own mom?" She somberly shook her head. "Just... awful stuff, man."

"Yes, it is quite the tragic affair." Griffith added, his tone detached. "I guess some people weren't made to handle such pressure."

"Yeah, we're trying our hardest to find her and get my boyfriend back. I'm kinda scared the same thing might happen to him, but Toffee's sure that he's still ok."

"Well, if he has a good head on his shoulders, then you have no need to fear whatsoever."

"Yeah, that's what I'd like to think. Thanks." Jackie said. She waved before making her way to her spot on the table right between Tom and Hekapoo.

Eclipsa walked up to Griffith, shooting a much more egregious smile than usual. "So what do you make of them?"

"They're a model set of individuals, my dear." Griffith brightly complimented. "They should consider themselves lucky to be under such leadership of your caliber."

"Oh, stop it you charmer, you." The Dark Queen bashfully waved a hand.

"I, for one, am more interested in the lizard." Zodd gruffly commented. "Without taking his status as an Apostle into account, I sense that he would prove to be a rather formidable adversary. I'd like to engage in combat with him sometime in the near future."

"I think there will be plenty of that after we have our dinner." Eclipsa made a gesture of presentation, showing the two to their table. "Shall we?"

* * *

It was drawing near the appointed time where everyone as well as the food was supposed to arrive. Mewni's major moon formed a half-moon that cast the entire dining hall in a rather slender glow that illuminated half of the candle-lit room.

To pass the time before, everyone who was seated exchanged small talk over the table. Nothing but merriment and mirth swam throughout the dining hall as everyone smiled and laughed. Zodd and Raksas distanced themselves from the collective joy, caring not for socializing or making any new friends. The former sat displeased as he awaited the food that was promised and the moment when he would clash arms with his new fellow Apostle. The latter adhered himself to the back of Jackie's chair, though not without the girl being keenly aware of his uncomfortably close presence.

At some point, Toffee pulled out a pocket watch to check the time, then immediately closed it when his suspicions were confirmed.

"Rhombulus, could you do me a favor?"

The rock-headed brute ceased conversing with his hands. "Anything, Master Toffee."

"I need you to unravel that napkin and place it on the empty chair right next to you."

"Uh." Rhombulus couldn't help but feel confusion towards such a strange request. He pointed at the chair between his and Toffee's. "But, isn't that Mr. Valentine's seat?"

"That it is. But you'll have to trust me on this one. You're going to enjoy what'll happen next."

"Uh sure. Ok." Rhombulus did as was asked, though he still couldn't parse why. He began having a staring contest with the white piece of cloth in an attempt to figure out what his Master was talking about. A few seconds passed. Then a few minutes. No sooner after several more moments could he maintain his focus any longer.

" _Dojyaaan!_ " Rhombulus nearly jumped out of his seat with a startled yelp. Without warning, the complete form of President Funny Valentine popped out from beneath the flattened cloth, his hands stretched to the sky to give emphasis and flare to his magical entrance. Everyone in attendance gave a round of applause, to which Valentine responded with little bows and thank yous. Zodd merely scoffed, unimpressed by the childish theatrics.

"Psh. I could do better." Raksas sharply commented.

"Not if people can see it coming a mile away." Jackie snidely responded. The masked assassin could only stare at his seat-mate in displeasure while the younger assassin met him with a mischievous smile.

"Do you always make such a grand entrance?" Griffith asked.

"Whenever I can. It's a part of my ability, you see." The President said with a shining smile. "Though this one in particular was my and Toffee's idea. By the way, I am Funny Valentine. Twenty-sixth president of the United States. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Fabled White Hawk."

"President? Is that term in place of 'King' in your world?"

"Oh heavens no. The idea of Kings and monarchy in general do not even smell the soil of my country. Leaders in my land are chosen by the people. In a much more beneficial form of government known as Democracy."

"Is that so?"

"Indeed. I've been told that you, Griffith, are a man of royalty who presides over his own kingdom. While I respect your status as a leader, my patriotism disallows me from agreeing with your objectively obsolete form of government."

"Be that as it may, President Valentine. However, I think you'd be pleased to know that the position I hold was not inherited, but earned. And my upbringing is far removed from that of typical kings and queens."

"Wait, are you implying that you weren't born a noble?" Toffee asked, incredulously. Eclipsa, sitting right beside him, held a hand to her mouth to conceal her beaming smile.

"Precisely so. Much like yourself, Toffee, I derived from humble beginnings and ended up cultivating and leading my very own army of mercenaries from when I was twelve years old."

"Huh." The lizard simply remarked, belying the legitimate surprise he harbored. "Eclipsa never bothered to delve into your personal life prior to becoming a God Hand member when speaking about you."

"That is rather fascinating, I must admit." Valentine commented as he leaned against his chair with his arms crossed. "As a self-made leader such as yourself, do you still submit to the idea of Monarchy and utilize it as the foundation for your society?"

"Absolutely not. I know far too well the folly of such a concept and I made doubly sure to establish a better form of order and government for Falconia."

"Well then, if not Democracy, then what is it?"

Griffith took a brief sip of water before answering. "While the names, 'King' and 'Kingdom' are still in place, they are merely formalities. Falconia adheres to a form of government known as a Meritocracy. Where leaders and progress are made through skill and individual worth as opposed to social status and wealth."

"Ah yes, I remember reading about that in one of those government books you lent to me, Valentine." Toffee leaned forward and rested his lower jaw flat on his clasped fingers. "I was actually thinking of modeling our new Mewni after something akin to that, though I also plan to find a way to somehow integrate Democracy down the line."

"Hmm." The President contemplated for a few moments. "You know. That actually doesn't sound like a terrible idea. I think I'll consider establishing something like that as well. If I get voted into another term, that is. In fact, I'm mostly positive that I will."

A resounding tearing of the fabric of space, accompanied by the buzzing of a chainsaw tore apart all prior noise into silence. Everyone turned their direction to the source as they gazed upon a blue, swirling scar.

Seconds after entered the dainty, petite figure of Ms. Heinous. Soon after, she was followed by the hulking, cybernetically enhanced form of Rasticore, who kept a handheld chainsaw at his hip, mirroring the one on the other side.

"I hope we aren't too late, Lord Toffee. Grandmother." Heinous stated as she gave a polite curtsy to her superiors.

"The food has yet to arrive, so you're about as on time as you could be."

"Regardless, I must apologize for my rudeness."

"Nonsense. I understand that running a Military Training Facility could eat away much of your time. Come. Take a seat."

"With pleasure, sir. Thank you."

"Yo, what's good, Rasta?" Hekapoo greeted the other septarian with a wave.

"Not much, Heks." He casually replied, placing both of his chainsaws at a corner of the room before making his way to the table.

"How ya likin' those new chainsaws I made? Pretty cash, huh?"

"They're a godsend." He gruffly complimented with a grin. "Should've come up with button-activated chainsaws instead of rope-operated a long time ago."

"Yeah man. Can't waste time yankin' on a rope when you're in the heat of battle or trying to make a fast getaway."

"Oh yeah, and look." Rasticore raised his metal left forearm to reveal a slender opening. By his will, the opening emerged from the surface, revealing a small rectangular holster of sorts attached to a bent miniature arm. "I added an attachment to my arm so I can place a chainsaw on this here holster. Basically, I'd be holding two chainsaws with one arm, making one big chainsaw scissor."

"Whoa, that sounds pretty dope." Hekapoo beamed, impressed with the reptile's ingenuity. "Chainsaw scissors! Why didn't I think of that? It's genius. And metal as hell."

"Yeah, I just tried it out on some Johansen Clan rebels. I cut around five guys in half with just one swing. Pretty combat efficient if I do say so myself."

"Sick."

"Ah, speaking of which." Toffee interjected. "Any news on former King Butterfly?"

Rasticore shook his head. "Negative. Target is still MIA."

"How strange. For some reason, the All-Seeing Eye was unable to find him as well. Nor Star and Marco, for that matter. Every attempt was only met with static."

"I'd wager that that would have to be Glossarcyk's doing." Eclipsa commented after sipping her water. "And as for Star and Marco, we're already aware that those two are most definitely hiding out in the Queen's Sanctuary."

"I must ask, Toffee." Griffith piped in. "These two... Star and Marco, you call them... aren't they your greatest threats at the moment?"

"Potentially." The lizard reflexively rubbed his left arm as he recalled his recent blunder.

"Then why wait before acting upon getting rid of them?"

"Because they've been out of commission for quite a long time." Toffee nonchalantly answered as he swished the water in his glass. "They haven't arised since we began our campaign nor since we've conquered a good portion of the lands. And as we possess one of the Hands, they can do nothing to lay a hand on us."

"Toffee." Griffith began to adopt a severe tone. "It is absolutely imperative that, if they can muster even the most negligible fraction of opposition, you seek them out and deal with them as soon as possible."

"Hm." He briefly glazed over Tom and Jackie, who were chatting it up and laughing.

"You should take his word for it." Eclipsa recommended. "He once sent an entire platoon of Apostles, led by two of his best men, including Zodd, to slay a dying old witch and burn down her mystical treehouse."

The suited lizard merely raised an eyebrow towards his esteemed guest.

"It was necessary." Griffith answered without a hint of remorse. "I could not allow one with connections to the Astral Plane to live and possibly deter my agenda. And frankly, neither should you if you value your goals and dreams."

"Heh, you insult me, Griffith." Toffee retorted with great levity. "Though I wholeheartedly agree to the notion that any and all threats be eliminated if I am to maintain my dream, I must clarify that those two are actually important to keep alive for the time being."

"Are they now?" The White Hawk asked, a bit of skepticism smuggled in his tone. "Well in any case, I'm fairly certain you know what you're doing. Otherwise you wouldn't be running such a fine kingdom of your own now, would you?"

"Of course."

"These two you speak of... are they exceptional warriors?" Zodd spoke up after what felt like an eternity since he sat down.

"Is that all you think about, Zodd?" Toffee retorted somewhat coldly.

"An immortal life is rather dull if there is nary an engaging fight to make it worth living."

"Well if you must know, one possesses one of the Hands that has the potential to wound Griffith and Eclipsa. And the other possesses the Royal Wand, the most powerful archive and catalyst of magic in this universe. They both also survived our recent ascension ceremony."

"Ha. Intriguing." Zodd gave a sinister half-smile. It was perhaps the only display of emotion he's ever given at that point other than cold indifference. "Perhaps I should pay them a visit in the near future."

"If you're so inclined, then I must urge you to keep them both alive."

"That all depends on them now, doesn't it?"

Suddenly, the large dining hall entrance gave way to a train of servers and dining carts carrying steamy, aromatic dishes comprised of various cuts of the local fauna dowsed in many gravies and sauces, tossed salads piled high, cauldrons of bubbling soup of many kinds nearly filled to the brim, and almost overflowing flagons of various drinks, alcoholic and otherwise. One by one, the dozen or so servers (all a mix of monsters and mewmans), placed every dish and drink throughout varying parts of the table, turning the whole place into a buffet of sorts.

As soon as everything was in place, every server gave a respectful bow in unison before dispersing from the room and leaving the guests to their hearty meal.

Jackie and Tom, drooling and bug-eyed, were more than ready to dig in. Right as they were about to get up and pile up their plates, their hands were gripped and their hungry paths deterred by an unseen force.

"Hey, what gives?" Tom complained as he was being blue-balled out of a ravishing meal.

"Yo masked dude, let me go." Jackie demanded as she fought the urge to stab at whatever grabbed her wrist with her fork.

"'Tis not I who is restraining you." Raksas spoke as he revealed himself. "I suspect it is the blonde man's doing."

"Ah, ah, ah." Valentine chided the teens with a waggle of his finger. "We do not commence savagely ravaging our meals without the proper etiquette first."

"Ooh, are you referring to the taking of the first napkin?" Heinous excitedly said, repeatedly clapping and hopping in her seat like a happy seal.

"That is correct, my dear. Regardless of our diverse backgrounds and various walks of life, we must all show a little tact and taste in our daily lives."

"Amen to that." Heinous agreed with a firm nod.

"Now then." The President turned towards the end of the table. "Shall we?"

With a nod, Toffee pinched the napkin before him between his fingers and deftly raised it to the air.

Eclipsa did as well. At the same time.

Their napkins hung in the air in tandem with one another.


	44. Dichotomy

After toeing the line between life and death while submerged in a physical and mental stasis for so long, Marco's consciousness finally surfaced to reality. His eyes remained closed and, despite being "asleep" for so long, fatigue maintained a powerful hold on his body. He groaned in protest towards the idea of waking up as he mustered every bit of what little strength remained.

He could feel someone's breath lightly tapping against his lips. Someone's nose as well as their forehead adhered to his. Several strands of her hair tickled his cheek. Her arm rested on his neck. Her entire body practically squeezed against his while a layer of cloth blanketed them both.

Both of their eyelids fluttered for a bit as they attempted to dispatch the last vestiges of sleep. When the full breadth of their eyes were revealed, a smile and a warm blush emerged from their faces.

"Hey." Marco quietly greeted as if it was a normal, everyday awakening.

"Hey." Star reciprocated with a half-lidded eye. "Good to see you back."

"Couldn't have been back without you."

"I know." Star couldn't stop herself from joyously grinning.

The two lovingly gazed into one another's eyes, allowing themselves to bask in the halved moonlight and their warm, loving embrace. Star fought the urge to shift her face closer and make intimate contact right then and there, but she had long learned her lesson.

"Uh, I think we should get up." They suggested simultaneously.

"Oh geez, not again."

They both giggled like school children. Marco sat upright, stretching out and loosening the bones of his stiffened body. In the midst of his morning (or evening) routine, his body seized up as he noticed something amiss that he should've caught the moments his eyes opened.

"Star, how come you're wearing your eyepatch from your St. Olga's disguise?" Marco asked curiously.

"Uhh..." Star hesitated, unsure whether or not if she should bear the horrifying news within minutes of his awakening. She pulled the blanket up to her shoulders to delay the reveal of another disfigurement.

"Hey hey, look who's back from the sorta dead." Janna casually commented as she walked up to the two. She was digging in a bag of Cornritos and promptly popped one in her mouth. "How was the spiritual journey, mi amigo?"

"Oh, it was pretty... enlightening to say the least." He answered as he scratched his hair. "I think I might need a good minute before telling you all about it, though."

"Gotcha." The sly teen gave an affirmative thumbs up. "Diggin' the new tats, by the way."

"Huh? Oh, ri-what?"

Marco was surprised to find out his usual forearm brace has vanished without a trace. All that remained of his Hand was his bicep brace while the rest of his arm was barren save for the new paint job.

"Guess you got an upgrade on that God Hand." Janna pointed a corner of her triangular chip at his arm before taking it in her mouth.

"Yeah... Say Janna," Marco began as his gaze shifted every which way in an attempt to figure out where he was. "Actually, Star. Where are we?"

"The Queen's Sanctuary." Star spoke up. Her body was kept laying on its left side. "We've been safe here since... actually, come to think of it, how long has it been since I got into Marco's head?"

She took a few moments to chew before answering. A mouthful of crispy tortilla muffled her speech. "Do you really wanna know?"

Star and Marco exchanged worried glances before shifting their inquisitive glares back to Janna.

"How long have we been out?" Marco asked with a sigh.

Janna swallowed, unsure whether she did so out of necessity or nervousness. She was on the verge of taking another bite before stopping herself and putting the chip back. She rolled the bag up, then inserted it into her beanie. With a preparatory sigh, she gave the honest truth.

"Three weeks."

Marco could only stare in slack-jawed and wide-eyed silence. For years, there were many words that came out of Janna's mouth that he could never believe. This was one where he couldn't help _but_ believe, no matter how much he felt otherwise.

"Three weeks!?" Star loudly exclaimed as she shot upright. The acoustics of the Sanctuary bounced her words back multiple times.

Janna nodded after taking another stress-filled bite. It was a wonder how her shape didn't expand even in the slightest if she lived off of nothing but unhealthy corn based snacks for the past three weeks.

"What are we gonna- oh my gosh, Star! What happened to your arm!?"

The young queen was briefly taken aback by the heated question before taking notice of her bandaged stump of a limb.

"Oh this?" She said as she gave it a light waggle. "It's just a flesh wound, Marco. Besides, it's not even my good arm. No big loss." She tried to make light of the situation as she usually did, but she knew it wouldn't come close enough to assuage his bafflement.

"Whaddya mean, it's no big loss!?" Marco became absolutely livid as a response to Star's irrational nonchalance. Part of his ire stemmed from the moment he lost his own arm not too long ago as well as the hurricane of emotions he felt during. "You are literally missing a limb and you're treating it like you got a haircut? Lemme guess. The reason why you're wearing that patch is because you've lost that eye, too isn't it?"

"Uhh..." Star was at a loss for a reasonable response, opting to dart her pupil from side to side instead.

"Star..." He addressed her sternly. "Let me see it."

Seeing as how there was no escaping it at that point and she would worsen things by resisting, she conceded to his request. Allowing him to hold her head in place by the cheek as he slowly brought a hand to her eye-patch.

"Wait." His hand stopped on a dime and he gave an inquisitive look. "Here, lemme do it. I put a spell that only allowed me to open it. "

With a nod, Marco released his hold. She lifted up her eye-patch to unveil her closed left eye, eliciting a rather somber look from her friend.

"C-can I...?" His slightly lifted hand finished what his sentence couldn't.

"Just don't lift it up. Glossaryck's orders." She spoke with great brevity.

Marco's hand resumed with its advance. As delicately as he could, he ran a finger over her closed eyelid. He emitted a sharp, silent gasp as he felt nothing but hollow space behind the eyelid.

"My gosh... How did... why... who did this to you?"

Star's eye looked to the ground. "If I'm being honest, I don't even know myself. It was all a blur. I think it might've happened while-"

Her speech went to a screeching halt as a lump formed in her throat. Even though it has apparently been three weeks since the tragedy, the scars it left behind were still as fresh as if it happened mere moments ago.

Marco skeptically raised an eyebrow at first, but then almost instantly after, his face fell into that of pure, unbridled horror as everything came rushing at him like a relentless torrent of pain. He began whimpering and his entire body trembled profusely. Slowly and shakily, his hands reached his cheeks as he made every attempt to calm himself down. His overwhelming stress numbed his senses to the steadily rising warmth of his right arm.

"I..." In one breath, he shot to his feet. The speed and intensity of his rise tossed the blanket that once covered his and Star's body into the air. "I think I need..."

He didn't even finish his sentence before catching sight of the door and hurriedly walking towards it.

"Wait, Marco," Janna grabbed his wrist. "Maybe you should-"

As if time skipped and left everyone unaware for a moment, Janna suddenly found her own wrist being strongly squeezed by Marco. He had a wild, fear-stricken look in his eyes. His grip gradually tightened as time went by. The stretching of skin and the cracking of bone was nearly audible.

"Agh... Marco, you're..." The girl grit her teeth as she tried to endure. Instinctively, she held her arm in an attempt to maintain it.

With his right arm burning with great intensity, Marco came to his senses and immediately withdrew his grip. He took a long, remorseful look at his own shaking hands. To prevent himself from doing anything else he might regret, he clenched them into fists and sent them to his sides.

Janna lowered her arm and gave it a few slow shakes to check if anything was broken. After deciding that nothing was, she took a long despondent look at her grief-stricken friend. She was at a loss for what to say or do, knowing that nothing would help at that moment.

"I'm sorry I... I think I need to step out. Take a walk for a while." He made an about face and proceeded with his quickened path to the door.

Star slowly sprinted past Janna to catch up to him. "Marco, do you need me to-"

"Alone." The word stopped Star dead in her tracks as her beloved sought to leave her behind. Without turning around or saying another word, he departed the Sanctuary and disappeared into the night. The booming slam of the door echoed throughout until it eventually fell into a palpable silence. Star stood frozen in her spot, dejectedly staring at the entrance. She felt ashamed that she couldn't be there for him despite his vehement request for solitude.

"Man, at this rate I'm gonna end up losing an arm, too." Janna quipped as she rubbed her left arm, reminded of how Star nearly dislocated her shoulder not long after she too first awakened.

The young queen remained silent. Her gaze remained transfixed by the stone door.

"Hey, um." Janna came close to putting a hand on Star's shoulder before stopping herself. "Y'know, I still have no idea what's going on. Mina and Glossaryck didn't wanna tell me what happened to you guys, but if it's too awful to bring up, I won't bother you about it."

Stirred by her words, Star turned towards her. She closed her eyes and sighed before making her response.

"Have a seat, Janna. This is gonna be a real doozy.

* * *

Without realizing it, Marco managed to safely and easily walk across the stepping stones floating above the lake. His head hung low and his heart was heavy with burden. He didn't care to watch where he was going.

"Hey Marco, you're..." The boy walked right past Mina Loveberry without even giving her a passing glance. He was oblivious to her existence, his focus completely consumed by his own thoughts. With his hands buried in his pockets, he faded into the forest, leaving the Sanctuary and all of its inhabitants behind for the time being.

"...Awake." She somberly sighed before making her way back to the Sanctuary.

Many of the local wildlife felt a strange sense of deja vu as this adolescent absentmindedly traveled through their homes and hangouts. However, they didn't feel the need to completely abandon their spots but instead cast themselves aside to clear the way for him.

Despite the lack of focus on his surroundings, Marco did well to refrain from colliding with any trees, stumbling on any rocks or falling into any holes. Though on a few occasions, his hoodie gets snagged by random branches and brambles. He sustained a few scratches on his arm and some tears on his clothes, but he couldn't give any less of a damn about them.

Throughout the duration of his aimless walk through the woods, a lingering uneasiness shadowed his very being, bubbling and churning deep within his core. A slew of deprecating words jumped around his mind. Dirty. Gross. Used. Violated. But none of it could even begin to describe how he truly felt. Never had he harbored anything like it before nor has he felt a greater need to rid himself of it. At various intervals, his body shuddered as the memories from the event tried to forcefully insert themselves into his mind.

He questioned to himself on what sort of monster could bring themselves to make such an awful decision. And without so much as a hint of hesitation and likely without any remorse. What made it especially bad was that the heinous act was committed by someone related to Star. He briefly pondered if there was anyone else just as irredeemably evil within the Butterfly Family tree, but he shook that notion out of his head and resolved that Eclipsa had to be the only one.

Which begs the question as to why. What compelled her to veer off the righteousness the Butterfly Family normally adhere to and become a sinister entity that is arguably just as bad, if not, worse than Toffee? Why did she as well as Toffee allow so many people to die without a second thought? For what purpose did she violate Marco like that? Why? Why?

His head started to throb as those harrowing questions beat against his psyche. He wished this whole situation didn't have to be so messed up. He wished he and Star could just go back home and live their happy, peaceful lives as usual, free from such morbid inquiries and traumatic experiences. But no. Such days were far beyond reach at that point. They would never sleep soundly nor delude themselves from the horrors for quite a long time.

He wasn't sure how long he had spent walking with a lack of destination. Minutes. Hours. Days. It didn't matter to him. None of it did.

Eventually, the sound of flowing water snapped Marco out of his thoughts and brought his steps to a stop. He was just about to walk onto a river and possibly fall in. If there was anything he hated just as much as walking in wet socks, it was walking in wet clothes.

He found the accidental discovery to be a blessing, however. It's been three weeks and he hadn't the opportunity to bathe once throughout. Cleansing himself was high up in his list of priorities, and not for hygienic reasons either. The river was nearly clear and free of any pollution or litter. Perfect for washing oneself.

Marco began to strip off his clothes, then folded them and left them on the edge. He tested the waters by dipping his big toe and making little swirls on the surface. It was cold, but not freezing. With one leg at a time, he immersed himself into the chill, refreshing liquid. He was steeped up to his shoulders, which he welcomed with wide-open arms considering how insecure he was about his body. Even more so now, all things considered.

He regret not bringing his normal showering supplies on his way over here. But even so, all the soap and scrubbers in the world wouldn't be enough to wash the anguish away.

Images of her accursed, spade-drawn face flashed in his view. Her crooked, sadistic smile that spoke volumes about how much she reveled in his suffering. Her total disregard for the feelings and well-beings of those she tormented as well as the lasting consequences for her disgusting actions. He felt a sharp gnawing in his stomach that tore him apart from the inside. Tears started to flow down his face as the pain intensified. He began to rub himself raw as the turmoil in his heart grew and festered at an alarming rate. It got to the point where he dug deep enough to draw blood from each of his arms, completely unbeknownst to him. Nothing done to him on the outside could ever surpass what he felt on the inside.

He gasped when his senses returned to him once more. He grew cognizant of his small lacerations as well as the the moist warmth on his fingers. After promptly bringing them into view, his bloody hands trembled wildly before being balled into fists. He breathed in, held it for several seconds, then breathed out. It didn't help as much as he wished, but he could at least continue bathing with some semblance of awareness.

After a long lapse in time that Marco didn't bother to measure, he felt accomplished enough to emerge from the river. He was on the verge of putting his clothes on before noticing that he hadn't dried himself off yet. There definitely wasn't a towel nearby nor did he want to use any of the nearby leaves.

A light bulb flashed above his head as a burst of inspiration came to him. He took his usual stance and began to breathe. With an elongated "koohhhh" the fiery golden energy enveloped his entire being, followed by an intense, yet comforting warmth that formed a layer over his body.

And as he expected, every bit of water that stuck to his skin quickly evaporated beneath the heat of his Hamon. As a bonus, the scratches he dealt himself healed rather quickly. Feeling a tad more relieved from cleansing himself of the accumulated dirt and grime, he donned his clothes.

Out of nowhere, a shrill noise in the distance apprehended his attention. It stood out from the rest of the cries and chatter of local wildlife. It went on and on ceaselessly, with only a split-second pause before starting right back up again, just as loud.

Now driven by a purpose for his being in the woods, Marco followed the noise. Branches snapped, bushes rustled, and animals cried out, but the primary noise was kept at the forefront of his hearing as he gravitated ever so closer.

Steadily, the noise became clearer and definitely louder. It was a screaming cry. But not just any other. It belonged to that of what sounded like a baby. He had hoped nothing horrific was happening to it to elicit such a dire response.

The noise soon led Marco to a clearing past a tall wall of bushes. Right as he stepped foot in it, he felt little drops of blood running down the back of his neck. Strangely enough, he didn't feel a sharp burst of pain like usual. He wasn't sure if it was because he's gotten used to it at that point or what, but he didn't care to find out. His wary gaze shifted every direction to check if there were any spirits about. There weren't any that he could see, but perhaps they were hiding and biding their time until they found the moment to strike.

At the very center of the clearing was a lone, naked infant girl writhing on the ground and screaming its head off. Short brown hair occupied an otherwise bald head. Her eyes were clenched shut and its toothless mouth was widened to extreme lengths to facilitate its obnoxiously high volume. The hooded teen's eyes broadened as he noticed something strange about the child.

It wasn't just the fact that it was all alone in the woods and seemingly abandoned in the dead of night that he found strange. But rather, the fact that there was an image etched on each of its cheeks. Reminiscent of those belonging to the Butterfly family. They were circles, with one side colored white and the other colored black.

"Hey there. What are you doing here?" Marco asked as he carried her off the ground. He began feeling a noticeable sense of familiarity as he drew near the child, but he shrugged it off as her being a Butterfly. The very moment he laid hands on her, she instantly silenced herself. Her eyes slid open, revealing a pair of sparkling jet black eyes. She cooed and gurgled as she seemed to be examining his face.

"Feeling better already?" He said as he slowly rocked her in his arms. "Um. Do you know where mommy and daddy are?"

As if answering his question, she reached out and touched Marco's face. Her tiny fingers gently glided over his cheek. She made a single, quick cough that he interpreted to be a laugh.

"Heh heh, ok then. Well, I hope they didn't leave you behind or... something." The statement seemed more directed to himself as he loathed to think about what kind of people would dare leave a baby alone in the woods like this. Especially if they were in Star's family.

"Hmm." Marco pondered as he stared at the baby. An idea sprung to his mind.

"You know what? Hold on."

He placed the child back on the ground, causing her to immediately become fussy. She stretched her arms in his direction in an attempt to grab at him and silently beg to return to his arms. A series of whimpers and hiccups foretold the approach of another barrage of crying.

He removed his hoodie and laid it flat on the ground. He lifted the baby a few inches and ever so softly placed her upon his unzipped sweater. He then zipped the sweater up to the baby's chin while being careful enough not to let any part of her frail, pale skin get caught in it. He then wrapped the remaining loose parts of his sweater around her in such a way that turned it into a makeshift security blanket. He pulled at a couple strings to secure the hood around her head.

"Alright, there we go." He happily said with a great sense of success as he cradled the now covered infant in his arms. Smiles and laughter emanated from the child as if expressing gratitude and joy over her new clothes.

"Now then, let's get you to the- whoa, what?"

Right as he was about to take his first step forward, he noticed that he was completely surrounded by a countless amount of spirits. Infinite, unintelligible whispers of various voices blended chaotically with one another and completely drowned out whatever sounds that normally inhabited the woods. His body stiffened and he held the child as close to his chest as possible.

What was more stressful was the fact that not a single one of them made a move. They remained rooted to their spots, simply watching the two with whatever amount of eyes each of them had.

Marco gulped, uncertain as to what he should do. He didn't know if they'd attack the second he made even the slightest of motions nor did he know what to do in the even that they did. He wanted no harm to come to the child nor did he want to leave it in the hands of these potentially dangerous specters.

He looked to the baby as if she had some idea. But to no one's surprise, she didn't. Or at least, she couldn't convey it even if she did. She merely gurgled and flitted her tiny pupils every which way as if she too could see the spirits that surrounded them.

With no other options in sight, Marco proceeded to walk forward, hoping and praying that none of them would pounce on them all of a sudden. His heart went significantly faster than he was moving and sweat flooded his face. Every step he took, there were spirits in every corner lurking in every crevasse. Their gazes followed him all throughout his return trip.

Their path came to a stop when a barricade of phantoms stood before them. Through their translucent forms, Marco could see the Sanctuary and the light of dawn peeking over the horizon.

With the finish line in sight and the child's safety his utmost concern, Marco charged forward. Not literally of course. It was more of a rapid walk to a light jog. Either way, he advanced towards the wall of astral beings, not once entertaining the idea of slowing down.

He didn't know what to expect once he drew close enough, but he was still nonetheless surprised when the spirits simply moved out of the way. He didn't bother to look back once he went through, but he could still feel their eyes on him as he progressed.

His heart slowed to its normal pace and his entire body relaxed upon entering the safety of the dirt shore and the protective proximity of the Sanctuary. The sun has already risen to the point where its warm glow enveloped the floating building in its entirety. Marco gradually made his way across the stepping stones, taking utmost care as to not slip and/or drop the child.

* * *

Everyone gathered around Star sat in solemn, saddened silence as her recollection of the cataclysmic event concluded. Tears fell down the two women's faces as their hearts were thoroughly rended by the idea of such atrocities being possible. Glossaryck could only gaze towards the ground as he mulled over Star's words.

"Moon... I'm so sorry..." Mina paused, still in utter disbelief towards whether or not everything that the new queen had said to be true. She wasn't sure if she should feel worse for Star committing such a grave accident or her old friend whose demise partly came at the hands of her own daughter.

"Fuck me, man..." Janna simply commented as she wiped her eye. "How can you guys... even live knowing you went through all that?"

Star simply shrugged, knowing no other way to respond to a question as loaded as that.

"Honestly, if I survived something like that, I would've just killed myself as soon as I could." Janna morbidly stated, evoking a rather alarmed expression from Mina. "I mean, being dead is probably way better than keeping all that in your mind for the rest of your life. And you're being hunted down by ghosts for the rest of your life, anyways. I mean, why even continue living at that point?"

"A tiny part of me wish I wasn't." Star depressingly admitted with a heavy heart and without a hint of hesitation.

"So you're saying I shouldn't have sent Mina after all?" Glossaryck coldly responded.

"Wait, really?" Star was momentarily taken off guard by the fact that her normally passive and annoyingly vague teacher gave her such a direct and immediate benefit.

"Yeah, it was his idea to rescue you." Mina affirmed. "I get that Glossaryck can be a pain to deal with at times, but believe me when I say that everything he does, whether it's clear to you or not, is for your own benefit, Star."

"I didn't send you to rescue them, though." Glossaryck clarified, much to everyone's shock.

"Excuse me?" Now it was the veteran's turn to be baffled. "But you told me to-"

"Make sure they made it out alive." The robed imp crossed his arms as he firmly clarified. "Totally different, mutually exclusive goals. And you accomplished what was needed. Good job."

Glossaryck floated next to Janna with a requesting expression. "Ahem. Janna?"

"Huh? Oh, right." She removed her beanie and presented its opening to the little blue man. He lifted the bottom of his robes and proceeded to enter it one foot at a time.

"Wait a minute." Mina stopped the mentor with a raise of her hand. "Why are you making a big deal about distinguishing the circumstances of their survival?"

Glossaryck looked back before diving right into the hat, and presumably back to the Book of Spells kept within. He delivered his response without a hint of uncertainty or emotion.

"Maybe you should ask the Skull Knight." And he immediately jumped right in without giving anyone else a chance to respond.

Star could only blink as her addled head reeled from what had just transpired. She honestly had no clue how she could find the time to make sense of and resolve everything. She didn't know where to start. But at the very least, Marco was back on his feet and her assigned teacher was around to tangentially push her in the right direction as always, albeit at times when she'll be far from expecting it.

"Geez, Glossaryck." Star softly said with a sigh. "What _are_ you?"

Right as Janna was about to lift her hat to her head, Glossaryck's popped right out of it and he shot a rather startlingly wide smile towards Star as if he heard her rhetorical question.

"Nobody." He said in a rather hushed tone. He shook his head as he continued to speak. "I'm nobody... I'm a tramp. A bum. A hobo. I'm a boxcar in a jug of wine. And a straight razor, if you get too close."

His eyes narrowed and his puckered lips were pushed to the side before he dove right back in.

Before anyone could do anything else, their attentions were diverted towards the creaking of the door. In entered Marco, cradling his wrapped hoodie. His mood seemed to have improved since he had left.

"Marco, you're back!" Star ran up to him, her arms spread wide with the intent take him into her worried, caring embrace.

"Whoa whoa, easy." Marco raised a hand to slow her down. "I'm with child right now."

"Child?" Star asked skeptically.

"Yeah, I found this baby in the- wait, what?"

His hoodie folded over and slumped in his arms.


	45. What Our Bodies Were For

Marco frantically dug his hands into his vacant hoodie in a feeble attempt to search for the child he claimed to have brought. His body rounded in circles to see if it had fallen behind him. He beelined for the door and stuck his head into the slowly rising dawn as his stressed gaze raced around the environment to search for the missing child.

He brought himself back in the building and he looked to the empty hoodie in his arms with alarm and confusion written all over his face.

"But she was right- how could she have-" He sputtered, pure disbelief putting his mind at further disarray as he found difficulty processing what had just happened.

"Whoa whoa whoa Marco, slow down," Star finally said as she repeatedly pushed the air with a single hand. "what is going on right now? What child?"

His eyes flitted to Star in response and he took a few moments to calm himself and gather his train of thought. He huffed a breath of air before calmly and clearly explaining the situation instead of spouting more fragmented nonsense that led to nowhere but further confusion.

"I found a baby girl in the middle of the woods," He began, gesturing to the outside. "She was all alone, naked, and crying her lungs out. I dunno if she was abandoned or what, but I couldn't just leave her there. So I wrapped her in my hoodie and made my way here immediately. Soon as I brought her inside, it looks like she just... disappeared."

Star brought an eye to the ground as she rubbed her chin and ruminated over Marco's words. At first, she wanted to interpret his experience as an illusion born from his addled mind. But then she remembered something that she encountered prior to his recovery.

"Did your Brand react to this baby you speak of?" Mina took the words right out of Star's mouth.

The word "Brand" compelled Marco to absentmindedly rub the back of his neck. It was caked with coagulated blood.

"Uh, I don't think so." Marco said with very little certainty in his tone. "Though, when I picked the baby up, there were, like, a hundred spirits surrounding us at every corner."

A silent gasp escaped Star's lips as she recalled another memory of being assaulted by spirits for the first time. She remembered the anguish she felt during and the pure, unfiltered rage she felt after dispatching them all.

"But, surprisingly, they didn't attack us or did anything at all. In fact, they pretty much kept their distance as I walked my way back here. Some were even nice enough to move aside when we got close."

"Was there something weird about the baby?" Star contributed to the investigation.

Marco paused for a moment before answering. "A few things, yeah. First and foremost, she was a Butterfly."

"What?" Star found herself dumbfounded. Mina looked especially in disbelief.

"Yeah. Had marks on her cheeks just like you." He pointed to his own cheeks to emphasize. "Another thing was that it stopped crying like, almost immediately after I picked her up."

Mina and Star exchanged a glance, their thoughts parallel to one another.

"You don't think it has anything to do with that thing we saw on the beach do you?" Star asked, somewhat shaken by her own suspicions. At the time, she thought she saw some marks on the fetal creature's cheeks and Marco's explanation was beginning to lend credence to the fact that the two entities might be one and the same.

"I'm not one-hundred percent sure, but it's starting to sound like it." Mina responded. "Though I suppose that begs the question of what it is."

"And where it came from." Star added.

"What are you guys talking about?" Marco interjected.

"We saw some fetus looking thing hanging in the beach while you were still out." Star explained. "It was staring at the Sanctuary when we encountered it. For some reason I got this... weird, familiar feeling in my gut when I looked at it. And I didn't know why. I guess it makes sense now that you brought up this baby."

"Huh. Now that you mention it, it felt kinda familiar to me, too. Though I didn't really think much of it because I thought it might've been because she was related to you."

Janna, who had been listening closely the whole time, had the color drain from her face. Taking the current conversation and aligning it with the harrowing events Star had just recounted birthed a staggering and morbid revelation that dropped her expression.

"Guys, you don't think-" She began to blurt out, but stopped herself posthaste with a slap to her mouth.

"What is it, Janna?" Star asked. Marco remained silent, intently hearing what she had to say.

"No, it's..." She shook her head, her assumption shaking even her. "It's too fucked up. Even for me. And I'm not sure about it yet, so there's no point in bringing it up. You two have been through way more than enough so I think we should just drop it for right now. Ok?"

Though their collective curiosity ached to find out what Janna discovered, they ultimately heeded her request and ceased any further musings on the subject. Star and Marco knew that if something was too dark even for one like her who regularly revels in such subject matter, then it would be best for their mental health not to prod any further.

Both Mina and Janna traded looks before the former went bug-eyed and understood what the latter was about to imply. The latter grimly nodded to which the former shook her head in ardent disbelief. Janna put a finger to her lips and darted her pupils in Star and Marco's direction. Mina slowly nodded, agreeing with whatever Janna silently proposed.

The two best friends took note of their wordless exchange and merely shared a shrug. Marco couldn't resist pensively staring at Star's stumped arm. She caught wind of this and tried to placate him with a weak smile.

"But uh, there is one thing that I'm definitely sure of that you guys should know right away. Especially you, Marco."

"Wha me?" Marco pointed at himself.

"Well, you _are_ her boyfriend. Though I'm not sure how long that's gonna last, all things considered."

"Uh, you talking about Jackie?" Marco nervously rubbed his arm. "What does she have anything to do with this?"

Janna stared off to the side for a few seconds, unsure of how to really break the news to the poor guy.

"Alright Marco, I'm not gonna sugarcoat this. You're not gonna believe me, but I gotta tell you this right now. Jackie is working with Toffee."

Everyone in the building were drenched in a torrent of tension as the words settled in everyone's ears and awaited to be processed. Both Marco and Star were having difficulty rationalizing the idea that someone as sweet and calm as Jackie could be allies with someone as reprehensible as Toffee and by extension, someone as vile and unforgiving as Eclipsa.

Marco and Star softly chuckled to themselves, unsure whether it was a defense mechanism deployed as a response to the news or if he genuinely found the irony of it all humorous. Their soft chuckles eventually erupted into a burst of loud, roaring laughter, the mirth dispelling the tension that formed prior. Star fell flat on her back as she held her stomach as her sides went into orbit.

"Ok, you know what?" Marco said as he wiped a tear from his eye, the laughter slowly draining from him. "That was pretty good. I needed that after all the stuff we've been through. Thanks, Janna."

"You really had me goin' for a bit there. Hahaha!" Her giggles faded into light chuckles as she sat up. "Oh man, top tier joke right there."

"Dudes, I'm serious." Janna was flustered trying to reassure her friends that her words rung true. "She was like, with Tom and his army when I was coming back from my mission!"

"Wait, are you referring to that blonde girl with the blue streak in her hair?" Mina asked. "The one working with Tom Lucitor?"

"Yeah her!" Janna shouted somewhat triumphantly as she found herself a witness to legitimize her claim. "You fought her, right?"

Mina nodded. "A tough opponent, she was. Her, along with Tom, gave me and Skull Knight a bit of trouble, if I'll be honest."

"See? What do you-"

Janna cut herself off as she found herself looking at a rather incredulous looking Star and the sudden lack of a Marco. The massive doors of the Sanctuary swung open and slammed shut for the second time that day.

* * *

The rays of the morning sun were barely able to peek into the courtyard of the castle. Its radiant splendor only able to coat about half of its perfectly square shape. The periodic chirping of birds and the hustle and bustle of busy bodies provided an air of normality and calm that would soon be drowned out by an impending chaos.

Toffee and Nosferatu Zodd stood a great distance from one another. The latter tightly gripped a battleaxe in one hand and a broad cleaver sword in the other. The former merely wielded a sickle and a dagger while donning his old mercenary gear (to which Zodd admired the fact that it was adorned with real mewman skulls).

While Toffee was the type to avoid violence if possible, he'd be lying if he said that he didn't enjoy it whenever it arose. Like his opponent, he too relished in a good fight and he was definitely no stranger to bloodshed if his former hobby of collecting skulls for decorum was any indication.

Their hardened gazes locked in an intangible war of attrition of who could intimidate who the most before the real fight actually began. Such a battle ended in a stalemate, however, as their mutual fighting spirit and determination refused to falter.

"Are you prepared, Lizard?" Huffed Zodd. His massive body curved forward in a combative stance.

"Ready when you are, beast." Toffee retorted, his straight posture unyielding.

"Hmph." Was Zodd's last remark before he instantly tore across the grassy plain with his weapons raised, more than ready to rend a reptile asunder.

Toffee immediately followed, his torso kept forward and his sickle hung behind and his dagger held at the forefront.

Right as the two reached one another's range, a raging hurricane of swinging arms and flashing strikes materialized between them. Steel against steel. Might against might. Savagery against savagery. Despite what a bystander might assume, their onslaughts weren't without reasonable intent and technique. Each contender were merely testing their foe's limits with each traded blow. Their speed, their strength, their reflexes, their perception. Neither entertained the idea of underestimating the other and thus unleashed everything they had in spite of the amiable and sport-like nature of their spar.

Meanwhile, Eclipsa and Griffith were sitting at the sidelines, spectating their respective Apostles like parents chaperoning their frolicking children. The former was munching on her favorite chocolate bar, "Snookers".

"I must say, I think Toffee just might be formidable enough for Zodd." Griffith remarked in pride for Eclipsa. "I can see how he single-handedly eliminated every member of the Magic High Commission."

"Mm-hm," Eclipsa swallowed before replying. "He informed me earlier that he won't even resort to using magic either."

"Hm, well he should feel free to do so. Zodd's body has taken far more than his share of punishment throughout his extended years. Physical or otherwise."

"So I've been told."

At some point, Toffee and Zodd's clash ceased and they parted from one another. Each fighter commenced circling around the another. Planning. Analyzing. Waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Neither bore even the tiniest scratch quite yet.

"Heh. Seldom have I met an opponent that could keep up with me. Much less remain unscathed for more than a few seconds." Zodd complimented, while still remaining guarded and focused.

"You should get out more." Toffee bit back. His reptilian eyes squinted with cold conviction.

Without another word, Zodd barreled his way towards his foe again. He delivered a strike that Toffee managed to sidestep out of and follow up with a retaliatory strike, which ended up getting denied by a deft parry by Zodd.

"How do you feel about him, by the way?" Griffith casually asked.

She eyed her friend suspiciously. "Why do you ask?"

He merely shrugged. "Just out of curiosity is all. I mean, you would not have gotten this far without him."

She took a moment to gather her thoughts, chewing as she did so and swallowing before she began. "He's a respectable individual. Despite the unfortunate circumstances brought upon him literally by my hand, he sought my assistance while still holding me in high regard for my philosophy on the Mewman/Monster relations. And now our shared dream has finally surfaced to reality."

Griffith nodded solemnly as his view shifted back to the rumble. Neither contender have laid a scratch upon the other yet, but there were many instances where strikes that were sure to land on flesh were instead met with steel.

"Do you consider him an equal?"

Eclipsa was taken aback by the suddenness of the inquiry, which evoked from her a questioning expression. "I wouldn't go that far. As I've mentioned, I respect him as a person and I find his skills and resourcefulness invaluable to my cause, but I prefer to keep an arm's length. I find myself occasionally wary of his ability to absorb magical essence from beings such as I."

"Harboring some semblance of fear towards him, I take it." Griffith quipped with a small chuckle.

Eclipsa shook her head. "Not in the slightest. You just can't be too careful around a bearer of immense power like him, considering he has half of the Royal Wand's crystal in the palm of his hand. I'm aware that, in a test of true magical prowess against me, he is outmatched, but the Magic High Commision, as powerful as they were, quickly fell to him."

Griffith nodded in understanding.

"Not to mention," The Dark Queen continued. "before he set out to work with me, before he was caught in the effects of the Whispering Spell, he usurped the throne of his former employer, Ludo, turned his own minions against him, and exiled him from his own castle. "

"And you're afraid that he might organize such a coup against you as well?"

"Not afraid. Prepared."

While Zodd and Toffee still remained without a single modicum of damage, the same could not be said for their arena. Clumps of soil and grass were upended. Several pieces of cobblestone from the nearby walking paths were scattered everywhere. Statues, fountains, and trees were cut cleanly to pieces. Many castle staff members cleared the area and opted to avoid the courtyard as much as they could. Some even took it upon themselves to put up hazard signs at every entrance leading into the yard.

"I must ask, Griffith, how is... ah, his name escapes me." Eclipsa tapped her chin ponderously. "Gatsu was it?"

Knowing exactly what she spoke of, the White Hawk's composure wavered just ever so slightly. Eclipsa barely caught a glimpse of a twitch in his eye.

"Guts." Griffith corrected, his tone bereft of emotion. "Last I heard, he embarked on a seafaring journey to a land of elves. No further developments of his travels ever came to light since then."

"You spoke heatedly about us pursuing and eliminating any potential threats as soon as possible, but do you not consider your former brother-in-arms one?"

Griffith bore an unreadable expression. His piercing blue eyes coldly peered at his friend before he averted his gaze altogether.

"No." He felt no interest in going any farther than that.

"Ah." Eclipsa stared into her half-eaten chocolate bar briefly. "Do you still... you know?"

"I feel absolutely nothing towards him." Eclipsa could detect a minuscule lack of conviction in his tone. "Inversely, he feels the utmost of contempt towards me. But I will admit that there was point where he made me lose sight of my own dream. Now that my recent days are spent doing nothing _but_ maintaining my dream, I've no interest in associating myself with him any longer."

"I understand." Eclipsa tapped her thumbs together, unsure on how to feel about his answer.

"And besides," Griffith's optimism returned as he directed his smile to Eclipsa. "I've found someone else who I consider a very good friend. One who understands me and one who I could trust without doubt. Though I've not much need for companionship these days, I'm happy to have her by my side regardless and I'm even happier that she's returned on her path to greater heights."

Eclipsa could only smile and bashfully avert her gaze in response. She took another bite of her chocolate bar, taking great care to savor every bit of chocolate and nougat as her heart went aflutter.

"So... will this be all?"

"Pardon?"

"All this." Griffith gestured with a slow and broad wave of his hand. "Finally narrowing the divide that has scarred your fair nation for eons. Is this as far as your ambition will go? Will you spend your limitless days ironing out any further tension from here on out?"

Eclipsa felt a tad offended for a brief moment. Then, a subtle, knowing smile formed across her face.

"I may have broken down one major barrier," She began, her tone seeped in determination. "But there is but one more that needs to shatter before true progress can begin."

Griffith chuckled jovially. "I see. I see. And when, pray tell, shall you bring about this 'true progress'?"

"In due time, my dear." She finished what remained of her Snooker's bar with a single bite. The empty wrapper disintegrated in her hand and she rubbed her hands together to rid them of the last bit of candy residue. "All the pieces and players must fall into place first."

"Looking forward to it, my friend. A realm like this, one that is seeped in such an abundance of magic, would be a boon to the Idea."

"Do you think perhaps the Crimson Behelit chose me for that reason?" She asked with a sort of longing inflection.

Griffith stared blankly at his friend briefly. Then he beamed a calm, reassuring smile. One that would quell the deepest of worries and melt the iciest of hearts. If he wanted to, he could topple a nation with that smile. Or maybe he has already.

"Fate can be a rather fickle mistress. You and I as well as everyone who's ever had misfortune bestowed upon them know this all too well. But when fate makes the best choice, it is never without good reason. You bear something extraordinary that shines brighter and rises above any other. Out of countless of individuals that has ever existed in a population enumerable, of galaxies boundless, the Idea has chosen you and you alone to wear such a distinguished mantle. And you, more than any other in this universe, deserve it. Don't you dare harbor any more doubts about your position ever again, my dear Eclips- No... my fair Cimmeria."

"Oh.. Griffith, I-" A lump formed in her throat and she felt something welling up from within. "You know... ever since I joined your ranks... I thought that I have long abandoned the concepts of emotion and companionship. But you... you're the only one who has reminded me of what I once was. Only you could eke out what little vestiges of mewmanity I withhold."

"Hmhm, it is my pleasure." The White Hawk adjusted his hair. His blue eyes darted to a spot on Eclipsa's face. "Oh, you've... there's some chocolate left on your..."

He gently took a thumb to a corner of Eclipsa's mouth where laid a small brown spot as his hand held her by the spade-painted cheek. She promptly took his hand in hers and immersed herself into the azure infinity that was Griffith's eyes. Slowly and steadily, her eyes shut and she drew ever closer to him, momentarily forgetting what she was doing and where she was as she was driven by her faint, yet vocal emotions.

With a light push of her shoulder, her path was stopped dead in its tracks. Her eyes opened to meet the blank, yet stern expression of her fellow God Hand member.

"Look." His tone bore no malice nor any levity, but it was intimidating nonetheless. "I have nothing but respect for you and I value our friendship far more than others. I will even go far as to say that I consider you my equal without taking your status into account. But you have to understand. There's a level of professionalism and dignity we must uphold. Furthermore, now that I've come this far in life, I cannot let... friendships like this get in the way of my dream again."

"Wh-what do you mean?" There was a pained expression on Eclipsa's face as if she was impaled by a dagger and Griffith was twisting it.

"What I mean is..." He paused momentarily, averting his eyes. "I've mentioned before that Guts was the only one that has ever diverted me from my goals. I would be lying if I said that, occasionally, and for the most fleeting of moments, you have a similar effect on me."

Eclipsa dejectedly and delicately let go of his hand. As she slowly dragged her fingers across his, she savored every little moment of contact before silently lamenting her parting. She shamefully looked to the ground, and then quietly chuckled to herself.

"A slave to your dream through and through, I see." Eclipsa remarked, feebly playing off that she wasn't hurt in the slightest.

"If I am a slave to my dream, then I refuse to taste freedom."

"And you refuse to get... romantically involved with anyone because of that?"

"That is right. But if it dispels any sorrows, I'd like to think that things would be different had we met under different circumstances."

"I understand completely." Her tone became neutral, but her facade was as clear as day. "I can't apologize enough for my uncouth behavior. I hope this doesn't dampen our relationship in any way."

"Not in the slightest." He shook his head dismissively. "And you shouldn't feel any need to apologize. I understand that we can sometimes act on a heat-of-the-moment basis. I fall victim to such tendencies myself from time to time."

"You mean like what you did to your friend's lover?" Eclipsa offhandedly remarked.

Griffith was taken off guard for a moment. "Right. Let's not resort to hypocrisies, now."

"Hmph. At least I had a reason."

"Oh? I didn't think such deplorable acts could be measured by intent." Griffith's calm tone belied a dormant anger. "But do enlighten me on what purpose that served."

Eclipsa stared blankly off to the distance as if in deep reminiscence. She paid no mind to the gradually escalating carnage that unfolded before her.

"When I was attending school off-dimension," Eclipsa began, her voice desolate. "there was a small, yet pivotal piece of insight that I have come to keep close to my bosom to this very day. It gave context to everything that ever happened in my life before and after severing my ties to this mortal plane."

"Ah yes, when you were staying at a town called Yharnam, correct?" Griffith recalled. "What insight would that be?"

"That every Great One loses its child and thus longs for a surrogate." Eclipsa said solemnly. "I've long resolved that everything that had and will ever happened to me, brought forth by the determinate hand of Causality, will culminate to meet that end."

"And what will that ultimately accomplish?"

"Simple really. It will-"

The sound of cracking bones and stretching flesh resonated throughout the area. Soon after, a thundering roar shattered the sound barrier and a mighty gust of wind blew at every direction. An equally booming bellow followed soon after, one that was more indescribable compared to the first one. Where the first was deep and beastly, the second was something else that one wouldn't recognize as a creature of this mortal plane.

Toffee and Zodd were no longer in sight. They were replaced by a pair of towering behemoths that sought to wreak havok upon the castle itself.


	46. Forces

Barely skirting the edges of Yharnam, the Fishing Hamlet was a desolate chunk of muddy terrain that long forsook the idea of proper civilization. It was infested with barely standing structures of rotting wood that were far removed from any semblance of substantial living. The denizens themselves were nothing short of abominations, altered into fish-like mutants by some unknown force which the Hunters of Byrgenwerth were sent to investigate. Though none of them were strangers to unusual happenings, this anomaly clearly went beyond any of their understanding. Not even the exchange student among them could parse what type of cosmic horrors lurked beyond these murky depths. They were all more accustomed to hunting lycanthropic beasts born from the recent outbreak of an unknown blood disease that cut a pestilent swathe across Yharnam. But this. This was a different matter entirely.

The party's collective footsteps squelched and splashed against the runny, half-submerged mud that comprised the ground beneath their feet. They were being pelted by an unwavering rain that bordered on torrential. Unfortunately, it did very little to wash away the pale yellow stains that were evident of their recent massacre. One mage among them, with her wand shaped like an umbrella, didn't bother to cast anything to protect them from the heavy weather. No one bothered to request such a thing, either. Everyone was either too caught up in the current objective or were ladened by the weight of their most recent affair.

Every step they took elicited clinks and jangles of the numerous jars of harvested eyes within their backpacks. Eyes that Master Willem fervently requested them to search for as they trudged through the Hamlet. Delving even deeper, they sought to investigate the cause of the villagers' transformation into such beings which bore such eyes to begin with.

"Laurence, how long until we reach the source?" Eclipsa piped up as she peered over the shoulders of two other fellow Hunters. The man in question was the one leading the charge. A young, smooth-faced lad a few years Eclipsa's senior who bore short, clean-cut brown hair. A bladed cane hung from one side of his hip while a flintlock pistol hung from the other.

"Patience, lass." The resident sea captain chided the young princess directly behind him. "Ain't too far from the beach. Just around five more minutes, give 'er take."

"I'd just like to get this over with as soon as possible and forget about this whole sordid affair."

"I concur," A woman behind Eclipsa softly added. She was a pale-skinned lass with hair of similar color that was tied and braided in a ponytail. Her gloved fingers fidgeted as she held the weapon hanging from her hip. A saber/katana hybrid with an eastern-style dagger attached to the butt-end of its grip. "Those villagers... they didn't deserve any of that."

"No mercy in the heat of battle, Maria." A senior Hunter calmly, yet tiredly spoke. Brown leathers dominated his current state of dress. Wrinkles conquered his middle-aged face as long gray hair took residence beneath his hat. "You should be accustomed to it by now."

"But Master Gehrman," Maria grimaced as her eyes darted to the side. "That wasn't a battle whatsoever... it was a massacre..."

The aforementioned Master faced forward once more, unwilling to argue any further and instead focused on the task at hand. Even Maria opted not to prod him any further.

"So remind us exactly what we're looking for, Neil." Laurence addressed the Sea Captain. The latter adjusted his hat and wiped the rain off of his face before elaborating.

"Aye. In all me years as a wayfarer of the boundless blue, there ain't a creature I've seen like it. Washed up on the beach one day, it did. A day where we could find nary a guppy to catch nor a morsel to feed. Then suddenly, the creature brought abundant offerins of fish fer no reason. A miracle, ev'ryone thought. But not me. Twas too good t' be true, I thought. A bad feelin' in me bones the creature gave me. Ended up losin' my day job to this sea beast. The crew n' I couldn't even find a nibble, but the thing brought bounties of catch, seemingly outta nowhere. Then they all started worshippin' it like it was some kinda god."

"Worship?" Eclipsa curiously piped up and nervously adjusted her collar.

"Aye. Thought it was gettin' a tad too loony for me liking, so I ended up settin' sail fer bluer seas. Decided t' come back after a few months to see how everyone was doin'. And then, that's when I saw what happened and immediately sought out yer help."

"Why do you suppose the villagers are the way they are?" Eclipsa asked.

"I dunno. But one thing's fer sure. Those 'fish' they been eatin? They weren't indigenous to these waters whatsoever. In fact, they ain't even fish at all. I dunno what they were, but somethin' tells me that's what turned the poor bastards into those... things. And it all made sense from there."

"Wait." Laurence stopped dead in his tracks and his companions quickly followed suit. The party was standing before a circular steel platform. Several bolts and chains were fastened at its edges. A smaller circle within its very center jutted slightly from the solid surface.

"Is it down this elevator?" Laurence inquired to the Sea Captain, pointing at the metal platform.

"Aye." Neil nodded firmly.

With that, everyone gathered on the platform. Neil took it upon himself to step onto the smaller center circle, which turned out to be a pressure plate that activated the elevator. Metal groaned in protest and the chains on its edges rattled profusely as the platform made its slow, yet steady descent into the unfathomable depths.

The group of Hunters found themselves vastly far from the surface and the light has long left them. A few coughs here and there, the soft shuffling of feet, and the continuous rattling of chains was all that hit their ears as they made their way down the hole.

Eclipsa couldn't help but nervously scrape her teeth against the clear purple orb that crowned her wand. A nervous tick she developed over the couple years she possessed it. Strangely, it had the taste of dark chocolate, which further encouraged and maintained her uncouth habit for the longest time.

A gloved hand gently fell upon Eclipsa's shoulder. She didn't need to see to know who it was that made the sudden, yet comforting contact.

"Are you alright, my dear?" Maria's soft, tranquil voice cut through the darkness and immediately dissolved any fear the young princess might've had.

"Um." Eclipsa placed her hand on Maria's and brought it to her side. She held onto it for dear life. Since they met, Maria acted like a big sister of sorts over the few years they had known each other. She certainly acted that way with every other younger Byrgenwerth student, but the esteemed hunter took a particular shine to Eclipsa. Thus, the two became practically inseparable over the years. "If I'm being honest, I'm quite unnerved about the whole affair. I don't know why Willem made me go with you all. I just came here to learn, not... partake in all of this."

Eclipsa felt Maria's hand raise as the latter made a slight shrug. "Perhaps this is merely a part of your advanced education. You are a Hunter of immense skill after all."

"No Maria, I'm a Hunter of immense Arcane." Eclipsa quipped, attempting to bring levity to the situation.

The older maiden chuckled. "But in all seriousness, I too wish we could've spared ourselves from what we did to those poor villagers. Even if I thoroughly cleanse myself of the blood that we've spilt, I feel that my very soul is forever stained by the sins of today."

"But aren't you from Cainhurst? And related to royalty no less?" The young princess recalled. "From what I've heard of your people, surely you are far from a stranger to bloodshed."

"Which is why I've since abandoned my heritage in the first place as I longed for less... harrowing ways of life. You and I are kindred spirits in that regard."

Eclipsa bashfully looked to the floor beneath her feet. "I mean, I technically didn't abandon them. Though, the rest of my family and I are... at odds for the time being. Perhaps they'll overlook my 'shortcomings' by the time I return."

"For your sake, I hope so."

The elevator ceased abruptly, causing all but Neil to stumble. Before them laid a vast rocky tunnel. The slow, rhythmic drips of water echoed throughout. A brisk, howling wind ran through the passageway. Many meters ahead was the exit, which was the only source of light in an otherwise pitch-black tunnel.

"Eclipsa." Laurence called out. The girl in question merely nodded before using her wand to illuminate the path ahead.

A collective gasp spewed forth from the group when they discovered that they were not alone. The fish-like villagers lined the walls of the tunnel, ther bodies frozen in positions of prostration as they faced the entrance to the beach. They emitted faint, gurgling whispers as their faces stuck to the solid floor.

"What... what is this?" Eclipsa nervously asked as her gaze shifted from side to side.

"The worship Neil spoke of." Gehrman gravely answered. He instinctively brought a hand to the weapon strapped to his hip. A broad, curved blade that was meant to be attached to the folded wooden pole that hung from his back. "I take it you'd like to harvest their eyes, Laurence?"

"No." The young man responded. "Unlike the others above, they don't seem inclined to attack. I'd much rather avoid as much bloodshed as possible. Besides, I believe we have more than enough eyes to satisfy Willem."

"I assumed so." Gehrman withdrew his hand.

The view of the beach became much clearer once they had finally reached the exit. A darkened blue ocean going far beyond the bright gray horizon as it bordered a blackened shore.

And what laid upon said shore was the prime subject of worship and the end goal to the Hunters' mission. A colossal aquatic creature of sorts, with a flat, circular body, a broad fin-like tail, and an elongated neck that ended in a bulbous, round head. It was crowned in a set of long, lean tentacles that veiled what looked like its "face". Long appendages that strangely resembled human hands complete with five fingers protruded from the base of its neck. Its entire body expanded and contracted as it laid flat on its stomach.

"There she lies. The behemoth herself. Kos. Sometimes Kosm." The Sea Captain solemnly addressed.

"Wait... you mean. _That_ Kos? One of the Great Ones Master Willem spoke of?" Eclipsa pointed out incredulously. She's read deeply into the subject of such fabled beings during her time in school, but never has she imagined in her wildest dreams that she would be standing within the presence of one.

"Astounding..." Laurence revered beneath his breath. "I nearly doubted that such a specimen washed ashore upon this lowly fishing village. And yet here she is. Manifested into this physical plane without an Interstice."

"What... should we do with her?" Eclipsa asked, feeling severe unease as she peered upon the creature. In stark contrast to Laurence, she thought it to be a saddening sight to behold. Kos, as it were, weakly dragged its head across the dirt to gaze at her visitors. It laid there without a need to act, emanating low, guttural wheezes.

"What we were meant to do since we arrived." Laurence removed his backpack and placed it upon the ground. Rifling through one of the major pockets, he brought forth a large wooden box. Swinging it open revealed several, neatly organized surgical tools, such as scalpels, pliers, scoops, handheld mirrors, bonesaws and much more.

"Uh, is that really a good idea?" Eclipsa pointed towards the creature, its head now raised ever so slightly as if it read the scholar's intentions. "She's still clearly alive."

"Hm?" Laurence stopped perusing his surgical equipment and peeked over the box. He stared face to veiled face with the creature as he pondered on his classmate's words. He then rose to his feet and walked up to Kos who slowly slid its enormous form towards the sea and away from the Byrgenwerth scholar.

"It's alright, I mean no harm." The student tried to assure as he raised a pair of open palms, though Kos herself didn't seem convinced. She emitted a low growl in response to his increasingly close proximity, hoping he would be threatened enough to keep his distance.

Eclipsa looked pitifully to the frightened creature. She should feel ecstatic that she laid eyes upon a legendary being such as Kos, but she was plagued by this lingering, itching dread at the back of her mind that was difficult to ignore.

 _Please. I urge you to keep him away from me._

"What?" Eclipsa suddenly heard an urgent, female voice in her mind. Her head shifted side to side and her eyes were wild with disbelief. Gehrman and Maria couldn't help but stare at the young mewman worriedly.

 _I beg of you. I bear within me a child on the precipice of birth. O kindred spirit, hear my pleas._

 _Kos?_

 _As you hear and see before you. This man bears ill intent and I urge you to stop him, Blessed Queen of Equality._

 _Blessed Queen of... what?_

Before their telepathic conversation went further, a booming crack of lightning echoed in the air as Laurence magically restrained every one of Kos's moving body parts. Its tail, both arms, its neck, and its torso were individually wrapped in ropes made of light-blue electricity. In response, the Great One commenced shrieking and writhing, though it could barely muster enough momentum to budge any of its bounds.

"Um, Laurence?" Eclipsa nervously called out. She wasn't sure if what she heard was real considering she was informed that students of Byrgenwerth were prone to bouts of hallucinations. But regardless, she couldn't simply dismiss it as such. "I... don't think you should do that. She seems rather... distressed."

"Oh, I'm aware." He responded callously as he meticulously picked out his surgical instruments.

"With this in mind, shouldn't it be best to just... leave her alone?"

Laurence looked to his classmate with an aghast expression. He looked rather offended by her request, if anything. He stood up and placed his hands on her shoulders as he sought to assuage her worries.

"Eclipsa." His voice was stern, yet calm. "This is the opportunity of a life- no. An eternity. Are you telling me, at this very moment and with great certainty, that you want us to walk away from potential breakthroughs in our research into the Great Ones as well as any possibility of utilizing them for the potential benefit of mankind for generations to come?"

"But..." Eclipsa's pupils shifted every which way to argue the contrary. "What about the Adage? Fear the Old Blood?"

"What about _your_ Adage?" Laurence strongly rebutted. "Did you not come here for the sole purpose of delving into the Old Arts your family so ardently shied away from for generations on end?"

"I... uh..." Eclipsa was at a loss for words as the addressing of double standards seized up any further desire for debate.

"I rest my case." The young scholar smiled victoriously. "Look, my friend. I won't seek to deter whatever research you wish to pursue whilst you are attending our institution so long as you reciprocate the sentiment. I'm doing this for our benefit. Knowledge is a valuable commodity, Eclipsa. And a wealth of such a commodity paves the way for our evolution as a species. Do you understand?"

"But..." She knew he, nor anyone else around would believe her, but she'd be damned if she didn't admit it anyways. "Laurence... Kos spoke to me. She said she was pregnant."

Neil and Gehrman looked rather skeptical towards Eclipsa's claim while Maria wore a face of surprise. Laurence merely arched an eyebrow before peering over his shoulder towards the still-convulsing Kos. Everyone in attendance grimaced in pain beneath the sheer volume of its frenzied cries. He then looked back to Eclipsa, certain doubt drawn across his face.

"Maybe you should take a sip of your Sedatives." He coldly advised. "I understand the events of today has weighed heavily on your mind if it resorted to fabricating such nonsense.

"But Laurence," Maria spoke up as she held a fist to her heart. "what if she's telling the truth? Dear Eclipsa wouldn't lie about something like this."

"Perhaps not, but you already know what commonly ails students of our fair academy, Maria. Especially the youngest ones."

The older maiden said nothing, opting to look to the youngest among them with a worried glare.

"I..." Eclipsa looked past Laurence as she pensively peered at the poor creature feebly attempting to break itself free of its ethereal restraints. The young princess eventually conceded to her classmate's argument as she hadn't heard anything more. If Kos was really speaking to her, she would've probably heard her screaming for help in her head or something at that point. She stared on in silence, awaiting any further "telepathic responses" from the Great One, but none ever came about.

"Perhaps you're right." Eclipsa said defeatedly, her head hung in shame. "I'm... not sure what came over me. I'm sorry."

Laurence gave a warm, comforting smile. "No need to apologize. A young mind such as yours is bound to reach their limit at some point or another. I must commend you for getting this far without breaking down, all things considered."

Kos's screams began to sound more human-like in nature and its volume reached its apex, forcing everyone to shield their ears.

Her magical restraints dissipated and her upper body sprung from the ground in an attempt to pounce Laurence, who couldn't turn around nor find the chance to defend himself in time. Eclipsa froze up, unsure of how to act in response to an attacking Great One.

However, Gehrman managed to appear just in front of the young scholar in a flash and his weapon, then transformed into a large scythe, deftly and deeply slit the throat of the gargantuan creature before anyone realized what was going on. Its crimson blood showered the Hunter, dispersing the normal colors of his garb and his face.

Soon, its screams instantly faded into a flood of silence that washed over the entire beach. The Great One's body slumped and flattened further like a deflated balloon as more blood pooled beneath its corpse. Neither movement nor sound from that point onward ever came to being.

Everyone gazed pensively at the creature, unsure of what course of action to take from then on. Gehrman changed his weapon back to its individual parts then holstered them before wiping his face of the fruits of his slaughter. Eclipsa and Maria shamefully shook their heads in unison as their mouths hung open. Neil mournfully shielded his eyes beneath the brim of his hat.

"'Tis quite a shame that it had to come to this." Laurence sounded rather disappointed more than anything, but proceeded to browse his surgical equipment anyways. "Regardless, I am grateful to you, Gehrman. I don't know what would've happened if you didn't-"

A sickening, meaty squish permeated the air and interrupted all trains of thought. Then came forth a shrill sound that could best be described as the distorted, inhuman cries of a baby.

What looked like a bleeding wound slashed across Kos's body flipped open as a small creature, followed by a dense cloud of steam, emerged covered in a viscous red fluid. It was a shriveled up, pale-gray fetus of sorts that closely resembled that of a human infant, with stubby hands and a round head. Though it bore a few anomalies as its rear was a tail akin to Kos's and there were tiny tendrils covering a spot where its mouth should be. Its body was connected to a black, perforated tube which tethered its body to its mother's.

Two tiny holes broadened on its face to unveil a pair of beady black eyes. Its shifty gaze repeatedly bounced between person to person as if analyzing everyone at once.

Eventually, its tiny oval eyes landed upon Eclipsa, who stood frozen in terror as everything she had heard turned out to be true. She instinctively held her wand defensively in front of her. Everyone else landed a hand on their respective weapons.

Without any warning, the newborn creature emitted a rapid screech before it instantly tore away from its umbilical cord and flew towards Eclipsa at a speed that went faster than anyone could have perceived or reacted to.

Anyone except Maria.

As her Master did, she appeared directly in front of Eclipsa and cleanly bisected the creature in two within the same breath. Its severed halves fell to the moist ground with a plop as its blood splattered and sullied the swordswoman's pristine visage.

The determination in her face rapidly dissolved into pure horror as the weight of her action fell hard upon her. Her weapon fell to the ground and her violently shaking hands were brought into view. Trauma forced her body to collapse on all fours and eject a hefty stream of vomit that began to form a sickly thick puddle beneath her.

Both Gehrman and Eclipsa brought the poor woman to her feet, though not without great difficulty. The violent quaking of her legs refused to cease as her escorts attempted to usher her out of the area.

Eclipsa gestured for Gehrman to go ahead with Maria while she went to go fetch her fallen weapon. When the girl delivered it, the woman slapped it out of her hand, sending it clanging to the ground once again.

"Get it away from me..." Maria weakly breathed, looking far more fatigued than anything. "I cannot bear the sight of it any longer."

"Maria please, you're being unreasonable." Gehrman pleaded, trying to stabilize his student's nerves, but to little avail.

"Unreasonable!?" She roughly tore her arm from her teacher's grasp. "With all due respect Master Gehrman, I think you neglect to realize the severity of my actions. Of _our_ actions. We've done nothing today but commit atrocities to those who did not even deserve them. You and I respectively killed a mother and her child! And you call _me_ unreasonable?"

"He's right, you know." Laurence added as he, along with Neil, walked up to the rest of the group. "It was a necessary sacrifice to protect our own. Who knows what that thing could've done to Eclipsa had you not been swift to act? Perhaps you should calm yourself before you burst a vein."

"That 'thing' was a child, you arrogant fool!" Maria snapped, her fists tightly kept at her sides as she radiated a burning anger. "A newborn whose life has been taken away faster than it was given. And you have the sheer audacity to treat it as rubbish, its mother as a test subject, and the villagers as mere fodder for your insane ends? You're absolutely disgusting."

"But Maria-"

"No! I'm through with all of this. Everything that we've done. I thought I could find greener pastures in Yharnam, but it is clear to me that the soil is as red as my homeland's."

With that, Maria stomped towards the cave in a huff. Eclipsa was on the verge of following her when her wrist was gripped by Gehrman's.

"Give her some space, child." The man sullenly advised, his wrinkled face wrought with grief.

The young princess somberly looked to her friend as she dissolved into the darkness of the cave. Eclipsa turned to the First Hunter with a pitiful look, parted her arm from his, then began a mad dash towards the cave, picking up Maria's weapon along the way.

"Eclipsa, one favor before you go any further." Laurence called out, instantly stopping the young girl in her tracks.

She merely turned around to see what he needed without saying anything.

"While you're up there, would you kindly tell Ludwig to come here whilst accompanied by the rest of the hunters? They should be done disposing of the bodies by now and I need some assistance with this body in particular."

Eclipsa nervously bit her lip and flitted her pupils to the side. She was close to refusing, but Laurence's words from shortly prior compelled her to concede to his request with a single nod.

"Thank you. Oh and do make sure Lady Maria is all right. I cannot help but feel pity for the woman and I sincerely hope none of this would have any adverse effects on her."

Soon after another silent nod, Eclipsa bolted for the cave. As she delved into the darkness, she could still hear slow, dragging footsteps traveling down the constricted passageway. Along the way, she decided to conjure a field of light to better see her path. The prostrating villagers paid no mind.

"Lady Maria!" The teen shouted as her frantic footsteps echoed loudly throughout, overpowering the quiet whispering and the slow footsteps ahead.

 _A plague on all you hunters. A never-ending nightmare shall you all be trapped in. Not even death will free you._

Eclipsa ignored the voice speaking to her, far too enthralled in catching up to her best friend and making sure she was fine.

 _Especially you, "Chosen Queen of Equality". Your ascension will not be without suffering. You will pay for your negligence. Soon shall you know the true meaning of loss, O kin to our kind._

Eclipsa finally reached the elevator right as Maria stepped upon it. The latter bore a thousand mile stare as she stepped upon the pressure plate and sent the elevator rising back to the surface. While she didn't acknowledge her younger companion's presence, she squeezed tightly when Eclipsa grasped her hand. The two stood there silently in the dark, letting the prior events form a pile of guilt with which they wallowed in.

"A powerful tool, is it not?" Maria finally spoke up, her tone somewhat woeful.

Eclipsa looked to the saber katana in her hand. "I mean, it's a cool weapon, but its power is heavily reliant on the inherent skill of the user. Unlike the magical blood weapons utilized by your people."

The pale maiden chuckled. "No, I meant your wand."

"Oh. Well, I suppose it is." Eclipsa dryly stated.

"You should consider yourself proud to bear such an artifact of divine proportions. Seldom few could only dream of holding such power in their hands. And even fewer could use it wisely and righteously."

"I guess. But it's just tradition in my family to bear this heirloom before they could use magic without it. It's been that way for years inumerable. As a way to forge the coming Queen of Mewni."

"Where did such an artifact come from, anyways?"

Eclipsa pondered for a moment, tapping her chin as she did so. "I couldn't really tell you myself for certain. Much knowledge about the oldest Butterflies and the Wand's first several uses were lost and/or scattered as generations went on. Most of the knowledge disclosed this day is nothing more than conjecture and speculation filling in the gaps between fragments of information. One popular theory was that the Wand was created by the first Butterfly, Ebrietas, who passed it on to her daughter and kickstarted the generational tradition before becoming a Great One herself and living among the Cosmos."

"Ah, so that is why you seek knowledge in this land. I did not know that you were descended from a Great One."

Eclipsa shrugged. "Like I said, it was a theory. It might explain how the women in my family could transform into Butterfly-esque beings. Though it was the only mention of Great Ones that I was ever able to find among every library I scoured back home. Everyone I asked about the subject knew not what I spoke of. Though whether their ignorance was genuine or feigned, I never found out. But in Glossaryck's case, it was most likely the latter. Eventually, he 'tipped off' that this particular land is the only one that extensively researched the subject of Great Ones. For some reason or another, this region was deemed 'Forbidden' by the Magic High Commission, yet my mentor, who leads them, permitted me to come here."

"I cannot imagine why this place would be labeled as such." Maria sarcastically stated as she rolled her eyes.

"Yes, such a regulation has led me to believe that perhaps my family refused to delve any deeper into our roots for one reason or another, but I intend to find out why and how I can make it work to our advantage."

"Well, I urge you to remain steadfast in your endeavors, but I must also urge you not to spiral into such depraved depths. I know too well how sweetly the secrets of the universe beckon the inquisitive mind. More often than not, such minds gradually devolve the further along their pursuit of forbidden knowledge goes. I fear our fellow Hunters might fall into such a fate the more they trifle with beings of Kos's proportions."

Eclipsa solemnly nodded and remained in silence for the rest of the climb back up.

Back into the nearly torrential rain they went. The two trudged through the mud, their squishing footsteps playing along with the rapid taps of the rain in a damp symphony.

Eclipsa suddenly became aware of the sword in her hand and gestured for Maria to take it back. To the former's surprise, the latter took it in her hand without any further complaints and proceeded to insert it into its proper sheathe.

"Did you... actually hear Kos speaking to you?" Maria softly asked.

The princess hesitated for few moments as she gazed wistfully to the muddy ground. "I'm... not even sure anymore."

"But you claimed she was pregnant and it turned out to be true."

"I know but... I don't know... I just want to go back to my dormitory and bury myself beneath my sheets and forget about today."

"Yes, we all need quite the reprieve from this day."

The two eventually entered the Fishing Hamlet proper and into a wide, circular clearing with a well at the very center. It looked as if Ludwig and his crew have cleared the entire village of corpses already. In the distance was a lean plume of smoke rising into the sky. Seems as though they were in the process of "disposing" the bodies.

"Gone, but never forgotten." Maria mournfully remarked with a hefty sigh as she scanned the area. She began making her way to the lone well. Her hands errantly landed on the edge as she peered into the seemingly endless abyss below.

Eclipsa soon joined her, also staring into the seemingly eternal darkness. Her eyes shifted to her elder worriedly. Maria's silver eyes were hollow and bereft of any vitality whatsoever.

"Eclipsa," The maiden's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Hm?"

"I have a favor to ask of you."

For reasons she couldn't describe, Eclipsa felt dread crawling beneath her skin. She choked out her words. "What is it?"

Maria began to strip off her boots and neatly placed them in front of the well, leaving herself barefoot. Eclipsa's initial confusion escalated to bug-eyed, mouth-gaping shock as the older maiden dangled her legs over the hole while she sat at the very edge. She removed her blade from her hip and held it tightly against her chest. Maria turned to her younger sister-in-arms and shined a warm, resolute smile.

"Maria, what are you-"

Her alarmed words were instantly cut off with a raise of a palm. Maria's smile remained unabashed and her voice serene as she spoke.

"Tell no one of my fate. Not even Master Gehrman."

Eclipsa was numb to the tears that gathered in her eyes. "Maria... you don't have to do this..." She pleaded, tears mixing with the rain that cascaded down her spade-drawn cheeks. "Please, just come down from there. I beg of you..."

The Hunter slowly shook her head. "I've contemplated on just disposing of my blade by tossing it down this well. But then it beckoned the question: What is a warrior without their weapon? Nothing. Combat is all I've ever known in life, Eclipsa. What other purpose can I serve if I can no longer go on with my weapon in hand and the sins that taint it?"

Eclipsa said nothing, but instead wrapped Maria's body tightly in her arms. The latter reciprocated the embrace, delicately running her fingers through the teen's dark, curly hair.

" _Sarabada,_ Eclipsa..."

"No! No! I don't want you to leave like this. Please reconsider."

Maria shook her head. "I have already made my choice, my dear. I'm sorry it must come to this."

In a split-second, Maria severed herself from their embrace and dove right into the well, her body lost within the bottomless sea of darkness in a matter of seconds. Eclipsa could only stand there, her arms still hung in the air as her mind failed to process the fact that her best friend was utterly gone.

She despondently stared down the hole, her overflowing tears falling along with the rain. She briefly considered taking the plunge as well, but something within prevented her from doing so. Instead, she allowed her squeaking, gasping sobs to echo and lose themselves in the darkness below.

In the midst of her overwhelming sorrow, she pulled away from the well and frantically dug through her coat to pull out an orange, bandaged bottle. With great haste, she twisted open the cork and took a large, lengthy swallow. The acrid, syrupy substance burned and tingled her tongue, but did well enough to stabilize her nerves, clear her mind, and suppress her emotions. Tossing the then-empty bottle onto the ground, she pulled out one more and downed all its contents in another single gulp for good measure. After a lengthy, deep breath, she lost the will to grieve but she took one more long, mournful look at the well and her friend's subsequent resting place. Forcing her gaze away, she commenced backtracking though the Fishing Hamlet. Her mind was left blank throughout the rest of the journey.

A dull, echoing thud cut through the rain, but fell on deaf ears. She refused to look back.

Before Eclipsa knew it, she had already reached the caravan of carriages that initially brought her and her group to the village. A man of middling age with a greatsword hanging from his back stood by one of them, along with over a dozen hunters standing in front of others.

"Ah, Eclipsa. Come to rest your weary spirit, I see." He uttered with a smile. "Where is everyone else?"

The addressed merely glared at the man for a few moments before morosely muttering her response. "Laurence wants you and everyone else to meet him at the beach, Master Ludwig. Your assistance is requested..."

"Is that so?" Ludwig rubbed his chin. "Pray tell, where is this beach located?"

"Erm," She looked behind her and directed a quivering finger back to whence she came. "just... keep going forward until you reach the outskirts of the village and into a grassy path that will eventually take you to... an elevator. It will descend upon a cave that will lead into the beach."

"Ah many thanks, my dear." Ludwig loudly addressed every hunter in the vicinity. "Onward to the beach, everyone! Our work has yet to be concluded!"

Ludwig and the rest of his cohorts began to walk back into the village. But then he halted on a dime and urged his fellow Hunters to await him at the other side of the Hamlet. Eclipsa was close to stepping into one of the wagons before her path was halted.

"Eclipsa, are you all right?" The man asked, concern laced in his voice and painted on his face. "You look as though a great tragedy has befallen you. Has something happened?"

The young Hunter looked back at her professor with a searing glare before slowly shaking her head and turning back around.

"Would you like to converse about what ails you?"

She shook her head again, shying away from the prospect of conversation. She took to roughly grinding her teeth and squeezing her Wand.

"As you wish. I'm sure you'd much rather discuss your feelings with Maria as you oft tend to do. Well then, I'll be off. Do get some rest, child. It has been a harrowing day for us all."

With that, Ludwig trodded off to where he was needed. Eclipsa finally entered the carriage and slammed the door shut. Immediately after taking her seat, she dragged her legs to her chest and buried her face in her knees. Though the entire area was no longer in sight, she could never truly leave it behind no matter how far she wanted to distance herself from it all.

 _Mark my words, child. You will lose so much more._

Eclipsa pulled out another bottle and emptied it within mere moments. Her hands became shaky and a dull, throbbing pain threatened to split her skull.

 _Brief shall be your reign. Glorious shall be your inevitable fall._

She pulled out another one. In her desperate haste, a portion of the therapeutic liquid spilled onto her clothes and splashed on her face. Her eyelids grew heavy and her skin grew numb. The carriage interior began melting into blurry, abnormal colors.

 _My body has died but my will is eternal. An insurmountable debt will be paid in blood._

Upon the last drop of her third bottle in a row, Eclipsa's body went limp and her consciousness faded into oblivion. She had hoped to fall back into the rational realm of awakening as she departed this horrid nightmare.


	47. Have No Fear For Real

"...And that is why I'm entrusting you with the Rakuyo, Ms. Thomas." Eclipsa concluded, handing the detachable twinblade to the young assassin. "Your zeal and your proficiency with eastern blades is reminiscent of my former best friend's and I think it would very much suit your fighting style as it did hers. You know, fluidity of water and whatnot."

"Whoa..." Jackie unsheathed the blade and marveled at its expert craftsmanship and the almost imperceptible power it exuded. She swiftly pulled the blades apart, startling herself when their initial detachment emitted an unusual blood-red spark. With a single slash, she managed to cut down a large bed of flowers that were once peacefully resting and added more to the damage that Zodd and Toffee inflicted upon the courtyard which was still in the midst of repair.

"Awesome." Jackie remarked with a wide smile. She converged the two blades back into one as they united with a loud _ching_.

"Yes, I know that she would've wanted its well-crafted efficacy not to go to waste. She may have disowned it, but prior to that, she has closely cherished that blade over the course of her hunting career and prided herself in her skill with it."

"Wait, but..." Jackie looked at her new weapon forlornly. "Shouldn't you, like, have left it alone? Dai-sensei taught me that a 'fallen warrior should sleep with their weapon in their hands'."

The Dark Queen woefully shook her head. "Her body was nowhere in sight when I found it. The blade was found within the belly of a giant fish creature that dwelled at the bottom of the well and I had assumed the worst. And besides, if she couldn't bare the sight of it in the fleeting moments before her passing, I doubt she'd want to carry it over to the afterlife."

"Oh... I'm really sorry, Eclipsa."

"Don't be. I've had hundreds of years to get over it and dwelling on it now would be useless."

"I know, but it still bums me out. The thought of seeing your bestie just... off herself like that."

Eclipsa shrugged. "I've lost so much more from that point forward, my dear. That one tragedy was merely the tip of the iceberg. Ah, but perhaps those would be tales saved for other days."

Jackie couldn't help but gulp. She loathed to discover what other tragedies that Eclipsa has gone through from there.

"Hmhm. I'm glad to see you've maintained your empathy and compassion, despite everything. Gods know that such qualities are scarce in times like these."

"Uh-huh... Well, thanks for trusting me with her sword, your Highness. I'll treat it like it was one of my skateboards."

"Yes, I'm sure you will."

Jackie fastened the then-sheathed blade to her hip, welcoming it as a new addition to her arsenal. She was on the verge of bidding a farewell when a question sprung in her mind.

"Say, Eclipsa?"

"Hm?"

"That Zodd guy that just left..." Jackie began, nervously rubbing her arm. "He's not gonna... kill Marco, is he?"

Eclipsa could only blink at her subordinate's inquiry before giving her input.

"Dear, I don't think he would be the one to do that."

"Whaddya mean?"

The Dark Queen ponderously rubbed her chin for a few moments. "What I mean is, that boy is... well, he can hold his own against the Apostle, I imagine. Among many other threats that will invariably come his way in the coming future. But Zodd isn't the one you should concern yourself over."

Jackie couldn't help but raise a skeptical eyebrow. It's the words that Eclipsa wasn't saying that's putting her a tad off-kilter. She remained silent, but her expression ardently desired to ask, "What are you trying to say?" This didn't go unnoticed.

Eclipsa rarely ever smiled since Jackie first met her. Though recently that has changed since her friend and simultaneous object of affections has arrived on Mewni. Before then, any smile that ever permeated her pale, normally apathetic visage was never a good sign nor a clear one. Everyone that has ever worked and currently works with the former queen knew this all too well and a sense of lingering dread always assailed their very flesh whenever they bear witness to such an expression which somehow belied everything and nothing all at once.

"Dear, would you like me to teach you how to hunt beasts Yharnam Style?

* * *

The high noon sun cast its most brilliant glow upon the Sanctuary and everyone who stood outside it. As if it was any other regular day, the forest beyond was abuzz with the day-to-day sounds of animals peacefully going about their business without any more troubled teenagers bulldozing through their habitats. The humans and mewmans that temporarily dwelled within the Sanctuary also took to spending their last day there in leisure and training.

Everyone agreed upon spending one more day in the Sanctuary before setting out for supplies then following up with searching and gathering allies, starting with King River and his half of the Butterfly Army. Since reaching the Sanctuary, no one had a clue on what Mewni's been through since Toffee and Eclipsa took over the Butterfly Kingdom. For that matter, they had no idea if news of what transpired on that fateful day ever came to light.

Still, the group still took it upon themselves to relax for the time being. Janna and Mina were inside the Sanctuary doing their own thing. Though one could hear the muffled sounds of explosions and bizarre, other-worldly noises as well as Glossaryck yelling about something or other. Just normal stuff, nothing to be alarmed about.

Star and Marco on the other hand took the time to hone their respective skills. The latter was practicing his Hamon breathing as was requested by Jonathan. Sitting upon the dirt shore with his legs crossed, his arms resting beside him, and his eyes closed, Marco tempered his breathing and his mind through a meditative process he himself came up with out of a whim. He was enveloped in its usual red-golden glow as it projected a calming, yet tingling warmth that coursed throughout every cell and passageway in his body.

In stark contrast, Star was getting frustrated to no end in her attempts at properly casting her mother's hand-her-down spell, the Moonlight Greatsword. Though she could project it fine with very little issue, the result, much to her annoyance, remained the same. Rather than the brilliant blue, spiraling shape it was meant to have, it was a broad, dense black blade that looked more conventional than she would have liked.

"Ugh, come. On!" Star fell flat on her back having it up to here with her own incompetence. It didn't help that she was also in the middle of adjusting to living the rest of her life lacking a limb and an eye.

"You alright, Star?" Marco asked as his head slid into her view and blocked the clear blue sky.

"No..." She answered with an exasperated sigh. "I just can't get this stupid spell to work! Agh, mom shouldn't have trusted me with it."

Marco nervously tugged at his collar at the mention of Moon. Despite it happening just weeks ago, the news was pretty fresh in his mind and it did little to lessen his grievances over it. Not to mention the fact that it was Star herself that did the deed in the first place. Though he bore not a single iota of blame towards Star, it was still nothing short of a tragedy that he'll never forget for the rest of his life. Among many others.

"Maybe it's meant to be that way."

It took every ounce of restraint Star had to not blow up in Marco's face right then and there, but she managed to succeed. "No, it's not. You've seen what it looks like, Marco. It's all big and blue and circle-y."

"Yeah, I'm aware." He sheepishly scratched his head as a certain memory uncomfortably shifted into view.

"But this," With a quick flick of the wrist, the blade spawned once more. Still as dark and undignified as usual. "this isn't that."

"Does it at least still get the job done?"

"Huh? Whaddya mean?"

"I mean," Marco looked off to the side. "Can it still cut things?"

Star took a finger to her chin. "Huh. Y'know, I never really checked if it did."

"Why dontcha try it on that rock over there?" Marco pointed to a large slab of stone jutting out of the dirt just a narrow distance from them.

With a nod, Star walked up to the solid object, planting her feet firmly upon the ground. Garnering all the focus she had, she stood firm and slowly brought the blade directly in front of her at an arm's length.

With a sharp intake of air, she felt the entire world slow to a crawl and a faint blue tint filled her vision. That familiar Japanese symbol appeared at the top corner of her view once again as her entire body began feeling lighter than air.

Her mind went blank and sensation completely left her being for several moments. She neither absorbed nor processed any information as she felt as if her entire soul was in paralysis. Before she even realized what was going on, the rock that once stood tall and strong in front of her was then reduced to a pile of severed chunks. The magical blade retracted into the wand and confusion forced Star's wild gaze to dart every which way.

"Huh. I guess you could still do _Zankazeto_ even when you're not using a sword enchanted by that spell."

"Huhwhat now?" Star's perplexed stare landed on Marco.

"Sorry, I meant Blinding Blade."

"Oh, right." Star said as she stared at her cleaved wand.

"You ever tried checking the spell book to see what you're doing wrong?"

"I mean, if mom already passed the spell on to me, then casting it shouldn't be a problem. But yeah, I did check the book and it didn't really help much. Also, you know that one healing spell she taught me?"

"The uh," Marco searched his memory banks for the rather complex name. "Crazy Noisy Bizarre Breakdown, right? What about it?"

"Crazy Shiny Diamond Breakdown." Star corrected. "Apparently the caster can't heal themselves with it."

"Wait, seriously?"

Star woefully nodded. "I dunno why she made it that way, but yeah. Kinda weird how she didn't mention that little kink while she was teaching me the spell."

"Do you think could've..." Marco hesitated as he was trodding into sensitive grounds. He pointed to Star's missing parts. "... healed those if you were able to?"

Star pensively looked to what remained of her left arm and heaved a heavy-hearted sigh. "No. Even if I could, it needs the other piece to put them back together. Can't fix what isn't there."

"Oh. Right."

Star's eyes began to wander aimlessly and they incidentally landed upon Marco's exposed and tattooed right arm. When she saw the star emblazoned on the back of his hand, she couldn't help but smile to herself for some reason. And then she was reminded of a new ability of his that had just recently come to light.

"So uh, what's up with that glowy golden magic you were doing before?" She asked, recalling their final moments in the Blood Moon dream world.

"What, Hamon?"

"I guess? If that's what you call it, yeah."

"Erm," Marco contemplated as he rubbed the back of his head. "Simply put, I could just summon the energy of the sun with breathing techniques and apply it to my normal fighting skills."

"You think you could teach me some of that?"

"Probably, but is it really necessary? I mean, you already have your Wand and its millions of spells."

"Yeah, but how many of 'em except for one can actually mess up Toffee's super strong regeneration?"

"Hmm." Marco tapped his chin as he came up blank for an answer. "Huh, I guess you're right."

"And besides," Star's tone gravitated towards self-pity. "I think I'd rather stay away from my mom's darkest spell. For like, ever."

"Yeah. I understand."

"So whaddya say?" Star asked as she forced a smile to steer them away from another bout of self-loathing. "You wanna teach me that Hammin' thing?"

"Hamon. And-" Marco cut himself off when he too recalled some of their final moments prior to coming back to reality. "Wait a minute, but you somehow pulled it off when we were fighting that spider. Thing. And you didn't even conjure it properly."

"Oh yeeaaahh, I did, didn't I?" Star remarked, bearing a look of pride.

"How'd you even do it without knowledge of it in the first place?"

Star merely shrugged and made a noise that sounded akin to "I don't know". "How do you normally go about doing it, though? Y'know so I don't hafta rely on freak chance for it to happen again."

"Well, basically you just strike a pose and start doing this really specific breathing exercise."

He proceeded to demonstrate by initiating the stance that he used to summon the energy to begin with and emit a deep, sharp "Kooohhhhhh". As it was meant to, the golden-red aura outlined his entire form, accompanied by the sparks of electricity that danced haphazardly upon his body.

"Ooohhhh..." Star marveled, her sapphire eyes shimmering with glee as she witnessed the magical martial arts technique in its proper execution. "I'm guessing someone taught you that while you were wanderin' about in the Astral World?"

Marco nodded. "Though he only taught me how to summon it. I never learned anything beyond that because he was in the middle of hanging with his buddies."

"Oh. That reminds me. I wish we could just go back to having Friendship Thursdays again."

"Yeah... and Tacos every Tuesday."

"Actually, Taco Tuesday's moved to Friday." Star declared with a mischeivous smile.

"What?" Marco asked with a slight chuckle. "But Fridays are our Friendship days when we miss out on Friendship Thursday."

"Well then let's just make Taco Tuesday on Fridays when Fridays _aren't_ used to make up for missing Friendship Thursday!"

"Okay, but what's Tuesday gonna be if Taco Tuesdays are on Fridays now? And when was this change even made? I don't even remember agreeing to it!"

"Oh, just now." Star swayed her torso playfully.

"Staarrr!" Marco humorously chided. "I don't wanna have Taco Tuesday on Fridays. Taco Friday doesn't even roll off the tongue as well."

"Weelll, then just keep calling it Taco Tuesday then."

"But it wouldn't be on Tuesday!"

The exchange, as dumb as it was, brought much needed levity and laughter to the two who had endured so much within so little time. For but a fleeting, yet blissful moment, the two had forgotten what it was that they were doing and why they were doing it. To them, it felt as though Star had never left his house and the two were just hanging in Mewni like it was every other day when they weren't thrust into a harrowing, life-altering situation that was far beyond either of their control or understanding. Like nothing was wrong whatsoever.

Their laughter faded into silence and the two began to shift their feet awkwardly, unsure where to take the conversation from there.

Star eventually found a train of thought to embark on, though not without great hesitation. Regardless, the itching curiosity that assailed her mind compelled her to find an answer to a question that gnawed at her since the bad news was brought to light.

"Say uh..." She sheepishly rubbed her shoulder and sent her eyes to the ground as she began. "What're you gonna do whenever... y'know... we encounter Jackie?"

Marco couldn't help but wince at the question. There was a dull pain in his heart that evoked him to grasp his chest as his mind still couldn't come to grips with the idea that someone that he's known for so long as one who would do no wrong made such a terrible decision working with Toffee and Eclipsa. He couldn't even imagine why and frankly, trying to think about it at all made his head spin in every direction as if his mind hadn't already endured enough as it was.

"Maybe we could... maybe we could talk to her or..." He trailed off, unsure who he was convincing with his words at that point.

"I don't even... Like, what do we..." The idea was outrageous even to Star, who was arguably the living embodiment of outrageous. Star herself has made some crazy, irrational decisions in her fourteen years of living and never has she imagined in infinite years that someone like Jackie could do something that dwarfed even the most insane decisions Star's ever made.

Spontaneously, the two felt their Brands painfully throbbing as blood flowed down the backs of their necks.

"Oh, no..." They dreaded in unison.

Mina bolted through the Sanctuary doors with her sword drawn. She ran up to the two teens, her face wrought with alarm.

"We've got company." Mina announced as she held up her bleeding hand.

The two merely nodded before all three took up defensive positions in front of the building. From where they stood they could hear a vast multitude of heavy footsteps in the distance. The rapidly paced stomps overlapped one another, making it difficult to gauge how many were heading their way. Though it was certain that the density of their opposition is alarmingly high.

"Yo Marco, catch!" Janna yelled from the cracked entrance and tossed a sheathed katana, to which the intended recipient deftly caught.

It was the same katana he used to defeat that Black Phantom before leaving the Astral World. He turned to Janna with a confused expression, silently asking her where she got such a weapon.

"Glossaryck told me to give that to ya." Janna answered as a response to Marco's perplexed look. "Said you dropped it on the way home or something. Anyways, good luck!"

She dragged her head back inside and the large doors slammed shut. With a dismissive shrug, Marco unsheathed the silver blade and held it firmly in front of him. If he was being honest, he couldn't wait to unleash his skills both new and latent. A devious smile cut across his face as his heart raced with anticipation.

In the far distance, flocks of birds erupted from their nests as many trees came tumbling down. Other-worldly sounds and murmurs replaced the normal bustle of the local fauna as said fauna were doing their best to escape the massive creatures that tore through their homes.

Much to their surprise, all they saw was a rather large man walk toward them. However, his appearance was beyond the realms of normalcy as his face was more bestial in nature. He seemed to be a barbarian of sorts as indicated by his scarce armor and the crude weapons that he held in each hand.

"Zodd..." Mina seethed beneath her breath, recalling her many run-ins with the aforementioned being.

"Ah, Mina Loveberry. Fancy seeing you here." Zodd greeted disingenuously. "I take it you're now playing caretaker to these children?"

"You know this guy?" Star asked, surprised.

"We're well acquainted." The barbarian answered in Mina's place. "Primarily through the Skull Knight, that is. Speaking of which, where is your master, wench?"

"What are you doing here without your owner, lapdog?" The veteran warrior bit back through grit teeth.

He scoffed at her retort. "I've come here to challenge the Bearer of the Right Hand." He answered as he pointed a broad blade in Marco's direction.

"If it's me you want, then come on then." The hooded teen goaded as he drew closer to his proclaimed challenger.

"If you think you can get to him without getting past me first, you've gotta another think comin'!" Star shouted as she stood between Marco and the giant. Mina joined her and added to the protective, mewman-made wall that formed in front of Marco, the tips of their blades directed at their proclaimed enemy.

"Why not take on all three of us, Zodd?" Mina incited, shifting her purple blade back and forth in a provocative manner. "After all, isn't seeking a challenge your only ambition in life?"

The enemy scoffed once more. "You're not wrong, but I much prefer a proper duel between myself and the boy. If he managed to injure both Toffee _and_ Eclipsa then surely he would prove a worthy adversary along with you, the Skull Knight and the Black Swordsman."

"Why not add two more to that list then? At once!" Star added as she took one more step forward. Mina stepped along with her to even out their shielding of Marco. "Because there's no way I'm letting you lay a finger on him!"

"Hmph. If you're going to protect him, then who's going to stop _them_ from cornering you and subsequently ransacking the Sanctuary?" Zodd snidely remarked as he pointed a thumb behind himself.

As if on cue, the many sources of the stampeding footsteps came into view, bowling over many of the trees in their path. Their blurry forms in the distance increased in clarity with each passing second. While the appearances of the small army of Apostles were still an affront to their eyes, the trio remained stoic in their individual stances and dauntless in their collective will to fight.

"Well, what is it going to be? Your friend or the Sanctuary that is vital to the Butterfly family?" The towering brute proposed an ultimatum. "I suggest you make your decision with haste. My associates loathe to wait before relishing in some much-desired carnage."

All three looked to one another with determined looks accompanied by the need for a decision as time was clearly not on their side at the moment. Star wanted nothing more than to fight by Marco's side and Mina prioritized the young queen's safety as well as the Bearer of the Hand above all else.

"Just go!" Marco loudly demanded, eliciting surprised looks from both of his comrades. "If this guy just wants to fight me, then it's better that you two to keep the Sanctuary safe from those... things!"

"But Marco..." Star pensively stared into her best friend's determined eyes with a clear indication of defiance, to which the boy responded with a confident, almost devilish smile that silently expressed, "I got this".

"Marco, Zodd isn't your average everyday mook." Mina warned. "He has centuries worth of combat experience and very few have fought him and lived to tell about it. I know you have the Hand but-"

"I'll be fine, alright?" Marco calmly and sincerely spoke. He then released his increasingly heated right hand from his blade and held his fist in the air in a gesture of solid conviction. The tattoos on his arm vigorously pulsed in golden light, in line with his increasingly quickening heartbeat.

While Star still couldn't help but question his decision, she eventually conceded with a defeated sigh as she looked to the abominations fast approaching. She clenched her teeth and her eyes as the weight of the decision burdened her.

"Just... be careful!" Was all she quickly uttered before bolting towards the coming reinforcements that were deep in the forest. Mina quickly shot him a concerned glare before immediately following after her queen.

"Heh heh heh... A wise decision, boy." Zodd joyously cackled, raising his weapons and bending his form in a combative stance. He took a single step forward, which immediately broke off into a savage sprint. "Try not to disappoint me!"

The resounding collision of blades rattled the sky, sparking the inferno of conflict proper.


	48. Just Let Turn Yo Wheel

It felt like only yesterday that Marco had rubbed steel with his old rival Yang, numerous groups of thugs, and bloodthirsty creatures with bladed appendages all at once. Every moment of heart-racing, life-threatening combat seemed to congeal into a ball of one singular event that defined his time in Hekapoo's dimension. A time where the boy, as he gradually evolved into a gruff, hardened man, discovered his true calling: the Battlefield.

Indeed, over time, Marco has come to realize that the sword and his knowledge behind it was an extension of his passion for the fight, and more importantly and as clichéd as it is, an extension of himself. The enthralling heroism and the fulfilling feelings that followed. The delicious victory brought forth by the submission of every beaten criminal. The slaying of voracious wildlife that threatened to harm him as well as the weak he swore to protect. The rhythmic, percussive beating of blades against one another serenaded him in every skirmish, beckoning him not only towards triumph and his subsequent survival, but to the path beyond his limits, leading to his evolution into a powerful being that could match up with even the biggest, strongest opponents.

And lo and behold, here he was. The rapid, ringing clangs filling his ears and and pushing him to succeed against his enemy once again as the siren song of combat drew him in once more.

Despite his opponent's undignified and beastly appearance, Marco could tell that his rapid, successive blows were not without technique. There was a clear rhythm of strokes and swings that flowed seamlessly into one another despite the somewhat wild and unpredictable pattern. Mina wasn't lying when she touted the barbarian's combat prowess. .

Regardless, Marco managed to parry every strike, with one weapon against two. Though neither found any opportunity to push back or wear down the other quite yet. Both contenders haven't a clue as to how long this unrelenting storm of steel raged between them. Seconds? Minutes? Hours? The passage of time was completely lost on them the moment their respective arms first made contact, their focus consumed by the overwhelming need to best their opponent.

"Enough!" Zodd suddenly bellowed before ceasing his onslaught and quickly winding up a strike with both of his weapons at once. The abrupt halt put Marco off-guard for a moment and he nearly slipped up into his own downfall.

Marco's senses managed to catch up in the nick of time and he narrowly avoided his foe's double handed swing with a far backstep and a shifting of his blade to his left. The combination of motions left little reinforcement to his parry and his katana nearly flew from his grip. Though he caught it in time, his landing left him a touch imbalanced and his handle on his sword a tad loosened.

Noticing this, the barbarian took one long step forward and immediately followed with a downward strike, using both weapons yet again, that aimed to split the hooded teen down the middle.

Marco managed to dodge the oncoming strike and, in a risky motion that flaunted his dexterity, jumped atop both weapons and utilized them as a makeshift path towards his opponent's head.

As Marco ran up to the base of Zodd's weapons, the Apostle quickly threw his arms skyward and sent the boy flying about a dozen feet into the sky. At the apex of his leap, the boy was cast in the glow of the afternoon sun, a blend of reds and golds bathing his body.

And in these few fleeting moments before his inevitable descent, Marco took the time to take an action that he felt like he hasn't done in eons. Something that, while it wouldn't guarantee victory over his enemy, it would at least give him one good, practically free hit.

With his sword in hand, Marco drew his arm all the way back. Time, as well as his descent, slowed to a crawl and the familiar list of vertically rotating techniques filled the forefront of his vision.

A few things were different this time around. One was that the amount of orbs Marco could potentially spend was increased from five to ten. Another was that his list had expanded, with more Roulette Moves being available to execute.

As he scrolled through the abilities that were absent prior to his awakening, he stumbled upon one that he definitely recognized. One that was used against him once by a certain someone he defeated some time ago. A move that was claimed to be "invincible". While Marco agreed that the technique itself was devastating, it was far from invincible if he was able to deter it with a superior strike of his own.

Ah well, might as well give it a shot anyways. Two orbs. Not very costly now that he had more to spend.

 _ **Zantetsuken**_

Still in mid-air, Marco's body faced his opponent, whose sharp gaze affected by the slow passage of time was sent skyward. Marco's entire body folded inwards and his blade, its entirety coated in the same white-gold glow that his right arm was, rested at his hip as if it was sheathed.

Another second passed and, the next thing Marco knew, his feet and his pointed blade were parallel to the ground, with the latter's outer edge coated in dripping red.

Both contenders were frozen in their tracks, the event that had just transpired not yet reaching their minds. Zodd's gaze and his weapons were still bound to the sky while Marco's body remained bent and his arms still extended. The sound of dropping blood was all that managed to reach their ears before the rest of the sounds of background battle along their senses returned to them.

"Hmhmm...heheheheheh..." Zodd merely chuckled as his hands slowly dropped to his side. A diagonal red gash carved itself across his chest as several red beads of blood fell down his abdomen and stained his leather armor. "Interesting... so this is the power of the Hand."

The cleaver blade and axe fell to the ground. Marco still refused to turn around for some reason he couldn't really describe.

Actually no, it came to him why he didn't turn around. Because at that moment, he realized that as his fight with Zodd went on, the aura that denoted the difficulty of his opponent shifted hues rather quickly. He neglected to notice at first because seeing it was essentially second nature at that point, but he managed to rapidly play it back in his mind.

Dread started to seep into his very being. He recalled that, while he was in the air, Zodd was glowing red. Marco had just landed a definite hit upon his opponent and he loathed to turn around and face the moment of truth.

His dread grew deeper as he started to hear the resounding stretching of skin and the cracking of bones directly behind him. Frantically, Marco tried to conjure Hamon into his body, but his erratic breathing patterns prevented him from evoking even the tiniest ember of energy.

"Yes... indeed." Zodd's voice grew deeper and more distorted. "You are a worthy opponent after all."

Marco's mind screamed at him to run, but his curiosity caused his head to turn inch by inch until his opponent was in full view.

The barbarian he was fighting was no longer there. In his place was a behemoth of about ten feet. Its face resembled a lion's and its body was more humanoid in nature, save for its clawed, opposable paws, a pair cloven hooves beneath a pair of goat-like hind legs, and its elongated tail. The most standout part of the beast was that it appeared that it was supposed to have a pair of thick, curved horns, yet one of them was sliced off.

But all of that paled in comparison to the black-silver haze that encompassed its entire body.

"It was a pleasure partaking in this game with you boy." The towering titan snidely spoke as he took one, thundering step forward. "But it would appear that the time for play has ended. The real merriment has only just begun!"

Marco took one panicked slash, but it was immediately caught and consumed in the beast's claws. A feral smile carved itself across the newly transformed Apostle.

It was the last thing Marco saw before his body flew several meters through the air and crashed into a tree, snapping it in two and sending its top half tumbling towards the ground.

Any normal human would've instantly had their spine shatter in half much like the tree, yet Marco's body remained intact and he was able to muster enough strength to get up, albeit with moderate difficulty. His body quivered profusely and an agonizing groan escaped his lungs as he rose to his feet.

"I fail to understand how such a thin blade made such a deep cut." Zodd commented as he held Marco's katana in two of his fingers. With two more fingers, he held the other end of the eastern blade and broke it in two as if it was a twig. "Ah, but no matter. We are on equal footing now, boy. Hand-to-hand to Hand-to-hand. A monster against a monster."

Rather than dignify his comment with a response, Marco drew his arm back once again.

Perusing the menu, he sought for something with range. He managed to find a move that sounded like it would fill that need. It also sounded like it could make up for the lack of Hamon he was currently undergoing. Whether this move was something of Jonathan's or Solaire's was uncertain, but his rapidly pounding heart had already made its choice. Two orbs once again.

 **Sunlight Spear**

Marco's arm reached for the sky and his fingers curved as if grabbing onto something. Moments after, a slender, gigantic bolt of bright-orange lightning materialized in his grip and upon reaching its full length, Marco sent the brilliant spear tearing across the air as multiple thin sparks trailed behind it.

This time however, Zodd managed to defend himself just in time by crossing his arms in front of his chest and letting them take the brunt of the attack. The brown fur on his arms were charred to a sizzling black color and a thick plume of smoke enveloped both of his massive limbs.

However, despite the severe damage he was dealt, the beast could only respond with mere amusement.

"Ha... This would not be the first time that lightning has struck me. Nor is it the second or third." The behemoth playfully commented, downplaying Marco's supernatural attack. "However, I openly admit that I actually felt that. You are indeed full of surprises, boy."

Marco emitted a sharp, shocked gasp when a pair of gigantic, organic wings sprouted forth from his opponent's back. Before he even realized it, Zodd's body was a mere few yards away, the beast's blackened arms spread wide with the intent to grasp his pray in his claws.

In a panic, Marco drew his arm back again right as the now flying monster was its arms' length away. Browsing through his menu again, the boy sought for a certain move that he remembered bringing him victory in a previous battle. One that served to slay a monster that was several times bigger than the one he was fighting now. With clarity and conviction resolute in his heart, he chose that signature blue-lettered move.

 **Dragon Kick**

With no time to spare, Marco turned his body to the side and prepared to send this wretched creature to the cosmos with a single raise of his foot. To end this fight as quickly as possible so that he could assist his other two comrades in pushing back their invaders. This was it. The move that was always used to decide the fate of a duel. He briefly wondered if would be able send someone as large as Zodd into space. Guess there was one way to find out.

Or not.

Right as Marco's leg stretched its entire length towards his enemy, his entire body was instantly constricted by the Apostle's gargantuan hands. In a matter of seconds, the clouds above were rapidly closing the distance.

Marco struggled and squirmed beneath his captor's tight grasp, though it was clear that his claws showed no signs of loosening.

At some point, Zodd ceased his flight and began hovering in mid air. Marco peered down and the world below felt a lot smaller from where he was floating. He could see every Kingdom as their sizes were shrunk to smaller, less detailed masses of buildings and walls. The Sanctuary was but a mere dot on the map and the forest below was just a giant, blurry mass of green. Tiny flying bodies and vibrant, magical sparks burst from the sea of green below.

"Enjoy the view while you can." Zodd growled as he raised Marco higher into the air. "I apologize that you hadn't the chance to bid your farewells to your loved ones, but perhaps they'll meet you soon enough."

With a strength that went beyond Herculean proportions, the winged beast spiked Marco towards the earth, his body dropping several altitudes within minutes.

Though it would be obvious to anyone witnessing this that Marco was done for, he thought the contrary. In fact, despite that the ground was fast approaching him, he felt no fear in his heart nor any desire to scream. It was just like the time he dropped off the highest point of Castle Butterfly before Star made her daring rescue. He never found out if he would've been fine had he landed on his feet, but his Right Hand seemed to think so.

In fact, it still thought so. And it yearned to find out.

With what little time he had left before imminent impact, Marco shifted his body in such a way where his feet was facing the ground instead of his back. Though he had one-hundred percent confidence that he would land on his feet unscathed, he still felt the need to shut his eyes and brace himself.

The boy hit the dirt ground with an explosive crash and a large cloud of dust and dirt kicked up from the impact. Within the deep crater spawned from the tremendously powerful landing, Marco remained standing, though there was a sharp pain that surged throughout his legs, causing them to waver beneath his weight. His insides were in complete disarray as a result of the sheer speed of his descent. It would seem that the Hand only significantly diminished fall damage rather than nullify it altogether. Regardless, had Marco not possessed it, that crater would've been his grave.

"Such resolve." Zodd commented as he slowly floated onto the ground. "Is it the Hand? Your unbending determination? A combination of the two? I cannot tell. However, if I may be honest, this is the most enjoyment I've had in a very long time as well as the most effort I've put into a battle. Especially in this form."

Marco's legs folded over beneath him and the rest of him collapsed to the ground. The pain was far too great to bear and he could not bring himself to rise even the tiniest inch.

"Ah, but it would appear that you have reached your limit. A shame. I was beginning to hope that we would dance a little while longer."

Oh, and they will.

As quickly as he could, Marco raised his Hand to the sky, and in an instant, his bicep brace broke off and his entire body was awash in its usual white-gold glow as Tension Mode was activated, completely numbing him to the wailing agony of his body.

With relative ease, he sped up the slope of the crater and very quickly, he drew his arm back once more.

As an undying need to brutalize his enemy erupted within him, Marco ardently searched for the move, **100 Fists.** However, as he scrolled through every name in the list, he could no longer find it. His mind raced as he repeatedly and frantically made laps around the menu.

His focus was then shifted to a move that he's never seen before, yet it felt somewhat familiar to him. He was assailed by the feeling that he had found exactly what he desired to get the job done.

Yeesh, it cost four orbs. A rather expensive technique, but Marco held in his heart that it would be worth his last few orbs. It was essentially all or nothing at that point. And here went nothing.

 _ **Senjukai Ken**_

Marco felt somewhat detached from his body as his hands and his vocal chords began to act of their own accord. The speed of his cries and his fists went exponentially faster with each passing second. He already felt himself surpassing 100 punches.

200.

369.

510.

650.

766.

Zodd could not process what was happening nor was he able to defend himself fast enough this time around. He could only stand there in abject shock as he endured what looked and felt like every inch of his body was being assaulted by an entire army.

Except that this relentless barrage of hundreds of fists belonged to a single person.

After the 999th punch, Marco drew his arm all the way back, his tattoos emitting a blinding glow before unleashing the thousandth upon Zodd's very core with an explosive flash and a booming "ADIOS".

Marco expected his adversary to launch several yards forward or at the very least keel over. Instead, the beast stood as tall and firm as he has been the whole time as if the boy had done absolutely nothing to him.

Quite the contrary actually. While Zodd didn't move even the smallest inch, there was a sizeable, circular dent at the very center of his massive torso that concaved deeply into his body. Drops of blood began to trickle down the beast's lower jaw and onto the ground with a rhythmic plip and plop.

Marco's Tension Mode had already run out and he had expunged every bit of currency for his abilities. He collapsed onto the ground, his legs turned to jelly and the rest of his body pushed to its very limits. Especially after he had just survived a nigh atmospheric drop. All the accumulated damage managed to catch up to him as his heart threatened to burst from his chest and he had to force the action of breathing in order for his lungs to maintain stability.

A guttural chuckle emerged from Zodd's throat along with the blood that fell from his lips. Despite everything that had unfolded up to that point, the colossus still found the entire thing entertaining to some degree.

Marco wanted so badly to get up and shut him up, but his body was under far more strain than he was able to handle. He could barely even hold himself up with his arms, let alone stand.

"Marco Diaz, was it?" Zodd asked as he wiped his mouth with the back of his paw. "I've bared my share of wounds over the course of several hundred years partaking in countless battles. I've been crushed, incinerated, amputated and much more too enumerable to recall. Yet never has a single mortal ever inflicted internal injuries upon me."

Marco's head remained hung and his breathing erratic. He couldn't even bring himself to face his opponent.

"You have my utmost respect." Zodd solemnly complimented. With a stretching of his thick skin, the crater in his torso was pushed forward until the spot was as good as new. "However, it would seem that you have reached the extent of your abilities for now. I understand that your meager youth prevents you from going any further. I was informed of your sixteen year excursion in another dimension and while I still find difficulty grasping the intricacies of this universe, I understand that it harbors plenty of exceptional fighters such as yourself and Mina Loveberry."

"No... I..." Marco tried to gather what little strength he had left and process it into a rising motion, but he just couldn't. Right as his feet lifted him even slightly, he fell right back onto his knees. "I can keep..."

" _Yamero._ " The beast sharply demanded as he held a paw up in deterrence. "Save your breath for your last, young warrior. Allow yourself an honest, peaceful death."

With a flick of his claw, the beast flipped the boy onto his back, causing him to lean into his shaking arms. Marco felt himself shrunk beneath the sheer size of his opponent as he was buried under his massive shadow. Zodd couldn't help but peer down at his fallen foe with a look of pity.

"It brings me great lamentation to lay waste to a combatant of your caliber. But regardless."

Using the same finger that flipped Marco, Zodd laid the tip of his claw upon Marco's chest, targeting his heart. The claw punctured Marco's hoodie as well as his flesh, drawing blood and a tightened grimace from the boy.

"Any last words you'd like to share, boy?" Zodd amiably asked, letting the question briefly hang in the air to provide his esteemed foe a chance to respond accordingly.

Marco could only stare at his would-be murderer with a pair of sharp, determined eyes that desired to bore holes into the Apostle. Marco weakly placed his hands upon the claw that stabbed him and feebly attempted to wrest it from his body, but to no avail.

"So be it." Zodd spoke with great finality. "Goodbye, human. I shall cherish this battle for as long as I li-"

A broad, ethereal blade pierced through the beast's back and out of his torso. Marco could only stare on in bewilderment while the behemoth could only gaze at the black blade jutting out of his chest with gradually rising anger.

A battered, bloodied Star stood directly behind Zodd. Her eyes were ablaze with fury and her breathing was slow and labored. She pushed her magical blade further into her target in the hopes of saving her fallen friend.

Unfazed by the surprise attack, Zodd's long tail whipped forward and wound around Star's entire body in a split-second. As he raised her to face him, the blade was removed from his body in the process.

"You..." The Apostle seethed, puffing hot air into Star's face while she futilely squirmed against her binds. "You dare sully my well-earned victory with your intervention!?"

Star struggled through grit teeth. Her boundless need to save her best friend numbed her to her own bones cracking beneath Zodd's deathly grip.

"Get... away from him..." She growled as she continued to unshackle herself, but to no matter what, she remained firmly at the Apostle's mercy.

"Hmph. I do believe you are in no position to make demands. In any case..."

Facing the Sanctuary, Zodd wound back his tail with Star in tow. And with very little effort, he launched her into the large stone building, punching a sizeable hole through the dense stone walls in the process.

"St-Star!" Marco shouted as he bore witness to his friend being tossed like a ragdoll. Reinvigorated and numbed to his injuries, he shot up to his feet and bolted towards the floating building.

"Where are you running off to, boy?" Zodd asked as he landed in front of the boy's path. "Now that you've arisen, our melee is far from over."

The beast unleashed a downward swipe of his claw, to which the boy rolled away from. With newfound vigor pumped into his veins after seeing his beloved get hurt, the hooded teen made every attempt to run past his foe and tend to Star. The giant proved to be a rather formidable obstacle as he swiped and swung his claws and tail at varying angles, but Marco managed to avoid every strike without sustaining any damage. He began to notice that the Apostle's movements were relatively slower than before, but still forced him to exert great amounts of effort to evade regardless.

"What is this?" The Apostle said with great annoyance. "Why do you refrain from retaliating? Do you not wish to see to your loved one? You will not pass by me without a fight, I assure you."

Zodd very near toppled over when the exaggeratedly muscular Mina Loveberry flew in and slashed him in his beastly face. Despite clearly bloodied and battered herself, the veteran warrior mustered enough energy to deliver a series of blows to the monster's chest before getting herself grabbed and tossed into the forest.

Marco took the narrow window of opportunity to make a break for the Sanctuary. Unfortunately, Zodd caught him in the act and swatted him away with his tail, launching the boy's form into the trees as well.

Zodd took a moment to scan the distance and saw that many of his fellow Apostles were either dead or writhing on the ground with near-fatal wounds. With a scoff, his gaze returned to his two opponents.

"Hmph. It would appear that my so-called 'brethren' have failed to deter either of you."

Mina and Marco rose to their feet. Shoulder to shoulder, the two took combative stances against the towering titan despite their egregious injuries and visible fatigue.

"Mina. I can already tell that you will not be able to maintain that form for very long." Zodd perceptively remarked. He then turned his gaze to Marco. "And you. You only harbor enough stamina to flee and evade, but not enough to deal any substantial damage to me."

Even though they conceded that their enemy was indeed accurate in his assumptions, the two nonetheless shared a solemn, knowing nod before charging forward.

* * *

"Oh my gosh, Star!" Janna exclaimed as her friend burst through the walls and slid far into the Sanctuary until she went splashing into the fountain, her body floating upon the surface of the water.

Janna immediately jumped into the water and fished her friend out, dragged her to solid ground.

"J...Janna." Star weakly whispered, barely able to bring movement to her head. She felt like there was no longer a body attached to her consciousness as she lost all sensation to her shattered form. Despite this, however, her grip on her wand remained. "I can't... feel..."

Janna's concerned eyes shifted every which way as she was at a loss for what to do or say.

As she surveyed her surroundings, Star's eye managed to catch a strange sight. About a dozen skeletons, all wielding curved swords and round shields, were in a defensive formation as they faced the doors. They appeared to be the last line of defense should the enemy overwhelm the main guard, though it would seem that one of them underwent that fate.

"What are... those...?" Star hoarsely asked. She attempted to point them out with her stubbed arm, but it fell immediately after being given the most meager height.

"Huh?" The beanie-bearing teen bore confusion at first until she turned around and saw what Star pointed out. "Oh, them? Yeah, uh. Don't worry about that right now. I'll explain later whenever we get out of this. Um. Can you get up?"

"Janna... I can't 'anything'" Star groaned as the agony kept her flat on her back. She tried raising her Wand arm, but she couldn't get it any higher than her flattened body.

"Do you have a healing spell you could cast on yourself?"

Star slowly shook her head, the motion sending waves of pain through her neck. It was hard to find anything that _wasn't_ broken at that point. "Not on myself but... Do you think you could... cast it... for me?"

Janna woefully shook her head as well. "You think I didn't try using your Wand while you were out for three weeks? Couldn't even conjure up a spark, even with Glossaryck's help. Those skeletons you see here weren't brought here by magic per se, I'll leave it at that. Right now, we gotta figure out a way to get you back out there."

Crashes, battlecries, beastly roars, and agonizing wails formed a chaotic cacophony as it blew in from the hole in the wall. One scream stood out from the myriad of noises that caused panic to surge through Star's paralyzed body. A resolved sigh escaped her dried lips as she recalled one spell that would potentially turn the tide of this whole conflict.

"Janna... lift up my Wand arm..."

She immediately did what was requested and gently raised her limp arm skywards. Regardless of how delicate Janna performed her task, the pain still burned and continued to do so as the only intact arm maintained its stance.

"You got something?"

Star faintly nodded. She felt something deep within smile its beastly smile and lick its lips with lofty anticipation.

Bracing herself with a hefty exhale, the young queen closed her eyes and immersed her body in the deepest depths of focus. The words that she had only read once echoed in her mind, though the voice that longingly spoke them did not belong to her. In fact, it wasn't really her that ultimately remembered the invocation, but rather the thing that she was about to set free.

With absolute conviction while completely bereft of any emotion or hesitation, Star initiated the casting of the spell. Her wand was awash in a cloudy violet aura and the face of her wand was decorated by a white diamond surrounded by purple.

"I close my eyes and seize it..."


	49. Once You Start Up Dere's No Otha Way

"Star? Honey? Could you please wake up?"

"Nrrgh... just... five more minutes... nrrgh."

"No Star, this is important. Come one, now. Rise and shine, little warrior."

"Nrr... h-huh? Daddy?"

"Yes, it's me. Happy tenth birthday, Star!"

"Dad, it's... it's like two in the morning. What is it? Why're you lugging around this huge bag?"

"Yes well, sorry I'm late. You have no idea how difficult it is to procure such a gift this late at night."

"Ooh, a present! What is it, what is it?"

"Patience, my little corncob. Allow me to provide some context first."

"Hmm... okay, then. Take it away, daddy!"

"Right then. Alright, so as you already know, you have been trained in the ways of combat by our Royal Guard Captain ever since you were old enough to hold a sword. So around... five years old, if I recall correctly."

"Uh-huh?"

"And it was at my behest that he provided you with such education. You may live within the safety of our castle, its guards, and your parents now, but you must be absolutely prepared should you find yourself without any of the above."

"Ooh, it is a magic sword made out of rainbows? Or one of those Dragonslayer weapons I've heard stories about? Ohh, I can't wait to find out! Tell me, dad! Tell me!"

"Please let me finish my dear, this is of vital importance to your growth not only as a queen but as a warrior of Johansen blood."

"Okay, okay. Sorry."

"Anyways... considering how much you've advanced over the years, it is my duty as your father to bestow upon you the most valuable lesson you will ever learn in your life. It is a cruel world out there with a multitude of people that wish you harm. Therefore, you must prepare yourself for every single one of them."

"What... what is it?"

"In a moment, my dear. I assure you this will not be easy, but you must go through with this at some point in your life. Alright... here it is."

…

…

…

"Daddy. Is that... a monster?"

"... Indeed it is."

…

"... Is he dead...?"

"No... not yet anyways."

"W-what do you-"

"Hmm? hmmmph!? Hm hmhmmph hmph?... Hm hmm hmph?"

"Daddy, why-"

"Here. Take this dagger."

"What!?"

"Hm Hmph? Hmph phmmphmm? Hmph-"

"It is a dangerous world out there, my dear. You must be quick. Precise. Decisive. And above all, you must be strong. You must learn to take another's life at a moment's notice. Grow accustomed to the taste of the blood you spill."

"Daddy... this is-"

"Star, you are aware that monsters are our enemy, right?"

"Yeah, but-"

"And you consider them as such, correct?"

"... Well... y-yeah..."

"Therefore, as your enemy, he must be slain. Such is war, Star. No daughter of mine will bear weakness on the battlefield."

"Hmmph Hmhmm hm hmph hmphmph!"

"Take this dagger. And drive it into his throat."

"Hmmph! Hmmh! Hm hmhmmph!"

"Twist the blade as far as you can."

"Hmm-hm-hhmmm... hm hm hmmmph..."

"Wrest it from his flesh."

"Hm-"

…

…

"Oft times you'll find yourself without the opportunity for a precise killing blow. In that case, you must fight with savagery rather than sense. The harder or more continuous you strike, the more likely your opponent will fall. But I'm sure you're well aware."

…

"All things considered, you've done well for your first kill. Not only did you follow my instructions to the letter, but you did so with such detachment that is required of such an admittedly sordid task. Goodness, you even refrained from vomiting much like I did when I claimed my first kill. I'm proud of you, my little natural born killer!"

"Thanks..."

"Now then, I must dispose of this body posthaste. Pleasant dreams, my little corncob. And happy birthday."

"G'night, daddy..."

"Oh, one more thing... Next time, it won't be restrained."

* * *

A panting, bloodied mess, the reverted Mina stood in front of a kneeling, weakened Marco. Her blade was kept firmly in front of her, but it quivered beneath her gradually loosening grip. Zodd still stood tall, the thought of collapsing not once reaching his mind despite the clear, severe damage he was also inflicted with, both inside and out. Though the beast visibly panted and teetered on the edge of fatigue himself.

"Ha... Impressive. I do not remember the last time I found myself approaching exhaustion. But so long as I have not had my fill, I will go on until the end of time. I cannot say the same for either of you, however."

A resounding cry erupted from Mina's throat as she ran forward and took a swing at the behemoth's calf only for her blade to get caught in his massive grasp. A moment after, she was flung towards the forest and crashed into a tree. She didn't move any more after that.

The next thing Marco knew, he was laying on his back, once again at the mercy of his colossal foe. Every part of his body save for his right arm was buried beneath the mass of flesh and fur that bore his form deeper into the earth.

Zodd's other hand wrapped around the entire length of Marco's arm.

"Now then." Zodd began as he bared his sharp, beastly teeth. "You are aware of what happens if I remove this, right?"

Marco didn't answer. The scenario brought waves of dreadful familiarity throughout his body and he began convulsing. He wanted to get out. He needed to get out. The futility of his actions never quite reached his rational mind and his senses were overwritten by his zealous need to free himself of his binds. Loud grunts and shouts were choked out of his lungs, a possible cry for help that no one seemed to be answering.

"I suppose you do not. In short, once I removed this appendage, all the pain that you've endured that have been suppressed by the Hand thus far will come flooding into your body at once and your heart will instantly cease from the subsequent shock. I figured this would be a quicker and less painless death than what I intended initially. And I detest posthumous dismemberment, so this is much more convenient."

Marco continued to resist and squirm, the words of his adversary failing to reach him.

"I'm not so merciless as to not provide you another chance at stating your last words, but it would seem as though you are not in the right mind to do so. No matter. Regardless, I will reiterate: Goodbye, human. I shall-"

It all happened so fast, the singular moment became a blank to Marco. He found himself with his mouth agape staring into the blue sky with his body completely free.

Though in a flash, his mind managed to catch up to what was happening. His body shot upright and he sharply gasped as he sat there wallowing in disbelief.

A being who couldn't be any taller than he was stood at the edge of the shore with Zodd's tail in their hands. It was an individual covered head-to-toe in jet black metal armor and enshrouded in a black, flame-like haze.

They lifted Zodd high into the air and drove him straight into the ground. They then tossed him into the air again and slammed him down once again. They repeated this savage motion for several more moments, smacking and tossing him around like one of those sticky hand toys.

Seemingly bored with the repetitive act, the being sent Zodd's body flying to a far side of the shore, causing him to bounce a few times, followed by a brief slide that scarred the earth with a long, deep imprint of his massive form.

Immediately following his landing, the armored individual sped across the shore, running on all fours towards their prey like some deranged beast brought to the brink of starvation.

Using his broad wings, Zodd jumped to his cloven feet, but was knocked down not even a second after when the armored stranger pounced his chest and proceeded to wail on his face with their clawed fists. Zodd tried throwing the being off of him, but their sheer ferocity and physical prowess prevented them from maintaining any sort of distance before they instantly narrowed it and continued their assault.

Marco tried to reign in his scattered senses and used what little wits he had about him in order to properly process the events unfolding before his very eyes. The first question that rose above the towering mountain of others regarded the identity of this being who so graciously lent their overwhelming strength in saving him as well as Mina.

The armored stranger's form blurred as Marco tried to direct his focus on them. They moved way too fast. Unnaturally so, one might even say. It was hard to keep up with how erratic their movements were.

After a few moments, Marco noticed that the armor's helmet was the defining aspect that gave him all the information he needed. It was a reptilian shape that possessed an elongated maw, with a pair of small horns that crowned its scalp. Between its black, extended jaws were white, shining teeth that concealed the face of the wearer. Shining green gleamed through each of its eye sockets.

Despite the fact that he quickly figured out who bore the sinister armor, the two beasts that were currently fighting were nigh indistinguishable from one another.

"Star...?"

* * *

She felt nothing. Purely and absolutely nothing.

Actually, that wasn't completely true. She could distinctly feel the actions that she was witnessing herself committing. She could feel every barb and thorn piercing her flesh as they hastily and sloppily attempted to unite every shard of her shattered bones. She could feel different sets of thorns and barbs injecting something into her veins and organs that fed her the vigor that gave movement to her desires in the first place. She could feel the blood moistening her flesh as the tight fit of the Berserker Carapace kept all of it adhered to her skin.

Yet at the same time, she was void of any sort of sensation. She was aware that varying parts of her body behaved in such a way where she should be feeling varying degrees of pain all over. She could feel a sharp, high-tempo throbbing in her head and eardrums. Her heart was practically slamming itself against her chest and getting pricked by the scattered remains of her ribcage. Her stomach and intestines were tying itself into a huge ball of knots that could never be unraveled. Limbs and muscles ebbed and flowed smoothly and swiftly despite the fact that her joints and ligaments were forcefully being snapped back into place.

And yet her actions in the outside world continued undeterred.

Every barrier she put in place for herself was utterly demolished as she finally set free what she's been caging for the longest time and allowed it to work in tandem with her. However, one could not claim control over the other. Every step they took, every idea they had, every little movement of muscle was a result of mutual desire and benefit of both parties. Truly, Star and the Serpent of Corruption, thought and moved as one.

 _So you finally embraced who you really are, huh?_

 _Shut up, I'm only doing this to-_

 _Yeah yeah, save your friends right as you're backed into a corner. Why do you remain to be tsundere towards your true nature? You're practically joined at the hip with it._

 _I never asked for this. Any of this. I wouldn't have let this happen if I could._

 _Ah, but it was never a matter of "if" but "when". And that "when" seems to be now. Couldn't have found a better time to decide._

 _I had no other choice._

 _Yeah, but you needed to fall off that edge sooner or later. Dangle yourself over the Abyss long enough and you're bound to dive right in. Question is, when will you come up for air?_

 _As soon as I pulverize this son of a bitch._

 _You say that, but neither of us really know if that's true._

 _Just shut up and help me beat this damn monster into a bloody pile._

 _Heh, I'm beginning to question who the monster really is._

* * *

Marco could only sit frozen in awe as this monster was seemingly dominating the significantly larger Apostle. It reminded him of those Kaiju movies he and Star marathoned during one sleepless night as they speculated and wagered on who would emerge the victor among the various matchups. Except that he was witnessing such a fight happening in front of him and there wasn't a Star sitting next to him to discuss the potential winner.

In fact, Star herself was the one participating and there was no rationale needed to determine said winner.

Fast as Zodd might be in his retaliation attempts, Star managed to surpass his inhuman speed and landed more strikes than he could attempt to deliver. Whenever he tried to grab her, she would quickly slip through his grasp and continue her onslaught.

"No... not again..." Marco heard Mina utter beneath hushed tones as she slowly sidled next to him.

"What? Whaddya-"

Marco's impending questioning was abruptly cut off when a large black stallion burst from the shadows and landed right in front of him then immediately took off towards the two combating monsters. The hooded teen recognized the hulking horseman as described by Star and Mina as the one who rescued him and Star and brought them to this Sanctuary in the first place. The one called Skull Knight.

Right as Zodd and Star parted from one another for the umpteenth time, their distance provided the Skull Knight a wide-enough opening for him to get between them and allow his horse to buck the armored mewman square in the face with its powerful hooves, sending her flying even farther from her foe.

Rattled by this strange turn of events, the beastly Apostle shot a rather perplexed look at the skeletal swordsman as he staggered to his hooves.

"How many more will tread your path, Skull Knight? How many will you let drown in their own bloodlust?" Zodd hoarsely asked as he coughed up a few quarts of blood. "And more importantly, how did she even manage to procure the Berserker Armor in the first place? The Black Swordsman is supposed to be its current wearer."

"That is none of your concern." The Skull Knight coldly replied. "What you should be more concerned with, however, is returning to your master. This fight is over."

The Apostle looked to the Berserker past the Skull Knight with intrigue. Though he strongly desired to continue their heated exchange, he forced himself to concede to his rival's words.

"Perhaps you are right. This is not the fight I should be having at this moment, though I eagerly long for it to continue. I must return to my own tale that is continually unraveling while they must resolve the conflicts in theirs."

The knight shifted his hollow, glowing gaze to Star, who merely stood there with her posture slouched and her arms hanging as if preparing to pounce her foe once again.

Zodd turned his back and flared his wings to depart. He turned to Marco, pointing a declarative claw his way.

"You. Boy. The one you cherish has taken a step into dangerous territory not meant to be tread by mortals. If you value your own life and the lives of those around you, take heed as to not draw any closer to her than you already are. And should she lose any more than she already has, well... when one is stripped of everything they value in life, what they do afterwards reflects their true nature."

And with that prophetic remark, the Apostle took to the skies and vanished into the horizon within mere minutes, leaving everyone within proximity to deal with one last beast.

"Star!" Marco made a break for her before tripping on his injuries and subsequently eating the dirt.

Seeing the boy getting hurt caused the armored beast to immediately bolt on all fours to his aid before having her path blocked by the Skull Knight, his blade brandished in her direction.

Feeling threatened, Star proceeded to growl and slightly raise her claws at the horseman, failing to recognize him as the one who saved her life some weeks ago. Syrupy, black saliva seeped through her armor's teeth and dripped off its metallic lips.

Without warning, Star leapt for the rider and swung for his skull. The Knight proved significantly faster as he parried the bare-handed attack with a defensive swing of his own.

As soon as Star landed back on her feet, she leapt at the horseman again, this time unleashing a flurry of slashes that aimed to rip the Skull Knight and his steed into ribbons. Once more, the horseman flaunted his superior reflexes and blocked every single one of them despite the unpredictable attack pattern accentuated by her motion-blurring speed.

Finding the right opening, the Skull Knight took a swing at the armored beast, striking her directly beneath the jaw of her helmet and launching her back several feet. She slid back further right after she landed and merely stood there, scanning the two beings next to Marco rather than taking any further action.

"Bearer of the Right Hand," Skull Knight calmly addressed, not taking his eyes off of the altered girl."I highly advise against going anywhere near her at this moment."

"Wh-what's happened to her?" Marco worriedly asked as he staggered back to his feet.

"So long as she is under the malevolent effects of the Berserker Armor, her ability to distinguish friend from foe becomes severely limited. At this point, it is rather difficult to attempt to reason with her. While I understand your close bonds with one another, it is nonetheless a risk we shan't take."

"You... you should really listen to him." Mina softly agreed, averting her gaze and nervously rubbing her arm.

Ignoring their warnings, he ran right past the Skull Knight faster than the horseman could react and foolishly went within arm's length of his affected friend. He dropped his hands on the armor's grooved, broad shoulders.

"Star! Star!" He yelled her name to the heavens as he violently shook her body. He attempted to evoke some semblance of mewmanity by gazing into the helmet's shining green eyes with a saddened expression. "You're Star Butterfly! Do you hear me!? Star Butterfly! You're the pri- the Queen of Mewni and my best friend in the universe! Please Star! Snap out of it!"

"Mm... Maaahh...cooo..." He could barely recognize her voice beneath the dense distortion and severe pitch shift. But he knew in the depths of his soul that Star was buried deep beneath the ghastly figure he stared face-to-face with.

"Yeah, yeah! It's me! Marco! Remember? Your best friend? Your crush? Trauma twin? Please Star... I know you're in there... the coolest girl I know would never hurt anyone she cared about. Please..."

As if his words managed to reach her, Star started to grunt and groan in clear agony as she slowly backed away from Marco, gripping the crown of her helmet.

She dropped to her knees, her guttural cries growing louder as the moments lapsed by. Her clawed gauntlets desperately scraped at her helmet as if seeking some sort of release from whatever pain she was undergoing.

"St-Sta-"

The armor arched its back as she howled into the skies above, her cries echoing into the horizon and bringing every other sound in the area to a dead silence.

As the seemingly endless cry continued, the voice grew less and less distorted and approached the full breadths of its wearer's normal voice. Simultaneously, the armor itself appeared to be peeling away, gradually unveiling the distinct, yet heavily bloodied form of Star Butterfly.

Though as the surface of the blackened carapace peeled away, it also appeared to be liquefying and draining into Star's flesh, taking the blood that coated her form along with it and leaving behind a few congealed, crusted spots of darkened red.

Her fully revealed figure laid on her knees and faced the sky for a few more moments before slumping over and falling towards the dirt. Marco managed to be quick on the draw and allowed her to fall face down into his arms. Immediately, he took to checking for a pulse and a wave of relief washed over him when he found one.

Marco took to gently laying her on her back to examine the damage. He noticed that, all over Star's body, save for her head, there were tiny closed marks that was evident of a rather harsh acupuncture session. He her face remained relatively untouched, but it didn't take away from the fact that it bore a few noticeable differences regardless. The hearts on her cheeks that were once a vibrant pastel pink were now black as coal. The left bang on her blonde hair was bleached white as if she had attempted to replicate Jackie Lynn Thomas's signature hair style.

But none of that stood out as much as her new left arm, which was more akin to the gauntlets of her withdrawn armor. Red and dark purple veins sewed the line between her flesh and the new monstrous-looking appendage.

The Skull Knight and Mina sauntered over to the two teens after all seemed clear. The latter couldn't contain her pained grimace upon peering at her queen while she was in such a state. It was as if the sight reminded her of something she wished she had long forgotten.

"Skull Knight was it?" Marco asked as he stared pensively into the Knight's glowing eye sockets. He was a tad unnerved by his appearance at first but was quickly quelled by his calm and approachable disposition. "What's... happened to Star?"

The skeletal swordsman took a moment to wistfully gaze into the distance. "The result of that Celena girl's fixation on the armor." It sounded as if he was thinking out loud rather than answering Marco's question.

"Uh, what?"

"One of Star's great grandmas." Mina clarified. "Uh, you wanna go off from there, Skully?"

The Knight affirmed with a nod. "What your friend underwent was, presumably, a spell based on an armor imbued with a powerful enchantment, that was once safeguarded by a dear friend of mine, a witch named Flora."

"That Zodd guy said it was called the... Berserker Armor? And that it's currently held by someone named the Black Swordsman."

Skull Knight raised a dismissive hand. "That is besides the point."

"Ok... so what was that about one of Star's grandmas making a spell based off of it?"

"She, the one referred to as Celena the Shy, was once a former student of Flora's. Oft times I would find her in her teacher's treasure room analyzing and studying the Armor fervently into the wee hours of the night. Her continuous studies on the item bordered on obsession and, as a former user of the armor, it greatly concerned me."

Marco briefly considered asking him if that was how he became a skeleton, but he figured it was too rude to bring up. A different inquiry within a similar vein arose in its place, however.

"So you used to wear it, huh?" He pointed to the still unconscious Star. "Went through something like this?"

The Knight gravely nodded. "I could not bear its malevolent nature any longer and left it in Flora's care in the hopes that it would find a much more capable wielder. Though as I stand here, I ponder whether such a choice was wise to begin with. But I ultimately relent, for this must be within the confines of Causality."

Marco took another long look Star, his heart ached towards the prospect of possibly losing her to such a dangerous power.

"Is there any way to break the spell or something?"

"Not easily." Mina tersely answered. And said nothing more than that, allowing Skull Knight to take over from there.

"The original Berserker Armor is a removable piece of equipment, but for some reason not even Glossaryck could ascertain, Celena created this perverse duplication that prevented anyone augmented to completely dispel it. With ease, that is."

"But do you know how, at least?"

Mina and Skull Knight exchanged blank glances before turning back to Marco.

"The only feasible way to break the spell would be to completely extinguish the inner beast that lies within. One must dispel their inner darkness with a sheer force of will that rivals those of godlike proportions. All things considered, I do not believe your friend is capable of such a feat at this moment."

Marco hefted a resigned sigh. "So, what's gonna happen now that she's... like this?"

Skull Knight paused for a few moments. "Every inhibition, physical and mental, shall be sacrificed for a many-fold escalation in her physical prowess, as you've likely surmised by this point. However, to do so, the armor must summon forth her inner darkness. The desire for power the armor tempts may encourage more frequent use, which will propagate the deterioration of the mind and result in numerous severe mental deficiencies. She would no longer be recognized by who she is, but rather, what she's given in to."

Marco exasperatedly ran a hand through his hair. As if there wasn't already much to worry about Star, causality somehow finds a way to add more to the steadily growing pile.

He hefted another sigh before deftly cradling his sleeping friend in his arms and making his slow, steady way back into the Sanctuary. He stopped just short of the first stepping stone.

"Oh yeah... thanks for everything, by the way. Getting me and Star out of that..." Marco swallowed a lump in his throat before continuing. "...place. And for helping us just now."

The Skull Knight responded with a single nod, silently expressing "You're welcome."

"And uh, you too, Mina. When we first met, I thought you were no different from the hobos hanging around the alleys of Echo Creek. But now I see why Star admired you so much. You really are a great hero."

Mina simply scoffed and flitted her pupils off to the side with a combination of modesty and self-doubt.

"Anyways, I better get inside and take care of Star. Remember that we're gonna set out first thing in the morning."

"Gotcha." Mina raised a thumb in agreement.

With that, Marco resumed his path back to the safety of the floating, circular building. He somewhat struggled with his own injuries as he put in much effort not to trip and fall into the water below with his friend in tow.

When he knocked on the door with his feet to request for Janna or Glossaryck to answer, he was initially taken aback but was not surprised when a skeleton came in their place and parted the doors to allow him entry. The hinged slabs of stone shut with a loud thud.

A lingering, palpable silence formed a layer that surrounded the two remaining on the beach. Their eyes remained fixed on the Sanctuary as it stood in moderate disrepair beneath the slowly setting sun and the gradually darkening violet skies. The vibrantly orange horizon nearly shared its same color with the shimmering sea below.

"Humor me for a bit, Skully." Mina softly spoke after what felt like a while. "You think they're gonna make the same mistakes we made?"

The Skull Knight gave pause to his actions before giving voice to his rationale. "I cannot say. After all that has occurred, their place in the flow of Causality is constantly in flux, rendering it murky at best, incomprehensible at worse. This is a phenomenon that is unusual even to me. I cannot tell whether this should be cause for alarm or optimism."

Mina arched her eyebrow briefly before shaking her head and smiling.

"Ok well, what am I supposed to do with that information?"

He shrugged. "Whatever you deem appropriate. However, it leads me to believe there are other forces at play besides the ones you and I are familiar with."

"I kinda figured. Whaddya think they want?"

He shrugged once more. "Their motives and ambitions escape me. Regardless, they're not the ones I'm most concerned with."

Mina left her mind blank for a moment, giving it a reprieve from all that transpired thus far. An errant question made its way to the forefront of her empty thoughts.

"Say Skull Knight, do you have an idea on why Glossaryck sent me to Star and Marco's aid even though he most likely knew you were on your way there anyways?"

The two exchanged another long, inquisitive look. Mina could never tell what he was thinking whenever he looked like that. But then again, he always looked that way. Guess that was one of the perks of being a skeleton. No subtle facial expressions to read.

"Would you resent me if I said that I would have slain your queen had you not intervened?"

Mina couldn't contain her shock as she stared bug-eyed and slack-jawed at her friend.

"You wouldn't." The strongly spoken statement was more for her sake than anything.

Skull Knight only gravely nodded, belying nothing.

"Wha..." She fumbled in her words, her mind racing with disbelief. "Why would you do that?"

"Her sinister aura was not dissimilar to that of Eclipsa's. Though, compared to the elder Butterfly's, the younger's was merely in its infancy. It will only continue to grow and fester now that she has summoned forth the power of the Berserker Armor."

"Geez, it never ends, does it?" Mina stated with an exhausted sigh.

"Unfortunately not, but you should find solace in knowing that you at least have the means to combat such seemingly insurmountable odds."

"Heh, amen to that. Glad I finally have a purpose again after living without one for so long."

"And I am happy for you." The Skull Knight swayed his reigns to the side, prompting his steed to prepare to depart. "Well, I must be off. May Causality bring you triumph over every obstacle in your righteous path."

"You too, 'Your Majesty'" Mina casually remarked with a mischievous smile.

The Skull Knight turned his head to the side for a few moments before silently resuming his leave.

"WAAAAIIIT!" Cried out Janna who was hopping across the stepping stones. The Skull Knight immediately halted.

"Whaddya need, Janna? Something goin' on with Star and Marco?"

"Uh no, I uh..." The beanie-bearing teen panted tiredly as she propped herself up with her hands laying her knees. She then turned to Skull Knight with a look that didn't seem like anything good could come of it.

"So uh, Skull Knight, right?" She began nervously curling her hair in her finger as she spoke. "You're not, um, seeing anybody are you?"

While Skull Knight stared on as blankly as he always has, his thoughts left to interpretation, Mina couldn't help but look completely flabbergasted by such a question, her entire visage widened beyond what her facial muscles were capable of.

"Janna, what the heck!?" Mina nearly shouted, her face flushed. "You do realize he's a skeleton, right?"

The wily weirdo shrugged. "Eh. Wouldn't be the first time."

"Wha-" As if Mina couldn't get any more taken aback, Janna somehow found a way. "You know he's also over a thousand years old?"

"Do age of consent laws really apply across dimensions?"

"What the f-" Mina spared herself from stating an expletive and opted to pinch the bridge of her nose instead. "Oh my goodness Skull Knight, I'm so sorry you-"

Her approaching apology died on her lips as it was on the verge of being aimed at no one. The horseman was long gone well before anyone realized it and seemingly without a trace as well.

Mina and Janna exchanged a glance. While the former's was wrought with awkwardness, the latter could only look somewhat resigned and aloof.

"Guess it's back to the Marcobowl, then."


	50. Weather Change Their Phrase

As Zodd drew ever closer to his destination, his wings struggled to maintain his steady flight pattern and his energy began to sputter out. The possibility of a crash landing loomed over the Apostle as his exhausted body found it an ordeal to stay afloat.

As soon as he touched down right at the bottom of the Castle steps, he immediately shifted back into his "human" form. Barely a second after, he collapsed on all fours and choked out several pints of blood, the numerous injuries from his prior scuffle taking a heavier toll on his weaker, original self. He caught a few wary glances from the various castle staff and citizens walking by, but they ultimately went on their business as usual.

"Ah, there is my Captain." Griffith casually stated as he descended the steps, with Toffee and Eclipsa walking beside him. "I was beginning to worry something might have happened. We're about ready to take our leave."

The Apostle didn't reply right away nor did he face his superior. His body shuddered violently as he could barely hold himself up and breath normally.

After a slight roll of his eyes, Griffith strolled over to his wounded cohort and knelt right before him. He gently laid a hand upon his head and cast a silverish white glow over the barbarian's entire form. Immediately all the bruises and scars that decorated his flesh vanished, save for the one on his forehead. That was essentially Zodd's dog collar as administered by Griffith.

The Apostle's breathing normalized and he had regained the strength to rise to his full height.

"Many thanks, Lord Griffith." Said Zodd as he stretched his limbs.

"You're welcome." The White Hawk's face lit up and his eyes trailed up the steep steps of the Castle. Toffee and Eclipsa's gaze followed along.

The young King then returned his gaze to his comrade. "I assume the children gave you quite the trouble?"

Zodd said nothing. Instead he merely crossed his arms and grunted, which Griffith took to mean "yes".

"I see. Did you at least enjoy yourself?"

"I would be spouting falsehood if I said I didn't. The boy. The girl. Both exceptional warriors worthy of the extraordinary weapons that they wield. However, the girl herself was the most... shall I say, peculiar out of the two."

"Oh? Why do you say that?" Griffith curiously asked. Toffee arched an intrigued eyebrow while Eclipsa couldn't contain her faint, yet noticeable smile.

The barbarian scratched his head before elaborating. "Do you recall my report from that particular mission you sent me and Grunbeld, along with an army of Apostles, where our objective was to burn the Spirit Tree where the witch Flora resided in?"

"Yes? What of it?"

"Do you remember the specific details regarding the Black Swordsman?"

Griffith's lips involuntarily pursed. "Ah yes, the Berserk Armor fiasco, correct? What does that have to with the peculiarity of the former princess?"

"Well, apparently she has become the wearer of said armor. Though whether it is the original or a mere facsimile is something I've yet to be certain about."

The White Hawk turned around and shot a rather sharp, inquisitive glare at the Dark Queen.

"Care to explain, Eclipsa?"

The elder Butterfly cleared her throat and composed herself. "Yes, well. I have recently discovered that a good portion of my descendants have managed to emulate various magics from other dimensions."

"Is that so?" Toffee asked. "I had no idea your family was so unoriginal."

"I assure you that no one before me has ever plagiarized spells from other dimensions. For some reason it became a trend some generations after mine and has since perpetuated to this day. Solaria and Celena are two such examples. In fact, I've uncovered records stating that the latter has ventured into Midland during her teens. Most likely some years prior to your ascension, Griffith. Perhaps that's how Star managed to get her hands on such a powerful and rather dangerous artifact."

"Interesting...Well, no matter." Griffith dismissively stated. "I'd wager the young lady would end up destroying herself as well as those close to her anyhow. It is the same reason I find the Black Swordsman no threat to me whatsoever."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, my friend." Eclipsa dissented with great certainty.

"Pardon me?"

"Well, in both of their cases, it is abundantly clear that they each have someone to fight for. Such simple, yet valiant ambitions can carry one to the greatest of heights, of which I'm sure you are well aware of, Griffith."

The silver-haired man simply scoffed before turning back to Zodd.

"Well then, shall we depart, Lord Griffith?" The Apostle asked, devolving back to his beastly form and spanning his large wings to prepare for takeoff. "Ah yes, before I forget again, where is that masked rodent, anyways?"

"He just slithered into the castle not long after you landed." Toffee answered.

Zodd sighed. "Did he adhere himself to me once again? That amorphous fool should give clearer warnings on such actions."

"You know that's not how he operates." Griffith retorted with a smile.

"Regardless, it's quite irksome to say the least."

"Speaking of which, he's back." Eclipsa pointed out. "He's on your wing now, Zodd."

The Apostle rigorously flapped both of his wings to shake off his teammate, but nothing dropped off. Then again, he wouldn't have known if anything did.

"Raksas, is it too much to ask for some communication regarding personal space?"

"No, but I take great pleasure in being right under the great Nosferatu Zodd's nose unbeknownst to him."

"Ugh, may we please depart already? I'm beginning to suffer a migraine."

"Shortly, my friend." Griffith turned to his two hosts to bid his farewells.

"Toffee. Eclipsa. It's been a pleasure spending these past couple days with you."

"Likewise." Toffee replied as he gave a bow. Eclipsa followed with the same gesture. "I was especially enthralled by the brawl I shared with you, Zodd."

"The feeling is mutual." The beast amiably replied. "If I may be honest, I was rather taken aback by your altered form, yet not surprised at the same time.

"I hope you'll come visit us once again." The Dark Queen said with a noticeable longing in her tone.

"In due time. I also hope any of you may find your way to Falconia some day as well. Don't hesitate to ask for me."

"You know I won't." Eclipsa spoke rather flirtatiously.

"Ah yes, Toffee. You would be delighted to know that Falconia hosts a Colosseum for us Apostles to partake in deathly combat. I look forward to seeing how you fare against my other Hawk members such as Irving and Locus."

"Looking forward to it, Zodd."

"Well then. If that will be all, then we shall be on our merry way." The White Hawk landed upon his monstrous subordinate's back in a single bound and then proceeded to conjure up a misty silver tear in the fabric of space with a nonchalant wave of his hand.

"May your dreams stay afloat and your rule remain everlasting."

With that, all three guests faded into the swirling vortex as it closed behind them the moment their forms disappeared.

Toffee and Eclipsa were on the verge of climbing back up the castle steps until they were met with a rather cross-looking Jackie Lynn Thomas standing at the top of the stares.

"Ms. Thomas." Eclipsa formally addressed, her voice calm yet somewhat laced with surprise. "What brings you out here?"

Jackie's sea-foam eyes looked to be burning holes right through her two superiors, yet neither seemed fazed by them whatsoever. She placed a hand on the saber/katana that hung from her hip and squeezed tight.

"So Berserker Armor, huh?"

* * *

"Yo Marco, you've been sitting there for like, ever." Janna pointed out as he walked up to him. He had his back against the wall and held his unconscious friend in his arms for an amount of time he didn't bother to measure. While he, Janna, and Mina saw to her wounds, he took it upon himself to wrap her in his hoodie.

He didn't say anything back. He was too caught up in what Star's been through and how much she needed him that he couldn't find it in himself to relax and let her be. If anything, he knew that she needed him then more than ever.

"Dude c'mon, the stream's about to start. I wanna show you and Star- whenever she wakes up- something we've been doing to pass the time while you were going through your respective out-of-body experiences. Which, by the way, I'm still kinda jelly of."

"Stream?" A perplexed expression was plastered on Marco's face upon hearing about something he was only vaguely familiar with in his previous excursions on the internet.

"Yeah man, Salty Bet's 'bout to start."

Marco's confusion only deepened as he arched an eyebrow.

"Ugh, just... c'mon, I'll show you what I'm talkin' about," Janna turned around and made a beckoning wave. "Carry her on over if you gotta."

With a bit of hesitation, Marco relented to Janna's proposition of watching a Stream. Like before, he cradled the girl in his arms like a baby and went his steady way around the massive fountain in the middle of the building and towards the other side where everyone else was.

Mina and Glossaryck were sitting in front of Marco's laptop, its monitor displaying the overlay of some streaming site he didn't recognize. There was only one that knew of anyways. Among them was Mina's overturned helmet filled to the brim with tortilla chips.

"Uh, how did you guys even get WiFi here?" Marco asked as he gently sat himself upon the ground with Star in tow.

"Guilty as charged." Glossaryck raised a hand. A white WiFi symbol was drawn on the purple crystal that adhered to his forehead, displaying full bars.

"Alright so," Janna plopped onto a spot next to Marco. "you know _Mugen_ , right?"

Marco couldn't contain his wince when the memories of his existential crisis regarding that game seeped into his mind. "Uh, yeah? What about it?"

"I should let you know that, for some reason, Glossaryck has a folder on your computer labeled _Berserk_ which has Skull Knight and some of his associates as playable characters. And he refuses to explain himself." Mina shot a wary glare at the little blue man, to which he responded with a shrug and a smile.

"Anyways," Janna continued. "yeah, so Salty Bet's pretty much a gambling site where you bet on who you think might win during Fighting Game tournament matches. They don't use real money though, so it's just all in good fun."

"So I'm guessing there's a _Mugen_ tournament going on right now?"

"Err, kinda? Except that we'd be watching AI duke it out instead of real people. They do that every night or so when there's no event going on. Right now they're hosting a tournament of S-Tier characters, and I'm hoping to see my boy Rare Akuma show up."

"He's not in the lineup, Janna."said Glossaryck as he was browsing through a list of names on the computer. "In fact, he hasn't been in the lineup for S-tier tournies in ages."

"Yeah, well a girl can dream can't she?"

"The heck is Rare Akuma?" Marco recalled that Akuma was who Star wanted to main when they were playing _Third Strike._ He was confused by the inclusion of "Rare" in his name.

"Oh-ho-hoo man, Marco. Very few can match the bullshit made digital that is Rare Akuma. I wish he was competing just so I could see your reaction to how stupidly powerful he is."

"So this is pretty much a competition to see whose OP OC could win over all the rest."

"Exactly!" Janna pointed an affirmative finger to the air. "And man, are we lucky to be part of an S-Tier tourney tonight. Who knows what kinda insanity we'll see on the 2D battlefield?"

"Hm." Marco reached for a tortilla chip before getting his hand slapped away by Mina. "What? I just wanted a chip."

"Those are our betting chips." Sternly stated Mina.

"You don't get to eat till after the Stream's over." Janna grabbed the helmet and slid it closer to her. "If you want some chips, ya gotta get in on this and bet with us."

Just then, Marco's stomach groaned, audibly pleading to its master for sustenance. Despite the resounding cry of his gut and the low rumble of his belly, Star had not stirred from her slumber.

"Alright fine." The boy relented.

"Awesome. This is the last of our chips too, so you better hope you win the whole pot or something."

Janna proceeded to pass out chips to everyone, barring Glossaryck, one at time until each participant totaled fifteen chips each.

"Glossaryck, you're not getting in on this?" Marco asked, noticing his lacking a single crumb.

"Kid, you sure you want to gamble against yours truly while your hunger is at stake?"

"Eh, good point."

"Aw, what!?" Janna blurted out as she shot her hands up in exasperation. "Technical difficulties? Fifteen minute delay? Ugh! Boooo! Boooo!"

"Hm. Can't say I didn't see that coming." Glossaryck dryly remarked.

"Speaking of 'boo'," Marco wished to address something that slipped his mind earlier when his focus was diverted to Star's well-being. "Janna, where'd all those skeletons come from?"

The girl in question took a momentary pause to strum up a sufficient explanation. She then proceeded to dig into her beanie and pulled out a purple cloth sack tied shut by a thin drawstring. Little depictions of skulls and crossbones were drawn all over the bloated, bumpy surface of the bag. Janna unraveled the draw string and dipped a couple fingers into the bag. She fished out a marble-sized skull decorated in such a way that reminded Marco of all the times he's celebrated _Dia De Los Muertos_ with his family.

"So pretty much the way I summon those guys is that I speak certain phrases to these little skulls. I toss 'em onto the ground and, depending on what I say, they materialize in different forms with different abilities, weapons, and other stuff. Watch."

Janna stood up from her seat with the tiny skull pinched between her fingers. She brought it in close proximity to her lips and, after taking a mild breath, she spoke into the skull's "ear".

"Skele-ton Warri-or! Dadadadadada-dadadadaaa!"

Janna tossed the little skull some distance away. A large puff of gray smoke rose from its landing and its eventual fade gave way to a bare skeleton holding a curved sword and a round shield. The very same variety that Marco met with upon reentering the Sanctuary.

"How..." Marco scratched his head in confusion. "does that even work?"

"Hold on a sec," Janna held up a halting finger. She took another short inhale before speaking with as much clarity and authority as she could muster. "Thank, Mr. Skeltal."

Upon the uttering of the last syllable, the familiar's body instantly disintegrated into ash, then each grain converged and formed a snake-like shape which flew though the air and into Janna's open palm. The collection of ash spun and closed into itself until it hardened and formed the exact miniature skull from which it derived from.

"What..." Marco had no words.

"You wanna see my favorite one so far? Too bad, I'm showing you anyways." Janna brought the same skull near her lips and she spoke into it once again. "Skele-ton Trumpe-ter! Dootdootdootdootdootdoot-dootdootdootdoooot!"

Performing the same actions as before summoned forth a skeleton that looked exactly like the previous one except it came out wearing a pair of shades while playing a trumpet.

"Dunno what he does besides look snazzy, but I like him anyways. Ok. Thank Mr. Skeltal!"

And just like before, the skeleton returned to its original, bite-sized skull form which rested upon Janna's palm.

"So, how are you able to do that? And where'd you get all those little skulls?"

"Well, I got 'em when I went out of Star's... former Kingdom. Thought they looked cool and they weren't super expensive. Found out via Glossaryck that each of these skulls are actually molded out of real bone ash and that I could revive them and do all sorts of crazy stuff. All I had to do was drink someone's ashes mixed with some milk and boom! I'm a discount necromancer now!"

"You drank someone's ashes!?" Marco could and couldn't believe how insane Janna was for desecrating someone's remains in that fashion. He wasn't surprised that she'd have the gall to do it, but it didn't lessen how aghast he felt.

"Marco, is she alright in the head?" Mina asked as she pointed a finger to her own noggin, the irony of the question lost on her. "Just a few hours ago, she was hitting on Skull Knight."

"Yeah, she dated a skeleton once, so I could see that. And to answer your first question, I don't know."

"Hey c'mon Mina, you gotta admit he's pretty hot. I'd like to be swept off my feet by that White Knight, knowwhatImean?"

The veteran warrior dropped her forehead on her palm and shook it slowly.

"Still... someone's ashes, Janna? Like I know that's your thing but that's just wrong."

"Hey, Glossaryck said that it was important that I- Baaaa-aaa-aahhh!"

Janna's eyes widened to extreme widths and she immediately slapped her mouth shut with both palms.

"YOU MADE HER SWALLOW LEKMET'S ASHES!?" Mina was absolutely livid at the revelation. Her wild eyes darted towards the little blue man sitting by the laptop and grinning that shit-eating grin of his. "Glossaryck... what the f... how did... why!? "

"Well, how else was I going to bring him back?" Glossaryck justified, holding a shrug as he did so. "By the way, how's it goin' Lekmet? I see you finally woke up after a couple weeks."

"Wait, who- Baa-ah-ah-aahhh!" Janna bleated again. Whenever she did so, the whites of her eyes momentarily turned yellow and her pupils became small lines.

"Wait..." Marco vaguely recalled hearing that name. He then associated it with someone he only briefly met some time ago but never really got to know. "you talking about that one goat guy in the MHC?"

"Yup, the very same." Glossaryck confirmed. "The being in charge of life-giving, funerals, and just Mortality in general."

"So I got a magic goat dude inside me?" Janna held a hand to her stomach, then pumped both of her fists in celebration. "Aweso-baa-aaahhhh!" Janna instinctively brought a hand to her mouth again. "Ok, that's gonna get real annoying if we don't reach a compromise or something, goat-dude."

"Yeah, get used to sharing a body, Janna." Glossaryck said. "As for you Lekmet, I'm sorry I had to do it this way, but hey! You're back and Janna gets to live out her dreams of raising the dead. It's a win-win."

"Hey, I don't mind. I've always wanted to be possessed, anyways."

"Just to let you know, you also might get a craving for grass and other such foliage every so often."

"Eh, I need to eat more veggies any- huh? Oh, sure. Take it away, dude." Janna (Or Lekmet) cleared her throat. "Baah-aaaahhh-aaahh-aaa?" Lekmet bleated inquisitively.

"Oh, errr..." Glossaryck sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, about Hekapoo, Rhombulus and Omni... they're uh, alive and well but... not on our side anymore."

"Baahh-aaaa?"

"Toffee."

"Baahhh..." Janna's head hung in dejection, her yellowish gaze dropping to the ground.

"Oh man, if you think that's bad, get-a-load-a this: Eclipa's back, too."

Janna's head shot up and her eyes threatened to pop out of her skull. Lekmet smacked each hand against her temples. "Baaahh-bahhh-bahhhha-aaaahhhh! Baaaaahhhhhhhh!?"

"It's... complicated. But hey, don't despair. Marco over there's got the Right Hand and Star... well, Star's Star."

"Baa-aaaah?" Lekmet looked over to the still-sleeping Star and the still-confused Marco and proceeded to examine them. "Baaa-aahhh-aaah?"

"Yeah, Left Hand's not with us. Lucitor's defected."

"Baa-baahhh..." Lekmet shook Janna's head. "Baaaa-baaaahhh?"

"Oh geez... Are you sure you wanna know what happened with Moon?"

Marco and Mina grew sullen upon hearing the late Queen's name with their mournful gazes brought to the ground beneath them. Star, whether by coincidence or not, bit her lower lip in her sleep.

"Baahhh... Baaah-aaahhh-aaah...?"

"That doesn't even begin to describe what happened. And I'll spare you the details, lest we all open some rather fresh wounds."

"Baaa-aaahhh..."

"Yeah, but uhh, moving on from that, we were just about to start watching a Salty Bet stream. Which is about to start in..." Glossaryck turned to the monitor. "Like five minutes."

"Baaa-aaah?"

"Nah, Evo's not till next month. _Mugen_ tourney tonight. S-tier."

Lekmet perked up. "Baah-bah-baaaahhh-aaa?"

"Oh my goodness, no." Glossaryck brought three fingers to his jeweled forehead in annoyance. "Rare Akuma is _not_ in the lineup tonight. Why does everyone keep- do you want in on this?"

"Baa-aaahhh-aaahh."

"I guess that makes more sense. I mean, you're both sharing a body now."

"You know how to make good calls, goat-dude?" Janna returned momentarily. She paused for a bit, seemingly having a conversation with Lekmet in her head. "Huh. Alright man, I trust you."

"Hey, can I get in on this, too?" Star instantly roused from her sleep and directed everyone's attention to her.

"Star!" Marco's call was nearly shouted as he briefly lost himself in his own excitement. He embraced her tightly. "I was so worried, I thought I'd lost you or something."

"Nah, I'm alright, I guess." She didn't sound very convincing, but no one bothered to comment on that. "Anyways, gimme some chips. I wanna get in on this 'Salty Bet' thing."

"Wait, have you been awake this whole time?"

"Since you carried me over here." Star said with a sly smirk. "Not gonna lie. I was close to losing it when Janna summoned that trumpet-playing skeleton. Almost lost it again when we found out she drank Lekmet's ashes."

"Lekmet says he's glad you're ok and he's sorry that- uhhh, never mind." Janna looked distant for a bit. "I know you're trying to be nice and all but c'mon, give her a break. She's been through a lot. Too much, I'd even say."

"No no, it's okay..." Star sat up from Marco's lap. The hoodie that concealed her form dropped to her lap. "Thanks, Lekmet."

"He says 'you're welcome'."

"Alright well," Glossaryck clapped his hands. "Now that we've gotten that out of the way, shall we get to high-rollin'?

"Yeah sure," Star outstretched her left palm and prompted for some chips. "Gimme a-"

Star's face fell to shock as she quickly noticed her newly acquired arm. She brought the clawed hand to her face and twisted it around. Her arm re-extended and she spun the whole thing, closely inspecting every metallic groove from top to bottom.

"Wh-when did I get this?" She asked, still somewhat shaken by the revelation.

"Uh..." Marco scratched his cheek and looked to the ground. "You... kinda got it after you... got in that armor thing."

"Armor thi- Oh." Star recalled the circumstances of her casting that spell as well what happened afterwards. In fact she remembered the events vividly as well as the insatiable lust for blood that accompanied them, which gradually grew stronger once her intended enemy departed the fight.

"I... I didn't hurt any of you while I was in there, did I?"

"Well, you did attack Skull Knight right after Zodd retreated." Mina reminded with a bit of passive-aggression. Star's expression and mood was a combination of apologetic and self-loathing upon hearing that.

"Can I just point out how cool it looked when you first put it on, though?" Janna beamed, her expression like that of a kid at a candy store. "Like it started out with black goo wrapping around your entire body and then you started convulsing super hard before going limp. Like, I thought the thing killed you for a second and I started freaking out, but then, like a vampire or something, you just lifted to your feet, jumped outta the hole you made, and started kicking that big dude's ass. It was so cool!"

"I didn't... feel very cool though." Star quietly muttered, still staring into her armored arm.

"How did it feel using that Berserker Carapace?" Glossaryck asked.

"Well," She took a moment to recall. Apprehended by a feeling of dread, she shuddered before elaborating. "It was dark and claustrophobic and I couldn't _feel_ anything. Yet at the same time I could feel everything the armor was doing to me."

"What was it doing to you?" Marco asked out of sheer morbid curiosity. "Y'know, besides turning you into some bloodthirsty killing machine?"

"Like... I could feel all these little needles getting into my skin and deep into my body. I could feel all my bones being put back together and stuff being pumped into my veins and my organs. It was like... going through surgery and being awake for it. Then after that, I felt like I was... deep underwater or something, but the water was like, thick and gooey and I felt really trapped. If I hadn't heard Marco call out to me, I probably would've been stuck in there for who knows how long."

"It's... not a feeling you could ever get used to..." Mina said in despondent reminiscence. She brought her knees to her chest and embraced her legs.

"What?" Star blinked. "Mina, you-"

"I don't wanna talk about it." The veteran warrior couldn't cut her off fast enough.

A rather tangible tension filled the air that brought forth a torrent of silence from which everyone found it difficult to rise from. A few coughs here or there and an audible shuffling of bodies was all that was heard.

"Hey look, it's started!" Janna pointed at the laptop screen, which displayed two complicated names divided by the the word "Vs." written across a Salty Bet themed background. On one corner of the screen was a dancing salt shaker and below that was a drawn, scantily clad woman who, much to Star and Marco's surprise and subsequent discomfort, bore flowing blonde hair as it was crowned by pair of devil horns.

After several seconds, the screen switched to the designated stage along with the two fighters standing on each side of the screen idly animating away. One was a crudely drawn mass of bloated, bulky shapes that looked like it was made in MS Paint, while the other looked like a legitimate fighting game character.

Janna put her chips down and made her call. "I got three on Repainted Zangeif!"

* * *

Everyone ended up waking up around the crack of dawn. While the other three were packing it up and having the very last of the vending machine snacks as their breakfast, Marco stood right behind Star as she sat upon a stone bench, covered in a conjured up barber's sheet. Marco had a pair of non-functioning dimensional scissors in hand.

"You sure you wanna do this, Star?" He asked as he snipped the air a few times. "I mean, I've never cut anyone's hair before and you kept it at this length for so long."

"Yeah..." She said with resignation in her tone. "Besides, I'm not sure if things'll ever get back to way they were. And I dunno if I should even consider myself Queen at this point. Might as well make a drastic change to reflect that."

Marco sighed. "I guess you're right. I'm gonna miss long-haired Star."

"Yeah. I will, too."

"I'm uh..." Marco looked to the side and rubbed his own hair. "a bit scared that I'll mess it up. Dunno why you didn't ask Mina or Janna instead. I think they'd be able to handle a girl's hair better than I would."

A soft smile formed on Star's lips. "Don't worry about it too much. I trust you."

"Heh. Okay."

With that, Marco proceeded to snip away at Star's hair as carefully and as precisely as he could. Bushels of it fell to the ground by his feet with each slow snip. Eventually, they formed a rather sizeable pile that went just short of Marco's knees. It was somewhat challenging what with how much hair was present, but he managed just fine.

"There." Marco finalized, shaking a few stray strands from the back of Star's neck. She turned her Wand into a hand mirror and proceeded to inspect her best friend's admittedly amateur handiwork. She saw that her hair now only reached to the base of her neck. It was then that she realized that her heart marks blackened and one of her bangs were bleached white.

"Huh." She said as she rubbed one cheek mark with one hand and lightly tugged at the white bang with the other. "How did that happen?"

"Dunno. Happened after you got out of that armor."

"Hm. Anyways, not bad for your first time." Star complimented genuinely. "I think you've gotta career hair-styling ahead of ya."

"You really think so?"

"Mmhm. I could see it now." Star drifted an open palm slowly across the air. 'Marco Diaz's Dojo and Beauty Salon'. Co-founded by Star Butterfly."

"Heh heh. 'Karate choppin' and hair cuttin' since current year'." Marco joined in on the quips.

"You guys ready to get goin'?" Mina asked as she as well as Janna walked up to the two. "Wish you didn't have to cut your hair, Star. I preferred it the way it was before."

"Yeah well, I felt it was necessary."

"I'm diggin' the 'Punished Star' look." Janna remarked. "Lekmet likes it, too."

"Dunno what that means, but thanks." Star shot a faint grin.

"Alright then." Marco breathed a heavy sigh. "Let's get outta here."

With that, all six, including the remaining Magic High Commission members, departed the Sanctuary. Allowing the heavy stone doors to shut one last time. The second every single person stepped off the last floating stone and faded into the nearby forest, the Sanctuary, as well as its accompanying steps sunk back into the deep lake, away from any errant, prying eyes not meant to lay upon it. One of the blue alligators tasked with guarding said Sanctuary returned to the shore, keeping watch until the next time someone engages in a conversation comprised solely of back and forth "Bwaaahs".


	51. Riders of the Lupus Hour

"Yharnam style?" Jackie asked, somewhat perplexed.

"Mmhm."

The teen gave it some thought. She had already learned how to hunt a vast multitude of creatures that dwelt within Hekapoo's dimension and the beasts in which Eclipsa had a career in slaying seemed to pale in comparison.

"I dunno." Jackie scratched the back of her head. "I mean, do I really have to?"

"Dear, let me ask you this: out of every moment of combat you've ever experienced, how much of them relied solely on the element of surprise?"

She took a moment to ponder. "Almost all of 'em, I guess. Not a huge fan of direct approaches and I don't kill as often as you'd expect from the kinda training I got. And when I did, I made sure they didn't see me coming and it was as quick as possible. Don't like draggin' out a fight for more than a few minutes and if that happened, I usually just leave without a trace."

"I see." Eclipsa nodded in understanding. "While that may have served you well during your sixteen-year excursion and your work with us thus far, I believe you'll find that the effectiveness of stealth and subterfuge may diminish at a certain point."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, so far your adversaries have consisted of nothing but bandits, other assassins, rebelling soldiers, and whatever wildlife inhabited Hekapoo's dimension correct?"

"Uh-huh?"

"So considering how beneath you they all have been, wouldn't you need to innovate your technique for an opponent such as say... Star Butterfly?"

Jackie couldn't contain her frown when the name bit against her psyche. She hadn't really given the former princess any space in her mind since some point during her Hekapoo hunting session, but now that she heard it again, she was reminded why she took up the assassin's blade in the first place. To fell that which endangered not only Marco, but everyone around her the longer she allowed the darkness within to fester. However, as time went on, her animosity towards the girl diminished as she busied herself with bigger, more important schemes. While she would've agreed a long time ago, the lessons she learned and the people she met along the way conflicted with the goals and methods she had in mind initially.

"But, what about Tom?"

"If he's truly your friend, then he'll surely understand the necessity of your actions."

"I guess... but why learn how to hunt beasts the way you've been taught? And what does that have to do with fighting Star?"

Eclipsa smiled, evoking the involuntary stiffening of Jackie's body. "It will make sense in due time. But what is your answer, my dear?"

"I uh... you know what? Sure. I mean, I guess I haven't been doing much for a while and learning a new skill would be a better use of my time."

"Excellent." Eclipsa said as she clapped her hands together. "Ah, but first, we must take a slight detour."

With a slow, methodical wave of her hand, the courtyard and everything around it began to blur and erode. Jackie was completely taken aback by the effect and struggled to keep a steady foot as the ground beneath her undulated and molded into something completely different and the colors in her vision mixed and melted into those that were entirely different.

The next thing she knew, she was standing at the base of a rounded hill. Branching dirt paths cut through various plots of grass, white flowers, graves, and nearly barren trees. A line of considerably taller, more distinct graves flanked one side of the gray stone steps at a higher section of the hill. At the very top of said steps was a rectangular, two-story mansion built in a Victorian-era style. Above them were several red clouds among several white ones scattered across a dark-blue sky. Presiding over the entire area was a full moon that floated closer than it should.

The area as a whole appeared to be some island in the sky. Beyond the metal fences that marked its boundaries was an endless sea of thick gray mist and towers that jutted out of said mist which spanned beyond the blurry horizon.

There was a woman standing at the base of the gray stone steps leading up to the house. She wore a delicate coat colored in dark pinks, black, with a bit of white that looked to be sewn and crafted with great care. Upon her head was one of those hats that babies and dolls wore during an era in which the house's fashion was commonplace.

"Ah, Lady Eclipsa, good to see you again after so long." Spoke the woman as the two visitors walked by. Jackie found her voice and her face to be shockingly familiar.

"Wait, Maria?" Jackie stopped dead in her tracks, her attention taken hostage by the woman standing before her. She recalled the aforementioned maiden's appearance from the playback of one of Eclipsa's memories using that Past Variant of the All-Seeing Eye. "But I thought you were-"

"That is absolutely _not_ Maria." Eclipsa's tone held a noticeable tinge of bitterness. "That is a life-sized wooden Doll meticulously crafted and given sentience by my former teacher. Now please, come inside."

Jackie gave a brief, pitiful look at the "doll" before running up the steps and following her apparent teacher. The house was significantly smaller than she had thought given its size. The interior was composed of a single rectangular room, with three entrances leading into it. Multiple workshop tables and shelves with diverse arrays of tools lined against each of the waxed wooden walls and stacks of dusty, worn books (most of which were copies of one called "How to Pick Up Fair Maidens") were haphazardly spread across the hard wood floor.

Eclipsa began perusing a large storage chest that laid against the wall near the door they entered from.

"Let's see... we'll need this." She pulled out a flintlock pistol, which Jackie recalled seeing a similar model in an American history textbook.

"Aren't you like, a goddess, Eclipsa?" The girl asked, confused. "Why do you need a gun? And a super old one at that?"

The Dark Queen shrugged as she picked up a box labeled "Quicksilver Bullets". "In your case, it's a vital part of the craft. And in my case, for nostalgia's sake. Besides, what fun is it to hunt beasts if you can disintegrate them with a mere thought?"

Jackie shrugged. "Fair enough, I guess."

Eclipsa pulled out another pistol and handed it to her would-be pupil before diving right back into the seemingly bottomless container.

"You don't happen to have a Glock or an AK in there, do you?" Jackie sheepishly quipped as she inspected the gun.

"Pardon me?"

"Ehh, never mind."

With a roll of her eyes, Eclipsa continued browsing the storage. With faint, repetitive mutterings of "this and this" she brought out more items which included, but not limited to, two distinct sets of bottles containing red liquid, a long, brownish femur, handfuls of tiny somethings wrapped in yellow paper, and last, but not least, another weapon. It was a long purple lance, with swirls of lighter shades of its primary color winding up to the tip and fin-like protrusions at the flared base of its long, cone-shaped head. At the butt-end of its thick, black handle was an ornate golden grip divided by a horizontal hilt. She slung the lance over her shoulder and let it hang from her back.

"So what is this place exactly?" Jackie inquired as her eyes glazed over every nook and cranny of the building.

"A personal Interstice that I've taken ownership of called the Hunter's Dream." Eclipsa spoke as she walked up to one of the workshop tables. "Hunters were once commonly bound to this place during the Night of the Hunt until I managed to put a stop to it all. Now the only occupant is the Doll and myself from time to time, though I have not stepped foot here since I became a member of the God Hand. Before then, I only came here to regularly maintain the condition of Maria's Rakuyo among... other things. Speaking of which, may I see it for just a few moments?"

"Uh, sure." Jackie obliged, to which Eclipsa gently placed it lengthwise across the table. She opened a small latch on the grip of the blade, revealing a little compartment that stored three gems, two of which were shaped like multi-pointed stars and one being a crescent moon. Eclipsa then swung open a nearby box on the table which held many gems of similar size and diverse hues, some with the same shapes and some that were triangular and spherical.

"What do you prefer, my dear?" The veteran hunter asked as her hand hovered over the box. "Would you like to sharpen the tip of the blade or its edges? Or lace it with poison? How about augmenting it with some fire, electricity, or magical energy? Perhaps you'd like to alter its weight in some way?"

"Um." Jackie was overwhelmed by the amount of choices laid out for her. She never had to deal with that sort of thing in Hekapoo's dimension. She was taught that a weapon was only as good as its user and never bothered with any such fancy enhancements.

Eclipsa took note of her indecisiveness and closed the compartment. "If nothing else, the gems that Maria has already inserted makes her weapon significantly lighter and sharper in order to ensure faster and more fluid motions. I assumed you might've wanted something different."

"No thanks, I think I'll stick to those."

Eclipsa shrugged. "Suit yourself. Would you like to keep a few of them just in case you decide to change your mind?"

"Sure, why not?"

Eclipsa took several out of the box and handed them to Jackie, who promptly placed them into one of her many pockets.

"This is a secret known only to scarce few, but you can augment weapons with those gems without the need to place them into their containment units. Simply melt the gems and thoroughly coat the blade in their liquid remains. This offers a more permanent enhancement, but doing so will negate the effectiveness of the gems placed in the compartments. You can also only do this with one gem, so effects will not stack if you melt multiple at once and doing so would render their original effects null."

"Why not just do that to begin with?"

"Hunters prefer switching augments often to suit whatever needs may arise. Now then, shall we?"

Jackie took her new weapon back and tucked her pistol into her pocket. "Yeah, I'm good to go."

Once they were well equipped, the two departed the building from whence they came. Eclipsa halted before a grave closest to the entrance. Upon further inspection, there was a long list of words carved onto the solid surface, of which were names of locations.

"This may seem a tad strange, but I need you to take my hand, dear." Eclipsa reached out an open palm to her apprentice. With a hesitant nod, Jackie held onto it.

Eclipsa then gently touched a finger upon one that read "Yharnam Bridge" and the indented words were immediately filled in with glowing white. Once again, the area around them melted into a completely different locale within moments.

They were now in what appeared to be a city, its towering buildings built in the same archaic fashion as the mansion they had just left. They were standing upon a platform at the end of a broad, long bridge, rife with blood, corpses, and piles of debris that comprised of either scattered carriage parts or cobblestone.

"Whoa... where are we now?" Jackie asked as she took in the rather macabre sight that closely resembled a gothic painting or a heavy metal album cover. Janna would've totally dug this place, she thought.

"Central Yharnam." Eclipsa simply answered. "Or at least a facsimile of it. The real Yharnam is relatively safe and free of the beast scourge currently. I made sure of that. This is but a replica born from the memories of my career as a Hunter. I used to come here to, for lack of a better term, blow off steam."

"So... this is all fake?"

"Yes and no. Take heed that whatever damage you incur is real and can potentially be fatal, so I urge you to treat this as if you were genuinely fighting for your life. Let us begin, shall we?"

The two commenced walking towards a large archway leading to the rest of the bridge. Near the archway was a group of three dog-sized crows lazily laying their black feathered bodies flat against the stone and darting their twitchy heads every which way.

As soon as the two women drew near, the birds immediately began screeching and leaping into the air, flapping their wings and thrusting their beaks at the intruders incessantly.

However, no sooner than they took flight did Eclipsa pull a thin blade out of her lance's handle and bisected all three in a single swing, leaving their bloodied, severed halves to splat onto the ground and their floating feathers slowly raining down.

"Whoa..." Jackie whispered beneath her breath in awe.

"Don't be so easily impressed, they were merely birds." Eclipsa apathetically spoke as she wiped the blood off her blade and holstered it.

"No, I mean... that lance is just a sheathe for that rapier?"

"It is not _just_ a sheathe, my dear. Much like the Rakuyo, my Liberator's Lance and its accompanying Estoc are two parts of the same weapon. That is what Hunter weaponry is. Arms that can switch seamlessly between two states to encourage more flexible and versatile combat. The Hunter must reflect that in order to prevent stagnation as one-trick ponies and hold an edge over strong, yet single-minded beasts."

"Yeah, that makes sense."

Up ahead, just a few yards away was a tall ogre of a man holding a large brick and wearing a desolate combination of tattered rags and bloodstained bandages, some of which wrapped around his head and gave him the appearance of a mummy. Some gray fur poked through little gaps of his clothing.

"Yo, I thought we'd be fighting beasts." Jackie pointed towards the man ahead. "That's clearly a dude. A big dude, but still a dude."

"For you." Eclipsa remarked with a knowing smile. "You'll find that every civilian here is affected by the plague and, while their partly human appearances may say otherwise, they are definitely no different from the actual beasts they shall inevitably become. In fact, one might even say that the line between beast and man often blurs naturally, lycanthropic disease or no."

"Hm." Jackie shifted her mouth to the side.

"And besides, I've mentioned that this is a dream dimension. And every being we see here are merely echoes of a Hunt long passed."

Eclipsa proceeded to inch closer to the man, with only her gun drawn. Alerted to her presence, the brute lumbered towards her with his brick raised high. Right as his "weapon" lowered even the slightest, the Master Hunter blasted him with a shot from her flintlock pistol, causing him to stagger and stumble to his knee. Eclipsa wasted no time thrusting her hand into his heart and tearing it from his bulky body, causing him to topple over and spew forth a wide spray of blood from the hole in his chest. His body briefly spasmed before slumping over and ceasing to move.

"Did your school teach you how to do that?" Eclipsa turned to face Jackie. The pristine paleness of her skin and the vibrant violet of her spades were lost beneath the layer of blood that stained her and Jackie couldn't help but faintly shudder at the sight.

"They taught me where all the vitals are, but they didn't teach me _that._ "

"Hm, I thought so." A smile was drawn across Eclipsa's bloody face as she holstered her pistol. "That is what the Workshop calls a Visceral Attack or a Visceral Finisher. A fatal strike that is meant to kill in one, decisive motion. It is a rather difficult technique to master, as it requires the utmost of precision and timing. Though I am confident that your prior training will make learning it considerably easier."

"Man, that's pretty brutal, though." Jackie remarked, still shaken by the gruesome act. "I dunno if I'd be willing to pull a move like that. Heck, I never really liked stabbing dudes, much less tear someone's heart out."

"How did you normally deal with the multitude of attackers seeking to cash in on your exorbitant bounty?"

Jackie pulled out a whitish blue marble from her pocket. "I just freeze 'em with this and just leave 'em there while I get away. I try not to kill so much unless they get waayy too stubborn or if they were the absolute worst type of people."

"Ah, so you were rather passive in your approach to combat."

"Pretty much. Only reason I even attended a school that taught me how to be a ninja was because the old dude who runs it told me it would help me find Hekapoo."

"Well unfortunately, you'll find that reconnaissance and espionage will do very little to help you here and henceforth. To combat beasts, you must display a degree of ferocity that rivals theirs, yet you must also take great heed as to not become them. The key word is 'display', Ms. Thomas."

"Gotcha. I mean, it's hard for me to lose my cool unless you give me a good reason that I should."

Further down the bridge was a pair of massive, wolf-like creatures. The aspects that distinguished themselves from regular wolves was that their limbs were prehensile and resemble those belonging to humans rather than canines. Glowing red eyes and gleaming white fangs and claws cut through the dense darkness of their fur. They seem to be on a patrol of sorts, walking a circular path within a small area of the bridge.

"I'm sure you're well aware of this trick as it is merely common sense, but pay attention regardless."

Eclipsa reached into her coat and pulled out one of those bottles filled with red liquid. She tossed it just a trivial distance from the pair of beasts, its contents forming a red puddle sprinkled with shards of glass. One of them perked up and directed its snout towards said puddle, then proceeded to speed its way towards the spot and lap its tongue against the moist, red ground.

"So I'm guessing blood was in that?"

Eclipsa nodded. "Would you believe me if I said that blood is more plentiful and coveted than alcohol around these parts?"

"Yeesh, this place is insane. A different kind of insane than what I'm used to."

"Yes, such an addiction to the sanguine nectar is what caused the plague of beasts to begin with."

Seemingly finished with its meal, the lycan perked its ears as it took notice of the two women's presence. With great haste and hunger, it bolted towards them, savagely roaring as it did so.

"Watch and learn, young pupil."

Eclipsa merely stood there as the beast ran within range and allowed it the privilege of swinging its massive claws across her torso. While it was abundantly clear that she had just taken considerable damage, the Old Hunter endured it without so much as the slightest twitch. The lycan saw the inactivity as an opportunity for another strike, with which it took without hesitation.

This time, Eclipsa did not allow its desires to come into fruition, and, before Jackie knew it, the Queen's Lance pushed the monster back and kept it at weapon's length as it feebly swung its claws and snapped its maw.

"Now then,"

Eclipsa took her weapon in both hands and mercilessly drove it into its chest, showering her body in more crimson fluid. Jackie noticed that, the moment the weapon dug into the lycan's torso, a faint, orange glow flashed from the core of her teacher's body. Soon, the lycan's growls faded into squealing whimpers and its arms sluggishly swiped at the Hunter before its entire body went limp and silent.

Eclipsa proceeded to push the creature off her weapon with her foot and its corpse fell to the ground with a dull, squishy thud. She inhaled deeply with her nostrils and heaved a relieved, almost gratified sigh. She involuntarily licked her lips, wiping off some of the red stains around her mouth and creating a pale island among the sea of red on her face.

"Even ascended, I can still hear it singing to me." Eclipsa whispered longingly.

"Come again?"

"Nothing." Eclipsa dismissed, hurriedly. "Any questions?"

"Yeah. What was that little flash o' light there when you killed that thing?"

"Oh right. Almost neglected to address that. What you saw there was an effect called the Hunter's Rally. See, when you incur damage and you retaliate immediately afterwards rather than dodge or retreat, you are able to quickly mend the wounds you were just inflicted with. An alternative method to healing oneself if one cannot find the time nor chance to do so properly. And once again, I cannot stress enough that aggression is of vital importance when it comes to being a Hunter, in addition to versatility."

"And uh, how does that wor-"

Jackie was cut off by the rapidly impending approach of the other beast, its intent to feast aimed towards Eclipsa.

Right as it rose on its lower legs to attack, Jackie blinked past her teacher and halted its advances with an impaling thrust to its jugular, penetrating bone and muscle with ease.

However, the beast's superior strength overpowered Jackie and she ended up with her back to the ground and her prey-turned-predator looming over her. Her blade dug deeper into the beast's flesh as its snapping, growling maw drew closer. At the same time, the Rakuyo's dagger hung over Jackie's chest, threatening to pierce her heart at the slightest slip of the hand.

Eclipsa merely stood there, watching her student struggle with her first enemy with great indifference that slowly grew to shame the longer it went on. She began shaking her head and sighing but still refrained from lifting a finger.

Jackie became keenly aware of the pistol at her hip and made a pricey gamble by removing one hand from her sword's handle. As a result, the creature as well as the dagger fell just slightly so that the latter began grazing her vest. Her arm remained rigid and erect by the combination of adrenaline and self-preservation flowing through her veins and bolstering her muscles.

Channeling her inner gunslinger, the downed teen drew her gun and pulled the trigger no later than after, the Quicksilver bullet hitting it right between the eyes. The beast shuddered before growing still and its extended limbs went slack.

With as much strength as she could muster, the girl tossed the corpse to the side, freeing herself from beneath the heavy mass of fur and flesh. As she staggered to her feet, she pulled out a solid blue marble and crushed it in her hands, allowing the following explosion of water to wash away the stains of her botched kill.

"Not the biggest lifter in the gym are you?" Eclipsa joked.

"I, uh..." Jackie forced her breaths and her words out of her throat. "I told you... I'm not a fan of... direct approaches. I expected that thing to go down in, like, a second. Didn't think it'd have one over me like that."

"Hmph. Typical Dexterity builds."

Jackie heard the quiet uttering that time but didn't bother to comment. "You didn't see or... hear him coming?"

"Who says that I didn't?"

"Wha- ohh..." Jackie's sea-green eyes widened in realization.

"Yes, I'm sure you learned your lessons the same way. Also, you could have succeeded had you possessed the strength to take advantage of the position you placed yourself in."

"Guess I'm getting a bit rusty." The apprentice stated as she stretched her arms. "Haven't really got into any huge fights since Tom and I fought that Skull Knight dude and that anime-looking chick."

"What about not very long ago when that Ludo fellow made a foolish attempt to storm the gates of the Kingdom with an army of rats?"

"That wasn't a fight, that was just playing Exterminator for an hour. I doubt you or Toffee would consider that a fight, either."

"You're not wrong. I guess even a swarm of vermin, no matter how large, isn't sufficient enough to maintain the quality of your skills."

"Yeah and all I do nowadays is just help Time-out Guy hunt and capture dudes and send 'em off to his prison. And even then, I just toss a marble and boom: job's done. Not a lotta improvement to be had there."

"That's what we're here for, young Hunter-to-be." Eclipsa gestured towards the end of the bridge with a presenting wave of her arms. "Shall we continue?"

Jackie gently nodded. "Lead the way."

Traveling further into the city, Jackie and Eclipsa ran through more beasts, as well as the afflicted locals, who weren't quite beasts yet, but their severely hairy appearances, elongated limbs and inclination towards attacking strangers were enough to warrant retaliation and turning them into fodder for Jackie's training.

The two eventually ended up at an elevated floor overlooking a wide-open town square of sorts, swarming with more of the locals, some of which were clustered together in small roving mobs no bigger than five. A few of them were by their lonesome, three of which were equipped with bolt-action rifles prepared to open fire on anyone that wasn't covered in fur or drab, dreary clothing. In the middle of the clearing was a bonfire with a beast corpse bound to a crucifix as it continued to scorch from the flames below.

Seeing as how the two were clearly outnumbered, Jackie pulled out a marble, completely different from the three she normally used, that held within it a cloudy gray vortex.

"Ah, ah, ah." Eclipsa chided with a waggle of her finger. "You cannot alter the weather in this place, so you cannot use that one rain technique you're so fond of when dispatching groups."

"Aww, man." Jackie disappointingly remarked as she pushed the marble back into her pocket. "Oh wait, better idea."

She remembered that one of her marbles had a gaseous explosion which expanded when thrown against highly heated surfaces. As soon as she brought it up, Eclipsa immediately snatched it away.

"Hey!"

"At this moment, you are not using tactics that tread beyond the realm of our craft. You are going to git gud and face every foe in this area the way _I_ did it."

"But, if we're supposed to do it the way it's intended, then how come you didn't respawn the boss that you said was supposed to be at the area we started at?"

"Because I have yet to shift this dimension to the next cycle."

"The heck does that mean?"

"Never mind that, just eliminate every single person on the premises. And leave not one left standing. Break a leg, Ms. Thomas."

With a resigned sigh, the young rookie bolted forward, quickly cutting down a group of three locals that had just walked up the stairs leading to the elevation. To her left was a rifleman standing atop a wagon, taking aim. Jackie closed the distance before he could pull the trigger and downed him with a slash at his throat.

A nearby guard dog was alerted to the girl's presence and commenced barking its lungs out. Immediately, every other local in the area had their sights on the young girl and the ones with their crude melee weapons and torches shambled her way towards her. Across from Jackie near an elevation similar to where she started, the two remaining riflemen loaded their guns and took aim. One stood at the top of the elevation while the other stood at the base of the steps leading up to it.

With no time to think, Jackie brought forth the femur given and had its functions explained to her by Eclipsa and poured all her focus into it. By doing so, the quickening energy of the severed bone surrounded her in a pale-green aura and significantly lightened her body. With a quick leap forward, Jackie narrowly dodged the shots coming her way as her body momentarily disappeared in mid fall.

She then found herself plunging both pieces of her Rakuyo into the skull of the dog below, silencing it for good. She leapt forward once again, putting herself behind the burning crucifix and concealing herself from the remaining gunmen.

However, Jackie nearly didn't notice a local right behind her as he charged her with a pitchfork. Saved by her heightened reflexes, she jammed the edge of her saber between the prongs of his farming tool. She jerked it to the side and followed up with a thrust into his stomach, then raised her dagger up to the base of his neck, effectively disemboweling the man and letting him fall with his insides hanging out.

A sharp stab of pain assailed the back of her right knee when a bullet lodged itself in her leg, tearing one of her hamstrings and fracturing her kneecap. The blow evoked a wince and a whispered swear, but that's as much time as she spent dwelling on the damage before seeing a group of five fast approaching her. She didn't even get to process the shrapnel and bone shards cutting her muscle and tendons even further with each movement.

She quickly converged her blades and drew her pistol. Taking aim, she let loose a shot that hit one of them square in the forehead. However, other than ceasing his movement for about half a second, it did little to nothing.

"What!?" She yelled incredulously as all her time spent watching zombie movies and her sense of realism clashed with what just transpired.

One of them with a hacksaw readied a swing that aimed to split Jackie's head, but she recovered from her bafflement just fast enough to shoot him to a staggered state, with which she took the opportunity to riposte with her saber and push him off with her foot, his then-corpse bowling over the four that accompanied him.

While they were doubling over, Jackie, with the femur's effects still active, jumped forward, vanishing in mid flight and landing behind all of them with both blades in hand.

With her back facing them, all four fell over, their throats slashed open as spurts of blood escaped their wounds.

Jackie wasted no time rounding around the bonfire and rolling forward just before the gunman pulled the trigger. Upon recovering from her roll, she drove both blades into his stomach and directed his back towards the other gunman as he accidentally shot his fellow infected in the head. Tossing the corpse off her blades, her well-tempered agility brought her to the top of the stair's safety railing in one bound, and with a final invisible jump, she bound over the railings in front of the gunman and instantly slayed him with a swift plunge into his throat.

Two other locals burst out of the shadows of the nearby buildings on either side of her. Jackie flipped the Rakuyo's dagger so the tip of its blade was kept between two fingers and she quickly flung it into the throat of one enemy, then immediately shot the other with her pistol as he readied a strike, bringing him to his knee and his hairy face into the hilt of her blade.

And finally, the entire town square was cleared out. With a tired sigh, Jackie leaned and sat against the door of a nearby building. The searing pain on her knee from her earlier wound shot to the surface of her nerves as all the adrenaline dissipated from her body. She cupped the still-bleeding spot in her hand as she hissed and grimaced in agony, pieces of the bullet and the bones it shattered lodged deep into her ligament and tendons. Not the worst injury she's ever had, but it certainly hurt like Tom's kingdom. She could barely move her leg as the shrapnel began to liquefy and slowly spread throughout the rest of her limb.

"When I said 'break a leg' I did not mean it literally." Eclipsa quipped as she brought herself level with Jackie's face. "Though I must admit, that was quite a show you put on there."

Jackie clicked her tongue as her Sensei's attempt at humor hurt more than the damage she was dealt with. "Very funny."

"Hm. I try" Eclipsa tersely responded with a smile. She dug into her coat, then pulled out a small vial of red liquid, presumably blood again. It differed from the other bottle in that a needle stuck out of the cork that plugged its mouth.

"Here, jab it into your calf."

"My calf?" Jackie narrowed her eyes at the bottle with great apprehension. "Also, no thanks. I'm not into getting HIV or something from some random blood."

"HIV?"

"Right. Forgot you guys don't do the modern medicine thing."

"Oh, that reminds me," Eclipsa said as she put the vial back into her coat. "I should probably administer for you a transfusion at some point. It'll make you immune from the beast-altering effects of the blood you must heal yourself with as you progress in your training. Almost little to no Blood Ministers exist today compared to the Yharnam of ages ago, so it's fortunate that I still have the knowledge of an almost long-forgotten art."

"How come that didn't help a lot of these people if you've had guys nearby that could do just that?"

"They became rather... scarce and elusive as the years went on. I was just fortunate enough to attend a school with its own designated Ministers. A luxury not many Yharnamites could readily afford nor find as you can see."

"Also, can you tell me why those guys can survive shots to the head? That's freakin' impossible."

"Pardon my mentioning this after the fact, but Quicksilver bullets aren't exactly utilized for their damage potential. The only reason the beast on the bridge and that one fellow just moments ago were shot dead was because you brought them close enough for the bullets to finish them off. And if you wanted to use your gun as a means to inflict damage rather than parry, then you should've used the Bone Marrow Ash I gave you."

"Oh," Jackie brought her eyes to the ground in slight shame. "Guess I forgot about those. But I still can't believe they can just shrug off a headshot like that."

"Are you familiar with the quote 'He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man'?"

"Samuel Jackson. Not to be confused with the dude from Pulp Fiction."

"Which pulp fiction? I've read a myriad during my younger days which comprised of mostly horror and erotica. Sometimes both at once."

"What? No, I'm talking about the movie."

"What is a movie?"

"Look, can you please just heal me or something? I can't feel my leg anymore."

"Hmm." The instructor ponderously rubbed her chin. "You know what? I have a better idea."

Eclipsa proceeded to hoist Jackie onto her shoulder and then dug into her coat once again. She pulled forth a torn piece of yellow parchment paper drawn with a symbol in black ink.

"Hm." Eclipsa remarked to herself as she took a close look at the paper in hand. "I just realized how much this would closely resemble the Brand of Sacrifice if you add a diamond to it."

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Anyways, we shall depart shortly."

With the parchment paper glowing a blinding white, the whole of the environment blurred and undulated until it shifted into the Hunter's Dream, returning the two directly in front of the Doll.

"Welcome back, Lady Eclipsa. Good Hunter." She politely bowed to each of them. Jackie merely waved back as her carrier ignored the maiden's greeting and hurriedly trudged up the steps to the Workshop. With her telekinetic abilities, Eclipsa brought one of the tables to the center of the room and gently laid the teen girl upon its wooden surface.

"So you claim you can no longer feel your leg?" Eclipsa asked, her words coated with a tinge of anticipation that Jackie failed to notice.

"Uh no, not at all. I hope it's not completely busted or anything. Not too cool with the idea of rolling around in a different set of wheels, y'know? You can just fix it right up, right? Make it as good as new?"

"I think I'll do far more than that, my Good Hunter." Eclipsa said, flashing that vexing, predatory smile of hers. With a quick flick of her wrist, Jackie's limbs, neck, and forehead were bound by tight, yet harmless ropes of green electricity.

"Oh god, what are you thinking?" Jackie meant to keep that to herself, but the fear forced her thoughts to become vocal. Alarms blared in her head that shouted at her to get the hell of there as soon as possible, but her ethereal restraints prevented any smallest possibility of doing so.

"What ever do you mean, my dear?" The queen softly spoke as she magically lifted the femur from Jackie's person. She then unwound the belt around Jackie's waistline and followed by shifting her pants to her ankles, baring her lightly tanned and faintly scarred legs and undergarments to the elements.

"Eclipsaaa?" Jackie's dread grew further alongside discomfort. "I'm uhh... not so sure what you're doing is ri-ah!"

Her teacher proceeded to gently glide a hand from her bare knee all the way up to her thigh, sending ticklish waves surging through her nerves with each slow, steady drag of the fingers. She slid her digits to Jackie's inner thigh, slowly inching dangerously close to a line that should never be crossed.

" _Ara Ara._ " Eclipsa remarked, avarice gliding off her tongue with each spoken syllable as she sensually licked her lips. "Despite how active you've been recently, you remain to be quite soft and... shapely."

"Uh, what are you doiiing?" Jackie's eyes went wild as boundaries were being pushed to their limits. Her body shivered and convulsed as her addled mind ignored the futility of her actions.

"Oh nothing in particular. I'm. Simply..." Her words trailed off as her errant hand and lecherous eyes trailed from the teen's exposed inner thigh up to her chest. Eclipsa's palm stopped on Jackie's breast for a few fleeting moments before sliding up her neck and cupping her soft, freckled cheek.

"This isn't funny. C'mon dude, cut it out!" Jackie had no idea where Eclipsa's other hand was nor could she feel it on any part of her person, making her ignorance to its whereabouts and whatdoings worse than if she was aware of it. Slowly and steadily, the lecherous queen's pallid, spade-drawn face inched ever closer to Jackie's, the latter's sea-foam eyes locked in an unwitting dance with the former's dull gray.

"You really do remind me of Griffith... The boy did as well." Eclipsa muttered in hushed, sensual tones. Jackie could feel warm puffs of air on her lips after each word. "Your youthful, feminine visage... your delicate, yet toned figure... Even your hair... Why wouldn't he accept me...?"

"What? What are you ta... c-c'mon Eclipsa, I have a boyfriend! This is so wrong! Stop"

Eclipsa slowly licked her lips while maintaining the hair's length distance between her face and her student's. Jackie almost swore that she felt a tongue graze the narrow gap in her tightly shut mouth. She felt something being done to her right leg but didn't give any more thought to it as all of her focus was diverted to resist her so-called teacher's advances.

"Alright now! The procedure is over." Eclipsa beamed as she immediately withdrew from Jackie's face and straightened her posture. With a wave of her hand, all of Jackie's restraints instantly vanished and her pants returned to their normal, fastened state.

"Huhwha!?" Was all the young Hunter could find among her jumbled mess of a mind.

"Mm-hm," Eclipsa hummed with a satisfied smile. "Your leg should be fine. More than that, to be precise. But I recommend you stay off of it and simply lay down and rest for a few hours. Let things settle before putting it to use."

"Uhh..." Jackie could only stare in slack-jawed perplexity at her teacher before vigorously shaking her head to unscramble her mind. "So what the heck was that... creepy stuff all about?"

"Simple, my dear. It was merely a distraction for the surgery I was performing on your leg."

Jackie quickly sat straight and pulled up her right pant leg. She saw that her limb remained roughly the same, no evidence of anything being done to it. She moved it around for a bit and took note that it felt mildly lighter than before.

"Did you have to keep my mind off it like _that_ , though? Couldn't you have just- I dunno, put me under with anesthesia or something?"

"I thought it'd be more amusing to distract you with a level of discomfort that exceeds what you would've felt had you been aware of the procedure."

"Man you have a sick sense of humor, you know that? And not in a good way, either."

"So I've been told. Now then," Eclipsa spawned a purple rift in space. "do give yourself some rest. You'll find that time has not yet passed in Mewni while we were here, so as far as anyone knows, we haven't even left the courtyard."

"Alright um." Jackie slowly landed upon the floor, a faint, dull pain surging through her right leg. The awkwardness from their prior interaction still buzzed uncomfortably throughout her nerves. Despite her teacher's efforts to assuage her justified concerns, it didn't lessen how gross she still felt. "Guess I'll see you around."

"Yes, I'll seek you later to continue your training."

"Sure." Jackie tersely spoke as she immersed herself in the portal and departed the Hunter's Dream.

Releasing a sigh she didn't even realize she was holding, Eclipsa hastily made her way to the front entrance.

"Doll!" She shouted with great authority.

"Yes, m'lady?" She answered complacently, tilting her head and gazing curiously at Eclipsa with her soft, glass eyes.

"I request your presence immediately." She coldly demanded.

"Oh." She softly muttered as she bashfully averted her gaze. "Are we doing... 'that' again, m'lady?"

"Of course. I thought I would be above such trifles, but it would seem the need has arisen. Now, come forth right this instant."

"Yes, m'lady."

After a quick curtsy, the Doll wasted no time climbing the steps. As soon as she entered the mansion, all three entrances slammed shut and locked tight.


	52. Eclipsa, The Last Hunter

Bordering the main area of the Hunter's Dream lies a vast garden filled to the brim with flowers as white and as lustrous as the moon above. Jutting out from them were tall, wooden crucifixes, their original purpose unknown. The garden's perimeter was morbidly lined entirely by graves unmarked with the names of the departed. Much like the main area, the garden consisted of a gradual incline that rose up to a towering tree, with a lone wheelchair resting at its base that was occupied by Eclipsa, the current Master of the Hunter's Dream. A rapier was held like a walking cane before her as she looked down upon her student standing at the bottom of the incline just a few yards away. The pallid moon rose high and shined forth, acting as the spectator of what's to come.

"Good Hunter," She began, her voice serene and solemn. "Your skills have grown far and wide. The end of your training is fast approaching."

Jackie said nothing. She merely stood there, basking in the pale essence cast by the celestial eye leering from above. An encompassing wind blew forth from the south, softly brushing against skin tan and white alike.

"You've fought every manner of monster that lurked beneath the shadows of rational thought. From common lupine beasts that stalk the alleys of Yharnam to abominations birthed from the collective insanity of the far too inquisitive. With your wit, determination, and strength, you've reigned supreme over every single one of them and gained the experience necessary to combat even greater, more ghastly foes that lie further beyond the bounds of which mortal eyes can never hope to cast upon."

The Old Hunter cast an inquisitive glare over to Jackie, attempting to read her soul with her piercing, silver eyes.

"What eked out the true Hunter within, I must ask? The blood? Self-preservation? A skewed sense of righteousness? Ah, it doesn't matter. The Hunter needs not any excuses or justification for them to be."

The Master slowly rose to her feet, smiling proudly to herself as she reached her full height.

"I've witnessed you grow from the sidelines. Stayed my hand with every step forward and every step back. Kept you struggling and fighting no matter how close you teetered on the edge of death. Now, it is time."

Eclipsa drove her rapier into the sheathe handle of her Liberator's Lance, and then directed its pointed tip towards her student. Its polished purple surface shimmered beneath the gross incandescence of the moon. Pallid light spiraled up to its peak, ending in an near-blinding, star-shaped gleam.

"Tonight. Eclipsa revives the Hunt."

Both of their forms disappeared in the blink of an eye, the Hunters met halfway with a resounding clang, their ensuing clash emitting a blinding spark.

Their eyes locked as did their weapons. They each aimed to push one away from the other, but the two unrelenting forces couldn't find purchase.

Instead, they each retreated with a backwards leap, both their forms vanishing at once before their feet found ground.

The Rakuyo seperated, a blade kept in each hand as Jackie stood in a defensive stance and awaited her opponent's moment to strike.

"Hmph." Eclipsa smirked.

No sooner than that did her form blink out of view and reappear just as quickly, perfectly landing just within range of her student, readying a forward thrust into her heart.

Within a single breath, Jackie reunited her weapon and loosened a shot to Eclipsa's chest as soon as her pistol left its holster, bringing her adversary to a staggered state ripe for retaliation. Jackie followed through with a downward strike.

Eclipsa proved faster by quickly unsheathing her rapier and deterring the impending attack, their weapons clashing once again. Taking advantage of Jackie's momentary shock, Eclipsa shoved her foe's blade aside and followed up with a thrust to her abdomen that managed to hit its mark.

Ignoring the pain, Jackie took another leap backwards, instantly freeing herself of her foe's blade. At the same time, she was forced to give her enemy enough time to return to her feet and sling her Lance over her shoulder. Eclipsa took a fencing stance, one hand on the gun at her hip while the other kept the rapier's tip facing forward. Her thin, slender blade traced small circles in the air, as if scanning for a target.

The girl jumped forward, landing just a breath out of thrusting range. She took one vertical swing at Eclipsa's shoulder opposite her rapier hand, the edge of her blade seemingly passing the rapier.

Once again, the Dark Queen proved ungodly faster and, with an unnatural dexterity and flexibility, her arm and wrist flicked into position in time and their blades crossed once again. Barely a moment after, Eclipsa used Jackie's momentum and the position of their contact to her advantage and shifted her blade in a downward slope that caused Jackie's sword to slide off the rapier's tip, forcing her body to stagger forward.

Rather than take another strike at the girl's body, Eclipsa instead used her free hand to deftly flip Jackie onto her back. She laid upon the flowers briefly flat and frozen, her mind flipped turned upside down much like her body just did.

Giving her no second to breathe, Eclipsa aimed her next strike towards Jackie's throat, to which the girl managed to avoid in time with a series of rolls to the side.

Ensuring herself that she ended up a safe distance, Jackie shot to her feet and faced her Master once more. Back where they began, more or less.

And just like before, the student jumped forward and landed just out of range. This time, however, at the very last step, Jackie pushed herself to leap towards Eclipsa's sword side and made haste to part her own weapon, sending the tip of the dagger below her foe's shoulder, doubtless that such an unforeseeable strike would fail.

But of course, that unwavering certainty quickly subsided when Eclipsa straightened her rapier arm and bent it back within microseconds between motions. With a precision that bordered on impossible, the microscopic tip of the Rakuyo's dagger met with the barely perceivable flat side of the opposing rapier.

Sparing not a second to wallow in self-perplexity, Jackie directed the tip of her weapon's main blade into a different spot on Eclipsa's side. Rather than parry with her sword once again, the Master opted to grab the Lance that adhered to her back and immediately let loose a downward swing upon her student.

Noticing the incoming retaliation just in time, Jackie stopped her attack in mid-thrust and jumped back yet again. The descending Lance met with a blank spot on the flowers instead.

Just as quickly as she brought the larger half of the weapon to the air, Eclipsa fused her two weapons and brandished their sum in her adversary's direction.

Her limits as a human catching up to her, Jackie found herself sweating and panting up a storm, struggling to keep her arms and legs from shuddering. The subtle gesture of fatigue wasn't lost on Eclipsa, and thus she vanished and appeared before Jackie just as fast, her arms and Lance in mid-swing.

The sudden image of Eclipsa popping up in her line of sight snapped Jackie's mind back to focus and with reflexes that could potentially rival her teacher's, the flat of her sword met with the blunt part of the Lance. However, stability long left her as the impact sent Jackie launching several feet away, her hard landing cushioned by a combination of the flowers and her deliberate, nimble roll.

She ungracefully staggered to her feet and for the xth time, found herself staring eye to eye, body to body with her Master. Quite a repetitious cycle she's been through since the fight began, and the realization was like one half slap to the face and one half a shot of adrenaline which dispelled every and all exhaustion from her body.

She was also assailed by a feeling that her Master, as powerful and as emotionless as she was, wasn't taking this seriously whatsoever. Jackie became keenly aware that Eclipsa had every chance practically handed to her to for a fatal strike, yet she refrained from taking them. The reasons why weren't what drove Jackie to act, but rather the fact that she was fighting that way at all.

A foreign thought immigrated into Jackie's briefly ponderous mind for a moment. A skill that she had not used in quite a while. It wasn't part of her current training, but she justified her need to use it by thinking that it wouldn't stray too far beyond the realm of what a normal Hunter could do. Heck, from what Eclipsa spoke about what Gehrman and Maria were capable of, it would most certainly fit right in.

Jackie firmly held her Rakuyo in two hands. Eclipsa remained in her spot, the slight wavings of her Lance serving as a subliminal and figurative red sheet dancing before a bull. Jackie accepted her challenge and ran forward, her blade beside her with its tip behind her.

Summoning forth all the concentration buried beneath the deepest recesses of her body, mind, and spirit, Jackie stopped just shy of the tip of her enemy's weapon. To her, time slowed to a slug's slither. Jackie parted her weapon and held each blade in hand as she unleashed her strongest technique, one that she had only mastered but never used in the field, for it was intended to be a last resort. _Tsubame Mai._

With little to no lapse in the passage of time, Jackie found herself behind her Master, their backs facing one another's. Eclipsa remained in her position, seemingly unaware of what transpired as she idly gazed upon nothing but the endless horizon before her, her lance kept firmly in the air. Jackie did all that she could with what little time she was provided with and hoped it would be enough.

Yet at the same time, she knew that it wouldn't.

And then, blood. Six lacerations of varying angles were carved all over Eclipsa's once pristine form, appearing one after another moments after the attack was executed. The straight, slender gashes intersected one another, drowning out the colors of her garb. A subdued storm of scarlet rained down upon the flowers below, their pure, white petals sullied by the unceremonious weather.

Soft snickers escaped Eclipsa's lips as her Lance hung loosely at her side. Soft snickers evolved into a hearty chuckle that parted her smiling lips. The hearty chuckle escalated to manic laughter, her eyes clenched tight as she laughed into the cosmos above. A hand found its way to a moist spot on her chest, then jumped upon her pallid, twisted face as it became painted in red.

"I fail to remember the last time I've felt my own wounds." Her voice lost a negligible, yet noticeable portion of its flatness. Her tongue ran contained laps around her dripping palm. Waves of nostalgia crashed forth ever-growing with each slow, savored drag.

"I will admit it. You caught me off-guard with a technique I'm not quite familiar with."

Accompanying the blood that coated Eclipsa, came forth a black-violet haze that outlined her entire form. From that same haze, a pair of ethereal butterfly wings sprawled from her back.

The air became suddenly thick and humid, almost oppressively so. Jackie's hair stood on end as an indescribable pressure took hold of her entire body. The wind that was once brisk and ticklish quickened and intensified, pressing every flower to the ground.

The student turned around to find her master facing her as well, maintaining the same distance while her head hung low and her face concealed by the broad brim of her hat.

Then without warning, Eclipsa's head shot up, her bloodied face scarred with the widest smile and almost imperceptible pupils.

"Now let's see you try it again."

Eclipsa quickly dissolved into a shapeless mass of black lines before vanishing into thin air altogether.

Though Jackie's stress grew and her mind raced, she nonetheless managed to stabilize herself and her senses. She stood stiff, her joints and torso bent and her weapon kept firmly in her hand.

The environment may have been going haywire, but Jackie was still able to concentrate and search for any slight changes in the air or movement in the area, regardless of how severely altered they became.

Jackie heard a clang behind her, the tip of Eclipsa's Lance colliding with the flat side of her blade as the young Hunter held it across her back. Just in time.

The Dark Queen disappeared before the echoes of their prior collision could begin fading into silence.

Rather than stand there and take whatever other tactic her opponent might attempt, Jackie opted to leap all over the garden, hoping to dodge whatever came at her before she had to think about it. Her sporadic movement patterns could also serve to confound her foe if nothing else.

At the very last leap, Jackie's feet were swept from beneath and behind, her body left momentarily in the air and parallel to the ground. Before she could process what had happened, Jackie felt a hard impact against her back which forced her limbs to trail behind her as she rocketed several feet in the air, her silhouette seemingly trapped within the circular bounds of the moon above.

Completely out of the blue, Eclipsa appeared floating beside Jackie's form right at the apex of her forced ascension and sent a downward strike into her abdomen, again with the blunt part of her Lance. The impact once again sent Jackie's body into a different elevation, though in the opposite direction as she landed painfully upon the garden below.

The young Hunter's vision blurred and her hearing dulled. As she raised her head, she could barely make out Eclipsa gently falling to the ground along with her. Jackie staggered to her feet, catching herself and preventing a potential fall by stabbing her Rakuyo into the ground and leaning against its handle.

As her vision slowly returned to its proper clarity, Jackie found herself unsure whether that was a good thing or not. She was met with the nightmare-inducing image of Eclipsa's blood-spattered face as its wicked, other-wordly grin remained unabashed. Somewhat daunted, but not deterred, Jackie ran forward with her blade wound back once again, this time holding it in one hand. She found herself unsure whether her plan was even wise or even able to succeed, but refrained from debating herself any further as desperation took hold of her.

Right as Jackie took one, purposely sluggish swing, an errant bullet hit her straight in the calf, interrupting her attack and sending her doubling forward. Eclipsa wasted no time allowing Jackie to hit the ground before her clawed hand reached for her heart.

"Gotcha."

The forward momentum forced by the impact of the gunshot supplemented the velocity of Jackie's thrusting hand as it cleanly bore into Eclipsa's chest, her fingers wrapping around her heart and the ensuing wound spraying Jackie square in the face with red.

The black-violet haze that surrounded Eclipsa's body rapidly fizzled out. The atmosphere returned to its normal state, but was replaced with a different type of tension.

Both Eclipsa and Jackie peered upon their macabre connection to one another with differing expressions. While the former's face neutralized save for an arched eyebrow, Jackie's bugged eyes gazed into the fleshy hole her hand was deeply immersed in shock and awe.

"Well, what are you wa-"

The rest of Eclipsa's sentence died before it came to be when Jackie jerked her hand back, letting loose a larger rain of blood upon its abrupt departure. The Dark Queen toppled over like a tree severed from its stump, her body growing stiff as she plunged towards the flowers.

"Prey... slaughtered." Eclipsa whispered before her entire form disappeared in a cloud of silvery green mist and a compact rain of blood.

And then... silence. Nothing. The wind was no longer blowing and everything felt as still as if time no longer had a grasp on the area.

The undeniable fact that she had just killed her teacher and acting Queen of Mewni hadn't quite reached her. She took a lengthy, somber look at her bloody hand, then let it fall to her side as her mournful, sea-green eyes glowered over the last spot she had seen her teacher.

For some reason, she felt nothing. No sorrow. No regret. Nothing. This was the first time she'd ever felt this doubtless when she killed someone. Spending years making her best efforts in avoiding doing so left plenty of room in her heart for remorse and sadness to set in whenever it happened. Many of those that made attempts on her life had their reasons for doing so, whether it was valid or not. And no matter what, Jackie always felt pity and remorse whenever they forced her to take action and, subsequently, their lives. Oft times she would contemplate many of her decisions, wondering if she did the right thing. She even does to this day, despite how much good they've done for Mewni in recent memory. It was something that constantly tugged at the back of her mind even when they rightfully dealt with those who rebelled and negotiated with those that didn't.

But this. This was different.

For reasons she couldn't say and without a doubt in her mind, this felt like the right thing to do.

"Boo!"

"Gah!" Jackie yelped as Eclipsa frightened her with a sharp, loud breath hitting her square in the ear.

"Sorry, love. Did I interrupt your celebration?" She asked with chuckles interlaced in her words.

"What the- how did- what'd you-" The sight of an alive-and-kicking Eclipsa reduced her mind to mush as her brain found it a Herculean effort to process.

"I'm a Great One, Ms. Thomas. I cannot be permanently slain by normal means. My body may be able to die, but my will and consciousness are eternal. Therefore, I shall always return."

"Uh, right." Jackie quietly spoke as she rubbed her arm. "You know, if you're so powerful, how come you let me... y'know, win?"

Eclipsa's warm smile deepened, unnerving Jackie even further. "Dear Jackie. If I'd have given my all, I wouldn't be speaking to you this moment."

"I- oh." Jackie found difficulty imagining fighting Eclipsa if she had brought her A-game. At best, she probably would've died after taking her first step.

"Yes. While my prowess far exceeds your understanding, I had to be fair, while also providing you with a considerable challenge. I will tell you that I cannot remember a single time that anyone has survived even when I've given only that paltry amount of effort. If anything, I'd say it took more effort on my part to hold back than for you to even keep up with me. But regardless, I'm glad to see that you managed to succeed. I am especially proud of the way you utilized what you've learned from your other school and incorporated it to your current training."

"Yeah, I couldn't really find any other way to get past ya. Had to switch gears to get anywhere, y'know?"

"Which is what I've been trying to teach you as our fight progressed." Eclipsa crossed her arms. "Did I not mention near the beginning that a Hunter must be as flexible and versatile as the trick weapons that he or she wields?"

"Ohh dude, you're right! Totally blew my mind." Jackie beamed as she playfully placed a hand to her temple. "Man I haven't felt this way since I, y'know, graduated from Dai-sensei's school."

"Yes. And like an exceptional student who innovates with what they learned rather than simply apply, you've flourished into one of the finest warriors this side of the Multiverse has ever seen."

"Heh. Thanks, I guess." Jackie modestly toyed with the sea-blue streak in her hair.

"Now then," Eclipsa clapped her hands once. "what say we celebrate the completion of your training with some ice cream, hm? My treat."

"Y'know what? Sounds cool. No pun intended."

With that, Eclipsa summoned forth a swirling purple vortex, with Jackie being the first to exit. Right as Eclipsa dipped her foot in the rift, her eyes briefly flitted to the lone wheelchair sitting at the base of the tree before she proceeded to depart the Hunter's Dream.

* * *

Eclipsa gazed deeply into Gehrman's sorrowful eyes as his wrinkled face twisted into horror and agony. Her hand wound around his still-beating heart as her fingers gently glided over the moist, rubbery surface.

"W-why...?" The old man could barely force the word out of his mouth through the blood falling through his lips and the choking gasps that left his lungs. Eclipsa remained silent, her expression adhered to apathy as she sealed her Master's fate.

Gehrman's scythe and blunderbuss silently fell to the ground, his desire to fight trailing behind his diminishing strength to live.

The student jerked her hand back, spraying herself with the evidence of her victory and sending her master tumbling into the flowers below. His body became enveloped in a pallid green mist.

"The night and dream... were long..." The dying man quietly uttered with his last breath. "But yours, Eclipsa... remain unending..."

Finally, as the last vestiges of life departed his being, so did his body as what remained of him was but a mist fading into nothingness.

The Last Hunter took one long drag of air before pushing it all out. A fleeting gesture relief from all she had done up to that point.

"You're all free..." She softly spoke as she peered into the moonlit sky. "Gehrman. Laurence. Maria. Ludwig. Willem... All of you. Unshackled from your respective nightmares."

The air suddenly turned dense and humid as Eclipsa felt a presence from behind drawing near. She could hear the sounds of moist gurgling and undulating appendages. The colors of everything within her line of sight shifted to a tint of red that nearly eluded the naked eye.

Eclipsa turned around and was greeted with the abominable form of a being clearly not of this world. The one responsible for creating the Dream and perpetuating the Hunt for years enumerable. From the now-bloodshot moon, it slowly descended upon the fabricated, flowery ground, landing softly on all fours.

A massive, slender creature of blackened crimson, bearing long, skinny arms double the length of its relatively thicker hind legs. Its entire body was composed of strewn-together flesh and bones that were coated in coagulated, darkened blood. The torso was merely a spinal cord and ribcage with a multitude of pointed ribs that wriggled individually. Crowning its misshapen, round head and jutting from the pelvis that was its rear were bouqets of tentacles aimlessly lapped at the air. What passed for a "face" was but a single, ovular crater surrounded by much smaller ones.

"Ah, Moon Presence. Glad you could join me on this Paleblood evening." Eclipsa spoke with sarcastic hospitality. She began hearing a guttural, raspy voice whose gender was indiscernible speaking into her mind, who sounded none too thrilled with the mortal standing firm at the base of the tree.

 _My...child... you've slain my child..._

"Despite how much as you'd like to claim otherwise, Gehrman was never your child. A prisoner, more like." Eclipsa holstered her Liberator's Lance as she fealt far from threatened by the creature standing before her. "I freed him from his torment, as I have done for everyone else. Their fates are now beyond your and Kos's jurisdiction."

 _Kos... Her child... you didn't free it, did you...?_

"Hm? Ah, yes. The Orphan." Eclipsa tapped her chin as she recalled. "I'm not quite sure why she trapped her own child in a nightmare as well, but... I took care of it, so to speak. I must add that the 'child' you speak of was fully grown when it was re-birthed and became unbearably aggressive the moment I stepped within close proximity. Evidently it turned out to be so consumed in its own fury that it used its mother's placenta as a weapon against me. Twas a hard-fought battle, but the deed was nonetheless done. "

 _And you didn't dispel its astral body afterwards?_

"Hmm. Was that what that was that floated above Kos's corpse after dealing with the child?" Eclipsa tapped a chin as she thought for a moment. She made it difficult to tell if the gesture was genuine or not. "I had thought that simply sending the child from rebirth to re-death would suffice, but I had no idea there was an extra step involved in its liberation. You Great Ones have too many rules and regulations to keep up with."

The Moon Presence body faintly shook as if anger took hold of it.

 _... Its soul is still bound by the nightmare. Still attached to its mother's corpse..._

"I'm sorry to hear that." Eclipsa's apathetic tone betrayed her words. "I've done all that I could have and I'm not going back there just to free someone or something I had no part in persecuting and imprisoning in the first place."

 _So you will just... abandon it and prolong its suffering? Why?_

"Simply put, I bear no urgency to stop it." The Hunter spoke callously as she casually wiped the congealed blood off her gloved hands. "Believe me when I say that my heart goes out to the child and its mother. However, I've done both no wrong at any point in time, therefore I should bear no responsibility nor burden for her or her child's well-being. Furthermore, there is no overlap between our desires and ambitions, so involving myself further into her issues would prove pointless. It was her fault anyways. If she wanted her child free, she could do it herself. I've already done the hard work, surely she could pick up from where I inadvertently left off."

 _You ignorant fool... she can no longer manifest on any tangible or visible plane... She has become beyond perception. Only possessing enough power to have a cursory grasp on the fate of you mortals. To conceive the Nightmare you were all trapped in. She is even unable to manifest in an Interstice much like this one._

"Well, that isn't my problem now, is it? Again, I wholeheartedly lament the circumstances regarding the mother and its child, but their fates are out of my hands. Much like the way mine and my former fellow Hunters are beyond yours."

 _You... you possess the power to help Kos. Help her child. Help us.. Why won't you extend the kindness you have for your fellow Hunters to us Great Ones?_

Eclipsa sighed as she rolled her eyes. "Look, we're just speaking in circles at this point. They were my friends. People I genuinely cared about, which I cannot say for those in Mewni. And as I said, I did all I could for Kos and her child. I apologize for dismissing her cries for help years ago, but I was young and wary of the world I was in at the time. Often would I find it difficult to discern what is reality and what is fabricated. In fact, I still do to this day, thanks to the harrowing experiences I've had since first stepping foot in Yharnam."

 _But you'll soon be one of us... chosen to stand among us on similar planes unshackled by the folly of mortality. Is that not enough reason to help further our agenda?_

"All things considered, you should be grateful that I lifted a finger for her child to begin with. Do you honestly expect me to go through that harrowing journey once again for a loose end that I'd neglected to tie up? If my dimensional scissors could work in this world, I'd do it in a heartbeat, but because the Commission deemed this place 'forbidden', they cannot function. Only by jumping through enumerable amounts of hoops in secrecy was I able to come here in the first place. But I digress. You all have your own matters to deal with and I have mine. And frankly, I don't care to involve myself in yours any more than I have, even with all this talk of 'Kin'. Besides, I've already bathed in the blood of a few of your kind at this point. Why should I regard you any higher than those I've already dealt with? Because you beg me to? Some 'Great One' you are."

Stirred by the mortal's insolent words, the Moon Presence tore across the flowers towards Eclipsa, raising its body high in an attempt to pounce her.

"Ah, ah, ah." Eclipsa tutted as she unveiled her red amulet, with facial features randomly strewn about its ovular surface. "Are you sure you want to lay a decrepit finger on me while I have this?"

The Moon Presence stopped dead in its tracks, and backed away a few feet, almost threatened by the sight of the Behelit.

 _It...it chose... you?"_

"That it did, my dear. That it did. I understand what is to be expected of me. you'd do well to refrain from attempting to stop what shall inevitably be. However or whenever it may arise. Whatever it may entail. They were never explicit with details, but I'm aware that sacrifice is involved in some way. If part of it involves killing and freeing my fellow Hunters, then surely I'm well under way. Regardless, even a Great One such as yourself cannot hope to swim against the Currents of Causality."

 _But... Our need for children to carry out our will..._

"Let me impart you a small wisdom. From one up-and-coming Great One to a current one." Eclipsa walked forward, compelling the Moon Presence to involuntarily walk back. "None of you so called 'Ascended Beings' know not the first thing about conceiving and raising a child. For you see, my dear Moon Presence, to do so would require a strong unity between two individuals, whose undying love and trust for one another compels them to reproduce in the first place. If the love and trust between the two parties remain unwavering, they would rub off on the developing infant, making him or her sound in body, mind, and soul as they continue to grow. That is the nature of having a child, Moon Presence. Not kidnapping mortals, binding them against their will, or forcing them into unwitting pregnancy."

 _Love... and trust...?_

"Yes. Two simple concepts that seem to lie beyond your understanding despite how much all of you flaunt your 'elevated wisdom."

The cosmic entity's "face" peered into the ground below it as it took a ponderous finger to what passed for a chin on its head.

 _I see... I understand now..._

"Oh? Have I actually managed to enlighten a being of your ilk on this pale evening? Perhaps this so-called 'Behelit' chose wisely after all."

The Moon Presence met Eclipsa face-to-perforated-face and extended a long, bony finger towards her.

 _Unity may lead to your rise, but so too will it lead to your fall. If what you refer to as 'love and trust' between mortals is all that is needed, then I shall seek out two whose bond will forever withstand the test of time and turmoil. One that shines above the rest amidst the deepest of darkness. Yes... an unbreakable union that not even those of our persuasion can fracture._

"Hmph. Whatever keeps you from tossing and turning at night." Eclipsa dismissively rolled her eyes. "Personally, it matters not to me what you do henceforth, so long as you stay out of my way."

 _Mark my words, Slave to the Idea of Evil... Your reign may begin at the rise of a Black Sun, but it will inevitably set. And on that day, the Moon of Red shall take its throne upon the sky and your fall shall be nigh._

"How hypocritical of you to call me 'evil' when you and your fellow Great Ones were treating me and every other mortal as your puppets and playthings to abuse and exploit as you saw fit." Eclipsa's arms folded over her chest. Her mood grew steadily more bitter as the conversation progressed. "And you claim to be benevolent beings. You're about as 'benevolent' as my tyrannical mother once was. Perhaps if you remain willfully ignorant to those who you claim as 'beneath you' then you'll possibly share a similar fate."

 _Speak ill of me and my kind to your heart's content. Causality shall see to it that justice will be served to you as well as those associated with you regardless of your input._

"Are you quite finished?" Eclipsa's hands dropped to her side as she became fed up with the Moon Presence's words. "I'd like to make my way back home now so I could make use of my findings here."

 _Fortunately for you, I must take my leave. I can sense a mortal beseeching an audience with me at another abstract time and place. Rest now while you can, 'Your Majesty'. Enjoy what little moments of bliss you will scarcely find henceforth. Soon will you discover the true meaning of loss._

With that, the Moon Presence rose from the ground and slowly floated towards the sky as its emaciated form looked to be trapped within the overseeing moon's shape. With its limbs spread wide and its tendrils gently lashing out in the air, the eldritch creature dissolved into nothingness, never to be seen or heard from again.

Eclipsa sighed in exasperation, not caring to heed the prophetic words uttered by the departed Great One. "Must they all bid their farewells that way?"


	53. The Ashes Once Called Home

Many a sensible and remotely civilized perceived the Swamp of Mewni as a dripping skid mark on the undercarriage of their fair nation. Others- with no real choice in the matter- saw it as their home sweet home, pus-filled warts and all. It's understandable why the former would sooner get eaten whole in the Forest of Certain Death than step within a nautical mile of this noxious sea of green, soupy water and dilapidated wood. But the latter were able to see the true beauty in the ugliness of their ordained habitat, whether they deluded themselves into doing so or not.

Considering how the sun barely rose high enough to peek over any of the trees, one would guess that the denizens hadn't left the throes of slumber quite yet. This might explain the unusual lack of sound and activity, other than those of the local wildlife. But besides that, the dank, pungent land mass of murky waters and moist, slimy flora was as normal as it could be. Flies buzzed, ponds bubbled, plants poisoned, and frogs croaked.

But there was one particular frog whose slavic accented croak was what everyone wanted to hear at the moment. An amphibian of the fit persuasion, specifically. A frog whose front door was mercilessly being pummeled by the frantic hand of Star Butterfly.

"Yvgenyyyy! Yvgeny, you there?" Star shouted at the tip of her vocal chords as her fist beat against the wooden surface. "C'mon, wakey wakey, cheeki breeki!"

"Star c'mon, don't ya think he's asleep right now? Like everyone else most likely is?" Marco asked as he placed a hand on Star's shoulder in an attempt to put a damper on her disturbance of the peace. She stopped her brutal display of awakening for a bit.

"No way, he has to be awake by now. No one could ever sleep through _my_ wake-up calls." She immediately returned to bashing her fist against the door. "C'mon Buff Frog, I know you're in there! I promise I'm not asking you to go bowling this time!"

"Maybe he isn't home at all." Mina added with a shrug. "Doesn't he have a job or something?"

"Well, he _does_ do bodyguard work every now and then, but whenever he does, he always asks me and Marco to watch his wittle buff babies! And he would sooner croak than leave 'em alone for even a second."

"Why not just break in?" Janna suggested with a raise of her palm. "I mean, if he's your friend, he'd be cool with it, right?"

"Janna, we're..." The word lodged in his throat as he reluctantly tried to barf it out. "...'friends' too but I'm never cool with you breaking into my house. And you know it!" Marco remarked his arms crossed.

"Well, how else are we gonna find out if he's in there or not?" Janna challenged, to which the boy retorted with a dismissive eye-roll.

"Oh, duuhh!" Star brought a fist to her forehead as she remembered the best method to discover the whereabouts of someone. "The All-Seeing Eye!"

"Uh, the what now?" Marco asked. He failed to notice the rather stressed out, knowing look Janna was giving him.

"Oh, it's a uh... spying spell that's... in the... Book." Star couldn't contain her wavering speech nor the nervous tugging of her shirt collar. "I uh... used it to try and find Glossaryck that one time. Y'know, when I pushed you outta the room?"

"Dunno why you didn't want me to see the spell, but yeah I remember. I'm guessing that's how you found him?"

"Boy, did she!" Speak of the blue devil and he shall stick his jeweled head out of the rim of a girl's beanie. "You shoulda seen her, Marco. Nearly broke the laws of physics when she found me. And on her second casting of the spell, too! I didn't show it then, but boy did that throw me for a loop!"

"G-"

Right before Star could shout the rest of his name in anger, the blue imp dove right back into Janna's beanie, leaving the following awkwardness to thicken in the air.

Star grimaced as if in pain as she was greeted by Marco's searingly stern glare. His deafening silence didn't let up, but Star was able to read the tightened contours of his face that wordlessly spoke, "second time?"

"I think I'm gonna hold off on my questions and concerns regarding this 'spying spell' later." Marco's calm tone belied the discontent that simmered within. "Just... go find out where Buff Frog is."

Star sighed, far from looking forward to whatever choice words he might have for her later down the line. But then again, some time ago, she was on the verge of taking advantage of him when he was comatose from his prior injuries inflicted by her father, and her apprehension lifted slightly she saw this as a means to make up for the lack of repercussion from then.

Speaking of her father, she thought of trying to find him with the Eye as well. But for the moment, Buff Frog was the prime focus.

"I summon the All-Seeing Eye to tear a hole into the sky." As Star began to invoke, her wand glowed a misty purple and the familiar, sinister eye-shape filled each face of her wand. "Reveal to me that which is hidden. Unveil to me what is forbidden."

The moment the final syllable slid off her tongue, the aforementioned "hole" appeared before them, as an image of somewhere else in the present bordered by ovular purple and yellow flames.

Everyone was surprised to see Yvgeny asleep in some sort of room made out of solid blue crystal. His body uncomfortably settled upon a rectangular slab of rock in what everyone supposed to be a bed.

"What the heck?" Star remarked perplexed by the location her frog friend currently resided in. "Is that... Time-out guy's place or something?"

"Those do look like Rhombulus's crystals." Mina added as she scanned the image more closely.

"Dude looks like he's in the clink." Janna surmised. "I can see the corner of a jail window, like..." She pointed to a tiny, indiscernible shape that bordered the outer edge of the Eye. "Right there. You see the couple-a bars and the lil' gap with light pourin' in?"

"Huh. You're right." Marco affirmed. "I dunno what got 'im in there, but it seems like we're due for another prison break episode."

"Sweet!" Janna cheered with a fist pump. "And I get to be in it, too!"

"Oh my gosh, the babies!" Star slapped her right hand to her hear-drawn cheek. "Where are the babies!?"

Answering to Star's resounding concern, the Eye was filled with static before switching to a different image, depicting the babies in question asleep in some sort of marshy location separate from their house. They were noticeably older than the last time Star and Marco had seen of them, almost all of them past the tadpole stage as they were then recognizable as frogs.

"Phew. Okay, so they're fine. And they grew up! Aww, but you're still fallin' behind, aren't you lil' Katrinaaa?" Star playfully cooed, then went back to business instantly after. "But where are they? That doesn't look anything like their house or the mud around it."

"How can you tell?" Marco asked as he analytically narrowed his eyes at the image.

"Marco, I've wallowed in enough mud with the kids to know that's not the kind they usually play n' lay in."

He shrugged. "Guess I can't argue with that."

"Say Star," Mina tapped the girl's shoulder. "maybe you should see what's been going on in the Butterfly Kingdom since that uh... whole thing happened."

Star's good eye involuntarily twitched. "Uh, yeah sure."

The image went to static once again. However, it lasted significantly longer than before, to the point where five minutes had passed without the Eye displaying a proper image.

"Huh." Star tapped her chin with her wand. "Weird. It won't let me see what's goin' down in the Kingdom."

"Maybe it's Eclipsa's doing." Mina suggested.

"Sounds about right. I mean, it _is_ her spell after all." Star replied with slight resignation. "Speaking of Butterflies..."

Star's focus shifted onto her father. However, the static had still refused to dissipate after another five minutes.

"Ok what? Did the spell break or something?" Star's eye narrowed at her wand as she rattled it violently.

"Line's busy." Glossaryck briefly spoke as he burst forth once more before slinking back in the beanie a blink after.

"Line's busy? Whaddya-" Once it clicked, Star's face widened in horror. She dispersed the Eye as quickly as she could with a wavering focus and a few frantic waves of her Wand.

"So wait, does that mean only one person at a time can use that spell?" Marco asked, picking up what Glossaryck hastily dropped. "I guess it makes sense. Something as omniscient as that should have a limit."

"Do you think she might be tracking us that way?" Janna theorized. "I mean, whenever you use the spell, would she be able to tap into it like what cops do with phone lines?"

"Well, she _does_ border on godhood, so I wouldn't be surprised." Mina dryly added.

"So since using the spell now comes with a big risk (besides the usual)..." Janna uttered that last part beneath her breath. "... what do we do now?"

"See what happened with Buff Frog, I'd say." Marco suggested. "Star?"

"First thought, first priority." She agreed with a firm nod. "We should ask around. See if anyone else knows."

"There's a local pub here, if I remember correctly. Lively place usually, even in this hour." Mina said, to which Star and Marco looked at her with wary eyes and arched brows. "Hey, when you're hankerin' for backdoor dumpster food, you tend not to care where you end up to find it. Heck, I wouldn't have met either of you if it wasn't for that reason."

"Fair enough." Star and Marco shrugged and spoke in unison.

With that, the two scoured mildly far and wide for the aforementioned local pub. It took everyone about five or so minutes from Yvgeny's house to have it recognized and pointed out by Mina.

As expected considering the locale, the establishment was such a derelict, run down pile of cobbled-together debris that it was a health and safety hazard to gaze upon. How any of its supposed regulars find it a sight for sore eyes as opposed to a sore sight for normal eyes was beyond any of them. It looked less like a building and more like the result of a recent hurricane. What few glaring aspects that distinguished itself from neighboring piles of fragmented wood was the "door" that looked to be on the verge of falling off what passed for hinges and the barely eligible sign above it that read "Fun Guy's Flagon" written in what appeared to be slathered avian feces.

The teens shot soured looks at the "building" before directing them at Mina.

"Like I said, I didn't care where I got my dumpster food." Mina defended herself. "At least I never bothered to get a drink here. Skull Knight wouldn't let me have one in the state I was in."

"Anyways." Star directed her gaze back to the "building". "Doesn't sound like anyone's in there."

"Yeah, I don't hear any sailor-speak or teeth being knocked out." Janna added.

"Bar's still open, though!" Shouted a young, chipper male voice from within. "The walls aren't exactly whole, as you can see. So, I can hear everything you're saying. Who brought your dumpster diving ass back here, Loveberry?"

"Nice to meet you again too, Jimi!" Loudly replied Mina, which she followed with a shrug directed to her friends. "Guess that's our cue to come in."

One at a time, the group entered the establishment. It was even more pathetic inside than it was out. Mostly because it was clear that the owner didn't skimp out on the upkeep and there was nothing to show for it. So many lonely seats and tables with nary a rear to occupy them. Well, not till the bar just filled with six customers, bringing the overall population to a whopping total of seven. Each of them sat at a splintering wooden barstool that stood before the main counter, in order of Star, Marco, Janna, then Mina.

The owner himself was a giant sentient mushroom whose "face" was but a pair of beady black eyes within wrinkly sockets. His bulbous gray body barely fit into the unkempt tavern shirt and apron he was wearing, which tore at the seams in several places. His disproportionately stubby arms were idly wiping down a mug too grimy to lose even the tiniest speck, but the futility of his act obviously hadn't reached him. Behind him barely stood a few makeshift shelves teeming with a myriad of bottles and containers in a broad spectrum of colors bearing a wide variety of drinks and ingredients.

"Weird how mewmans end up being the first customers I've had in weeks.." Jimi remarked, his hands still refusing to let go of the rag and mug. "But considering what's happened, I've not mush room to complain. What'll it be then?"

"We're not here to drink." Mina clarified with a wave of her hand.

"Oh, for Elizabeth's sake, seriously?" The mushroom guy put his mug and rag down upon the counter in exasperation. "First customers I've had in ages and they don't even wanna a sip? Not even you, Mina, now that it seems like you're not insane anymore? What, do these new wranglers of yours keep you from drinking, too? What's that skeleton guy up to nowadays?"

"Don't worry about it." Mina coldly remarked as she averted her gaze. "And they're not my wranglers, you prick."

"Besides, me and these two aren't old enough to drink." Marco said as he pointed to Janna and Star.

"Kid, I've served one younger than you that got so wasted, he puked all over my counter and my shelves." Jimi said with crossed arms.

"Plus, that didn't stop me from 'sampling' my mom's cabinet." Janna added.

"Dad gave me a few drinks before." Star contributed. "Said it helped with combat training. Tasted kinda blech, though."

Marco merely threw up his arms and proceeded to sulk with them crossed in defeat.

"Anyways, since we're not here to get at least buzzed, I guess intros're in order." The barkeep put a thumb to his cylindrical torso. "Jimi Hayze, at your service if you actually wanted it. Also known as the Shit-talker Shroom."

"Why'd they call you that?" Marco curiously asked.

He rubbed his flat, brown cap as he elaborated. "Because in addition to conversing and serving, I also have a penchant for harshly berating my customers. They're usually too drunk to even realize I'm doing it and when they do take notice, they stay docile and keep drinking because they know I'm not the kinda fungus to be truffled with."

"And you still get customers that way?"

Jimi casually shrugged. "No competition. Only bar around these parts that no one can afford to get banned from. Though I suppose that doesn't matter now since everyone went and packed up."

"Went and packed up?" Star asked. "Where did they go?"

"What, you didn't get the message in your heads like everyone else? Boy, I wish I had whatever tinfoil hats you guys had on. Good thing I opted not to buy into whatever crazy sale they were advertising to everyone else around."

"Uh, our heads?" Janna said.

"What, are you guys parrots? Yes, your heads! None of you got the message that supposedly spanned across the nation?"

All four flashed a collective expression of concern as none of them were aware such a thing happened. All simultaneously guessed that whatever message Eclipsa transmitted throughout Mewni must not have reach them on account of whatever protective wards the Sanctuary had in place.

"Aw, can I get in on this wordless meeting, too?" Jimi folded his hands in desperation. "Please? It's been so long since I've spoken to or served anyone. The lack of contact and conversation has rendered my smile and optimism gone and my sanity teetering off the edge."

"So if all of your customers apparently left, then why are you still here?" Mina inquired curiously. "Wouldn't it make sense from a business perspective to go wherever they went and reopen your bar there?"

Jimi passionately slammed a fist into the counter, making a small crack on its coarse, splintered surface. "Because I inherited this bar from my mom! Elizabeth rest her soul. And I don't give a fungus if you offer me Heaven in a hand basket. I sprouted in this bar, I'll wither here, too."

"So yeah, about that head message." Star said, wanting to hurry things along. "What's that all about?"

Rather than further the conversation, the fungal barkeep suddenly turned distant and rounded towards the shelves behind him. He grabbed a handful of folded black paper, a bag of sugar, a couple lemon slices, a bottle of greenish, murky fluid (presumably swamp water), a small metal flask, a large globular pitcher, and five cups.

He filled the pitcher about three quarters of the way with the swamp water, then placed a heap of sugar and lemon slices after, making a rather gross-looking lemonade. He then took the handful of black paper and unfolded them over the pitcher one at a time, letting fall some sort of ground up yellow, electricity-sparking powder. He took the flask and splashed just a little bit of its translucent contents into the lemonade/gold leaf powder mixture. His hands dove beneath the counter and dug up an ice cube tray and a spoon, the latter with which he proceeded to thoroughly mix the drink with, then dumped the former in soon after. As soon as each glass was filled with the contents of the pitcher, they slid to each of the patrons.

Everyone saw their drinks as more repelling than enticing. Marco raised his cup and softly swished its brownish, green-yellow contents, which proved to be thicker and slimier than he expected. A few stray specks of powder floated to the top and tiny, fleeting sparks danced across the dirty, golden surface. Feeling bold, the boy took a quick whiff and, to put it mildly, it was an abysmal affront to the olfactory senses that twisted his face in a grimace that looked painful to make. It was as if wet mold, rotting wood, and fecal matter gangbanged a lemon and the stillborn result of their unholy consummation spilled into the cup. Marco gently put it down and pushed it away.

Janna, bearing an insanity or bravery that surpassed Marco's, just went straight for it, though practicing caution that rivaled his at once. Pinching her nostrils closed, she brought the tip of her tongue past the edge of the glass, and immediately her senses were violated by the taste of hot piss, raw sewage, and the inside of an electrical outlet with fleeting hints of lemon and sugar. To call it lemonade was a blasphemy worthy of a crucifixion, followed by flogging and stoning, Janna and Lekmet collectively thought.

"Uh," Mina stared into her beverage. "We didn't come here for a-"

"It's on the house." Jimi said solemnly as he took a sip from his cup. Despite clearly lacking a mouth, he somehow managed to ingest his drink. "Take dainty, princess sips, though. Gold Pine Lemonade isn't meant to be downed in one gulp. That stuff'll numb your tongue for days if you do, lemme tell ya. Try to pick a spot where there's no electricity and drink from there."

"Sorry, what?" Star said as she hammered her empty glass upon the counter. She wiped the remaining lemonade and leaf residue off her mouth, then outstretched her cup. "May I have some more, please? That was pretty good."

Her friends gazed at her with baffled faces, while the barkeep could only shake his head and softly chuckle.

"Heh heh, of course someone like you could handle it no prob."

"Huh? Whaddya mean by that?"

After taking another sip, Jimi put his cup down and folded his stubby arms. "C'mon, you think I didn't notice the marks on your cheeks? Even if you do look like hell (no offense), I'll never not recognize a descendant of Lady Solaria."

"You knew Solaria?" Star asked.

"Oh yeah, Solaire wanted me to look for her." Marco idly blurted out loud.

"Who?"

"When I was in the Astral Realm, I met a guy named Solaire who apparently knew her. Didn't realize at the time that he meant your grandma, Star."

"Is she like, related to him?" Jimi asked.

"Nah, they were apparently best friends who fought together or something."

"Does your friend also happen to be super obsessed with the Sun and use lightning related spells?"

"Uh, yeah kinda."

"Hm." The barkeep crossed his arms. "Sounds like they were made for each other. Though no one mentioned anything about her having a companion."

"So yeah, how do you know her?" Star steered the conversation back on track.

Jimi took another sip before elaborating. "Her story's been passed down my family for generations. She was around when the first of my people, Elizabeth, was alive. They said that Solaria came to our birthplace of Oolacile out of nowhere. With a blade of pure lightning in hand and a boundless fire in her soul, she destroyed the growing darkness that plagued it, saved its princess, and left just as quickly as she came. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be serving and speaking with you right now."

"So you're from another dimension." Marco surmised as he leaned forward in his seat.

"Not me, no. I was born and raised on Mewni. My family immigrated here some hundreds of years ago when they found out this was where our hero was born. They came well past her time and well... look where I am now."

"Oh." Star hung her head dejectedly, her eye meeting with the bottom of her empty glass. "I'm sorry about that."

"It isn't your fault." Jimi raised a dismissive hand. "However, this does bring me to why everyone left and why I stayed."

Everyone leaned forward slightly to hear what they've been waiting for. Jimi looked wistfully to the distance, the wrinkly slits on his face narrowed as he dove deep into reminiscence.

"It was slightly past dawn on a Tuesday... much like this one. When it all happened." Jimi began, his voice softened to an ominously serious tone. Then his eyes widened slightly and he took a thick finger to his lack of chin. "Or wait, maybe it was a Monday... I think? That reminds me, I fuckin' hate Mondays. It's the busiest day next to Friday through Sunday and the bitching and moaning from customers about their lives reaches its peak for some reason. Like, I don't mind a tear-jerking sob story from time to time, but it's the same damn complaints every week. About how awful our conditions are. Hell, that's one thing I'm glad that left along with everyone else. Maybe they've found something else to complain about anyways, those annoying pricks. I wish they'd come back."

"Jimi. Focus." Star sharply hissed.

"Huh? Oh, right right. Sorry. Anyways, where was I again?"

"Early morning. Doesn't matter which day." Marco said deadpan.

"Right." The barkeep cleared his "throat". "So yeah, it was an early morning kinda like this one. Except about half the tables and chairs were filled as usual during this period in time. Every patron belched forth the gaseous echoes of their spirits and profusely blabbed about who-the-hell-cares, some of them to no one in particular. And then," He raised both hands in suspense. "the strangest thing."

The four leaned forward in their chairs again, hanging onto the prospect of a revelation like the latter end of a rope.

"Uvritrog the Ogre Bard came thundering through my door!" A choir of groans and facepalms spurned from the other side of the counter. "Singing a shitty shanty about what, I had no idea. Every 'lyric' that spewed from his pinecone-stuffed throat were more incomprehensible than the mutterings of someone far too wasted to mentally function. But that wasn't the weird part, because he does that on a bi-weekly basis. No, he came here one week after his prior visit! With that bundle of sticks and spider strings he called a 'Lute'. Which serves no purpose because the thing spawns no sound whatsoever, so he just performs acapella while plucking a prop. But I can never get mad at 'im. He's a nice guy. A good person. Stupid as hell, but a good person. He's probably deafening the patron ears of some other bar as I speak. I miss that dumb son of a bitch. Good riddance."

"Dude, can you please," Janna threw her hands up. "get back on track?"

"Wha? Hold your horses, son. I'm getting there."

"Uh, I'm a girl?"

"Are you now?" Jimi leaned forward and narrowed his eyes at Janna, who began to grow physically uncomfortable as a result. "Sorry, you just remind me of a wood elf ladyboy I was once, uhh, acquainted with. Similar skin tone and hair color. Had a knack for polishing wood, if ya know what I mean." He said with a wink and a nudge of his elbow towards no one specific.

"Oh my god..." Janna buried her face in her palms as her elbows fell upon the counter.

"Jimi, if you don't get to the point right now..." Mina threateningly trailed off as she stood up and laid a tight hand on the grip of her saber. The chatty fungus looked none too fazed by the gesture. If anything, he took it with a bit of amusement as he folded his stubby arms.

"Lady, my people have a history of punching holes through mooks wearing the thickest of plate armor. As such, I'm capable of the same thing. You don't even have a link of mail on any part of your body, so unless you're thinking of ordering a torso donut, I suggest you take it down a notch, right now."

"And what'll you do if I don't, dickhead?"

"Yeah Mina, kick his ass!" Janna obnoxiously instigated. "His degenerate tastes warrant it!"

"Whoa whoa whoa, c'mon guys." Marco figuratively tried to get between them. His worried eyes darted between the would-be brawlers. "Look we just came here for information regarding Buff Frog. But now that you've mentioned that everyone in the swamp left, we would like to know more about that as well. So can we please not make a scene that no one but us can see and be embarrassed about and just talk like the civil adults that we are?"

Mina and Jimi exchanged wary, goading looks before their expressions loosened and their bodies relaxed. The former returned to her seat and her hand departed her weapon. Jimi let his arms fall beside him. Meanwhile, Star was far too deep in the electric lemonade to involve herself in the debacle. She began to take her friends' filled cups and down them herself, much to their indifference.

"Now then," Marco mustered as much patience and humility as his martial arts training could provide. "may you continue? And trim as much of the fat off the story as possible, if you please."

"Uh-huh." Jimi's brief response was accompanied by a sigh. "Say, you mentioned someone named Buff Frog. You wouldn't happen to be talking about Yvgeny, would you? Or as I like to call 'im, 'Bulbi'?"

"Yeah, you know him?" Marco perked up, his excitement roused by the prospect of expository progress.

"Know him? He's a regular here. And a favorite one at that. Sometimes he would bring his kids 'cause he could never stand the thought of leavin' em alone for a second. And when he doesn't, he always leaves 'em in the care of Star Butterfly and her prince, Marco. And considering Star's right here, I'm guessing you're the prince?"

"Uhh..." Rather than provide a coherent response, Marco instead shifted his eyes repeatedly as a warm crimson overtook his face. Star couldn't suppress a smile as she brought the pitcher to her lips and finished off the rest of its shock-inducing contents.

"Yeah, I thought so. Don't be so embarrassed about it, kiddo. Lotta guys would kill to get in there with a princess. And a Butterfly at that. Bulbi's got me shippin' ya hard. Even if you both look like you've seen way better days (no offense), it doesn't take away from the fact that you two, in his own words, are like 'fresh baked pierogi and a winter's dawn'. Dunno what that means, but it sounds comfy and wholesome."

"Ok well, getting back on topic." Marco nervously ran his fingers through his hair. "About Buff Frog and everyone else."

"Again with that. Look, I keep telling you all that he's not 'Buff'. It's called 'bear-mode'. Big difference. Wait, would that be considered racist given his accent? And why does he have that accent anyways if no one else on Mewni has it? Come to think of it, Mewni has its own language doesn't it? So why do we speak English instead? And how do we know what English is?"

"Jimi." Star simply said as she downed the remainder of the lemonade. Her brows furrowed, her eye narrowed, and her tightly clenched frown was coated in juice and specks of powder.

"Okay see, now _that_ 's shit-my-pants intimidating." The barkeep pointed to Star as his wrinkled gaze fell on Mina. "Anyone who could look me straight in the eye after downing an entire pitcher of Gold Pine Lemonade with zero fungus given is someone who shouldn't be truffled with."

A turbulent storm of silence then fell over the entire bar as seven angrily squinted eyes aimed to burn Jimi into swiss shroom.

"I can tell by your scowls that you want me to keep going." The shroom cleared his "throat" again. "It was on a morning not unlike this one..."

"Just skip to the main event dude, pleeease." Janna expressed great mental strain as she tugged at her cheeks and lower eyelids. "Yer killin' us here."

"Well, would it kill you to gimme a few more seconds?" Jimi put his hands to his hips. The guests decided to normalize their positions and expressions for his sake. With a sigh, he continued. "Strangest thing, really. All of us able bodied, unable-minded folk were mindin' our own business. When suddenly I, and presumably everyone else, were struck with a vision. Or a lack thereof, because everything suddenly went dark. Then a voice rung out through the blank void, one of tranquil and almost motherly disposition. It brought tears to my eyes because it reminded me of Mom (Elizabeth rest her soul)."

And like before, everyone's interest was piqued and they all opted to lean forward as his recollections drew them in, ever so closer to the truth.

"What did the voice say?" Star pressed further.

"It, or should I say 'she', spoke. And while she did, the darkness from my vision parted and it turned out that my view was blocked by clouds I didn't realize were there. Like the lifting of theater curtains at the beginning of a play, they tore from one another, slowly giving way to a blinding green light behind something taking center stage of my view. Floating among the void of vibrant green was the gossamer appearance of a blackened purple butterfly, seductively flapping its ethereal wings as if beckoning me. Longing for something from me. The voice spoke, calmly, yet coldly: 'Denizens of Mewni. Men and Monsters. All who dwell within sentience. The Hour of Unity is at hand. Proceed to thine Exodus to the Promised Land. The Just City. The New Butterfly Union. Peace and paradise lie within grasp. Justice has triumphed and the fruits of its labor shall be yours when you journey at once'."

"New... Butterfly Union...?" The phrase was like it derived from a dead tongue lost to Star.

"Yup. That's what it said. Then after that, the clouds converged and our view returned to the dingy pub you see before you. Next thing I knew, everyone hurriedly downed their drinks and stomped out of my door, shouting excited, joyful nothings on their way out. By the time I went outside to see what was up, a huge sea of my fellow swamp dwellers flowed towards the bounds of what used to be their home. And before I knew it, it was just me, my bar, and the noisy wildlife. And Bulbi'."

"Wait, Buff Frog stayed behind?" Marco inquired with an arched brow.

Jimi nodded. "At first. He felt just as sus about it as I did. The message came from someone that he didn't recognize as anyone who was associated with you or Star. Leaving his kids with me, he left the Swamp to see what was goin' on. He said he'd come back right away and report his findings, but... that was about two or three weeks ago and I haven't seen 'im since."

"Huh, so that's where they are..." Star quietly said to herself, feeling a combination of relief and concern.

"Uh, Jimi? I hate to tell ya this but..." Marco rubbed the back of his head as he had hoped the barkeep would take his word for it. "We managed to find out that Buff Frog's in a jail of some sort."

"Oh Sweet Elizabeth, no..." Jimi leaned forward and rested his forearms upon the counter. His lowered large head shook in disbelief as he mumbled dismally to himself. "C'mon man, he's a dad... he shouldn't be in the slammer... Anyone but him..."

"I get why Yvgeny stayed behind," Star spoke up. "but what about you? Why are you still here?"

Jimi raised his head and took a few moments to compose himself. He adjusted his apron and leaned against his hands propping him up from the counter.

"I stand by what I said that I was born here, so I'll die here. However, 'cause of what happened during Elizabeth's time, we Oolacile folk have a nose for bad juju tied to the Abyss. Or anything close to it. Despite the emotional effect the vision had on me, it was pretty obvious that Dark Magic was being cast on a nationwide scale, which made me go all, 'nope, not today, Manus'."

Everyone across the counter slouched a bit in their seats as the implications and their weight bore down on them. Star herself was particularly shaken, seeing as how such a righteous goal was reached through the most vile of methods which occurred in what she once called home. It made her sick to her stomach. Marco noticed this and gently laid a hand atop hers, to which his fingers lightly wrapped around.

"That being said," Jimi took on a drastically grave tone, compared to how he spoke prior. "you guys know that Star here is a walking mass of red flags, right? Because I felt 'em loud and clear the second you got near my bar. Obsessively wiping that mug and mixing you guys drinks for free kept me from leaping over this counter and punching a hole through her right away. Heck, I'm resisting the urge to do it now."

"Why don't you, then?" Star absentmindedly muttered, evoking rather dreading looks from her peers.

"Because, 'princess'. Despite what your aura or od or whatever is screaming at me, I know for a fact that deep in there, you've got some light left in ya keeping you from hittin' rock bottom." Jimi's line of sight shifted to Marco for a split-second. "Plus, I'm pretty sure these guys wouldn't hesitate to slice me into pizza toppings if I tried."

A small smile on Star's face emerged partly forced and partly natural. She involuntarily gripped Marco's hand.

Once again, silence filled in what lack of sound lingered in the air. After receiving all this information, they were all unsure on where to start or what to do. Eclipsa and Toffee apparently turned the Butterfly Kingdom into a paradise, Buff Frog was in jail for whatever reason, and River was still nowhere to be found. In addition, all of them were far too paranoid about being tracked through the All-Seeing Eye to utilize it.

"So uh," Jimi shattered the solid silence, rubbing his cap as he did so. "How long you guys planning on being here?"

In unison, they all shrugged. Then came a few shuffling of bodies and some awkward coughs.

"Don't suppose you're still offerin' stuff on the house?" Janna asked. "Anything that's consumable to us at least?"

"Aw, what the hell, why not?" The barkeep turned around to a shelf and grabbed a different set of drinks and accompanying ingredients, then proceeded to mix them. "Say, while we're drinkin' and gettin' situated, you guys care to hear about the Tragedy of Sir Artorias?"


	54. I've Come Here to Save You

"Man, your mom makes the best pancakes I've ever had." Beamed Tom as he and Jackie stepped from out of the orange portal and into the Castle. They were steadily making their way to the front gates, conversing as they did so.

"I know right? Dunno how I lived without 'em for 16 years." Replied Jackie with a smile. She took a drag of her cigarette as she walked beside Tom. He had long accepted this was a habit she might never kick anytime soon and so his lungs grew accustomed to the secondhand smoke.

"Still. To this day, I can't believe your parents are cool with what you've been doing these past few weeks. Heck, your mom even smokes _with_ you!"

"They're cool with loads of stuff as long as I don't get into any trouble or get hurt. Besides, they've been wanting me to do something constructive for the summer besides skateboardin' all day anyways. I guess learning how to be a ninja and improving the lives of everyone in Mewni might be what they were looking for."

"Man, I wish my dad was that chill." Tom's gaze rose to the sky-high ceilings above as he spoke wistfully. "When you told yours you spent sixteen years in another dimension, all he said was how he wished he still looked like a teenager when he was thirty and then asked what you wanted for dinner. My dad blows a gasket and the nearest furniture when I've been gone five minutes past curfew."

"Yeah. Dad's pretty awesome." Jackie's eyes were kept forward as she felt somewhat distanced from the conversation but held onto it regardless. "But I'm sure your dad really cares about you."

"Oh, I don't doubt that for a second. Still, wish he didn't hafta go overboard so much."

"Why not ask your coach to work with him?"

Tom scoffed. "Brian gets too scared out of his wits whenever he gets near Dad. Afraid he might get disintegrated if he even so much as look at him funny."

"What's he been doin' nowadays? Since you've been swamped with political stuff for the other kingdoms, I haven't seen 'im around much."

"Oh, he's still around. I just haven't really needed his services as much as I used to. But he and you are the only ones I'd care to interact with outside of work. Maybe Star whenever she gets... situated."

"Speaking of Star..." Jackie felt like she was about to tread on thin ice, but proceeded anyways. "Do you... are you still into her even after knowing what she did?"

Tom didn't answer right away. He averted his gaze for a few moments before giving his answer with a sigh.

"I mean..." He scratched his head. "Eclipsa said she was gonna fix her, didn't she? Make her a functioning member of society again?"

"Yeah, but... after everything we saw..."

"I know, I know." Tom said hurriedly. "But I got this... gut feeling that it wasn't really her, y'know? Or maybe... what we saw didn't actually happen."

"I dunno, man. Looked pretty clear to me. I mean, Eclipsa could be a bit sketchy at times, but she wouldn't outright lie to the people she helped out, right? What would be the point?"

"I guess you're right, but... I still find it hard to believe."

"Maybe she had no idea what she was doing and just completely lost control of herself."

"Yeah, that's probably the best case scenario." Tom said with resignation.

"Well, I'll hear it for myself from the fugitive herself.

"Oh, right," The Demon Prince nearly forgot why they were walking in the first place. "headin' out to rescue Marco, huh?"

"Yeah." Jackie's tone was bereft of a discernible emotion. "After hearing about Star using something called the 'Berserker Armor', it's pretty much now or never at this point."

"From what that weirdo assassin told you, right?"

"Yup."

The two walked beyond the threshold of the front gates and ended up stopping just shy of the first step of the castle stairway.

"She might not give him up without a fight, y'know. Especially with you." Tom intoned casually in spite of the subject matter.

"I mean, I'm hoping she'll be reasonable." Jackie doubt was noticeably laced in her voice. "Despite everything, I'm pretty sure she legit cares enough about Marco to let him go home. And if she really felt bad for what she did, she'd turn herself in."

"You know this is Star we're talking about, right? The one who helped shut down St. Olga's? Star 'Rebel Princess' Butterfly?"

Jackie's face fell into a faint frown. "Man, you might be right. And considering how jealous she was of me and Marco and how she's got that Armor, I dunno how we could settle this without at least throwing a few hands."

"Yeah," Tom crossed his arms, his gaze falling down the steps with uncertainty. "I'm not sure either."

"You're not worried she'll get seriously hurt?"

Tom's expression tightened briefly, then immediately loosened.

"Nah, not really. She's tough as nails, like her dad. Heck she's even killed others before."

"Has she now?" This was news to Jackie. She was keenly aware that Star was no stranger to combat but she had no idea the girl took lives even before that fateful day.

"Mm-hm. Seen it firsthand myself one time while we were still a thing. Saw her murder a dozen monsters all on her own once. It was part of the 'training' she was being put through."

Jackie couldn't contain her dropped jaw. Worried that a bug might fly into her mouth, Tom took it upon himself to gently bring it back up.

"And you still dated her after seeing that?"

"You kidding me? That made me want her even more! Heck, a mewman girl with a killer instinct is a huge turn-on for a demon like me."

Jackie's worries dissolved as she chuckled and playfully shoved Tom's shoulder. "Dude, you are so unreal! No wonder you're still into her."

The boy laughed back. The much-needed mirth momentarily made him forget what they were doing in the first place.

"Hey," Tom's tone became solemn. "Y'know, I don't mind you having to rough up Star for a bit if she gets too far out of line, but..."

The demon prince trailed off as a lump in his throat deterred the path his words were heading down.

"But?"

"Just... remember that we need her alive, y'know? Not just for me, but for Eclipsa as well."

"Of course, dude. I know she kinda got me wary now, but I still wanna think of her as my friend. She's young and she's got a lot goin' for her. Especially if she can work things out and get better again. Though if things get outta control, I can't promise I'll hold back, but I'll try to keep things from getting' fatal."

"Thanks, Jacks."

"You sure you don't wanna come with, dude? Thought you really wanted to see her."

Tom woefully shook his head. "As much as I'd love to, I still got a lotta work to be done today. Gotta oversee some election or somethin' at the Johansen Kingdom. Something I could do without if it wasn't for Toffee and Dad being on my tail about it. Besides, I trust that things'll work out more or less."

"Oh. That sucks, dude. But good luck, anyways."

Tom presented his left fist for his friend to pound as a symbol of their strong friendship and a gesture of farewell.

"Seeya round, Demon Bro." She said with a smile and a light bumping of knuckles.

"Right back at ya, Ninja Chick."

And with that, the two parted ways. However, Jackie stopped dead in her tracks when a question arose before the forefront of her mind.

"Yo Tom."

The demon prince in question halted immediately upon hearing the call. "Yeah, what's up?"

Jackie scratched her head as her sea-green eyes peered into the ground as they were rife with concern.

"Do you... do you think I'm doing the right thing?"

Tom arched an eyebrow in slight confusion, then his lips curved in an assuring smile.

"Well, you've done nothing but good things for Mewni so far, so I'd like to think so."

"Hm." As much as she appreciated his answer, a lingering doubt prevented Jackie from being content with them. "Cool. Thanks bud."

"Anytime."

Once again, the two bid their farewells and parted ways as they proceeded with their respective objectives for the day. The young assassin made her way down the steps where a certain dragon cycle awaited her for departure.

The wheeled reptile purred with delight upon seeing her friend drawing near.

"Sup Nachos. You ready to head out, girl?"

Nachos clicked and purred, nodding as she did so.

"I know. We're finally gonna see Marco again. Eclipsa gave me a general idea of where they might be so we could search around there. If my old school taught me well enough, we should be able to find 'em in no time."

Nachos gurgled some more while repeatedly jerking her head to the side in a gesture of haste.

"Yeah yeah, keep yer shirt on."

Jackie mounted her steed and the two proceeded to roll down the busy streets of the Kingdom. Despite her excitement to see her old friend again, Nachos took great care to roll at a reasonable pace as to not accidentally run over anyone on her path.

"Jackie! Jackie!" Called out a few voices belonging to some local children. Nachos was considerate enough to brake to let her rider respond. A small group of four, two mewmans and two monsters, excitedly ran up to the girl whose name they longingly called for.

"Yo, what's up little dudes?" She amiably greeted with a short wave.

"Goin' out to kick some more bad guy butt?" Asked one.

"Erm, somethin' like that, yeah." Jackie said as she bashfully scratched her head.

"Aww, but you said you were gonna teach us all how to skateboard!" Whined another.

"And take us all for a ride on Nachos!" Added a third.

"Oh man, I'm sorry guys." Jackie's eyes flitted to the side in embarrassment. "Something big just came up and I gotta take care of it, like, right now."

"Oohh..." All the children remarked in unison, their disappointment dissolving into curiosity.

"You goin' on a super duper secret mission?"

"Gonna fight the meanest, biggest bad guy?"

"Ooh, what is it Jackie? Tell us!"

"We won't blab to anyone! Promise!"

"It's... kinda complicated guys..." Jackie coyly ran her fingers through her hair. "Maybe I'll tell ya all about it whenever I get back."

"Aww!" They all groaned in unison.

"Promise?" Piped up one of them.

"Promise." Jackie assured with a warm, yet forced smile.

"Ok! Bye Jackie! Bye Nachos!"

And with that, the kids dispersed, leaving Jackie to proceed with her travels. Her heightened senses manage to catch a hushed, receding conversation.

"I bet she's going after the 'Blonde Devil'."

"She has to be. She usually tells us everything she's doing."

"I doubt it. She's not even bringing backup for someone like that."

Jackie decided to let Nachos run on autopilot as the two made every turn, bob, and weave through the kingdom. Her grip on Nachos's handlebar horns tightened as she fell into deep contemplation.

Nachos craned her head and curiously growled, wondering why her rider's grip uncomfortably tightened.

"Huh?" Jackie's eyes shot open as she snapped out of her stupor. "Oh. Just... thinkin'."

Nachos' gurgled and clicked inquisitively.

"Some stuff."

Nachos opted not to pry any further and faced forward once again, leaving her rider to settle whatever inner conflict she was having. Their distance from the front gates of the kingdom grew more narrow and narrow.

Once they passed the gates, their path became free of any and all obstacles, which prompted the dragon cycle to pick up in speed and eventually altitude. Jackie held on tight as the two took to the skies.

"Say, Nachos?"

Nachos hummed inquisitively. She kept facing forward as she was aware that Jackie had her head deep in the clouds both literally and figuratively.

"Do _you_ think I'm doing the right thing?"

The dragon hefted a sigh through her nostrils before replying with a long-winded, yet eloquent series of growls, clicks, and purrs.

"Heh, you kinda went all Dai-Sensei on me for a second. But yeah, you're right. Thanks."

And with that, Jackie regained her focus on the task at hand. The two went on with their flight path, with hopes in their hearts that they would see to the safety of the person they most cared about.

* * *

A violent, arid wind tore across the blazing plains of Hekapoo's dimension, its ghostly wail accompanying the chorus of crackling fire and feeble cries for help. Towering plumes of thick smoke rose into the sky, chaotically blending with the noxious clouds in the sky and polluting the atmosphere even further than it already has. A moderately large town was recently razed to the ground, not much of its buildings left whole and standing and even less of its denizens left unscathed or even alive.

"God, not again..." Jackie whispered to herself as she rolled into the dismal sight on her skateboard. "Fourth one this week... didn't make it in time..."

Keeping a light, readied grip on her tanto, she safely skirted around the widespread spots of fire, with the hopes of finding some sign of life, however small.

"P-please... help. Us." Strained what sounded like an old man nearby. Despite how quiet the call was, Jackie managed to catch it and home in on its source immediately.

It was an olive-skinned bald man in a doctor's outfit whose voice betrayed his actual middling age, though Jackie surmised it to be because his lungs were filled to its capacity with smoke and ash as he edged towards death. He dragged himself away from a burning pile he used to call home. Blood trailed behind his limp, useless legs and more of it began to pool beneath him, flowing from several long gashes on his torso and off the corner of his mouth. How he managed to hold onto what tiny morsel of strength remained to even move was a miracle.

Jackie held the man in her arms as he fell forward into them. She flipped him on his back as delicately as she could as to not make things worse than they already were.

"Red Raptors, right?" Jackie asked, knowing full well that this destruction was one of many that those group of bandits inflicted in years past. She had only heard about them about a month ago and, with the skills she'd acquired, she wouldn't even dream of letting beings like them left alive. Though, they always somehow manage to stay one step ahead of her, as if they knew she was hunting them down. Thankfully, they never crossed paths, so they remain blissfully ignorant to her skills.

The man simply nodded and went into a profuse coughing fit. He wasn't any better off when he stopped as his breathing then was ragged and forced. "G...Geh..l..."

"Which way?" She concisely asked. She had a feeling that they couldn't have gone that far if the fresh fires and bodies were anything to go by.

The man slowly rose a shaky finger down his body, towards a dense, autumn-colored woods that lay just a few miles beyond what remained of the town. His claim was confirmed by the numerous fresh tire tracks spanning towards that direction.

"Thanks. I'll get 'em this time. I promise." Jackie declared with a firm nod.

"Please..." The man raised a violently quivering hand towards his holder's face. "Ki... Keh..."

She didn't need the rest of the word to know what he wanted at the moment. With a wavering hand and a tight clenching of her eyes, she unsheathed one of her tanto and drove it into the man's throat, allowing him to pass as quickly and as painlessly as possible. No matter how many times she's administered this stroke of mercy, it would never get any easier. It was like another needle, joining the countless others as it lodged into the pincushion that was her heart.

Jackie gently let his body fall to the earth and immediately shot up and rode forward, sparing no time to grieve over the many lives that were lost that day, though all the time in the world wouldn't be enough to mourn every departed soul up to that point.

When she reached her destination, she kicked her board up and holstered it across her back. Running up to the nearest tree, she began scaling up to one of its highest branches in a matter of moments, then leaped off of it onto another one the next tree over. And another. And another.

As she delved deeper into the woods, deftly and silently leaping across trees, Jackie could plainly hear the humming motor of her targets' vehicles, growing ever so louder with each jump.

Finally, she ended up alongside them as they drove down the road. A caravan of three jeeps with six passengers in each one. The Red Raptors were a gang of humanoid falcon people, all covered in crimson feathers and bearing sharp amber eyes that could track and find their prey within a matter of moments. A group that knew no mercy nor remorse for their deplorable actions. And they smiled and laughed as if they hadn't just destroyed another civilization.

However, all of them were too enthralled in their mirth and conversation to notice that they were being hunted right at that moment.

 _Got em._

A solid blue marble followed by a white one shot forth from Jackie's hand and exploded just several yards from where the caravan was heading, spawning a large puddle of water that immediately froze over.

And as expected, every jeep drove over the ice and went spiraling out of control, their drivers frantically attempting to wrest control and stability back to their respective vehicle. Their efforts came to naught when they all ended up in a major crash. The foremost jeep went headfirst into a tree, the second one t-boned the first one, and the third one roughly rear-ended the second one, though incurring far less damage comparatively. While many of them were shaken, they ended up more or less intact.

"What the fuck, was that ice on the road?" Cried out one.

"Y-yeah, I guess! Where'd it come from?" Shakily answered another.

"Aw geez, my car's totaled. Gonna be a while to fix it."

"Yeah, mine is, too. Shit!"

"I dunno about this one, but wouldn't hurt to give it a look see."

"Well, hurry it up. We gotta get to the house now and there's no tellin' how much time's left."

One of them felt a drop hit the tip of her beak. She brought a feathered hand to it, then peered up at the now cloudy sky. A soft, yet nigh torrential drizzle washed over the entire area.

"Aw hell, _and_ it's raining? Man, how could this get any crappier?"

And that was the last sentence she ever uttered, before her throat was instantly slit by an unseen blade. With her eyes rolling to the back of her head, she dropped to the moist, gravel ground like a timbering tree.

"Heather, no!" Cried out one of them, one in a brown leather jacket with padded shoulders. He ran to her side and held the dead woman in his arms. He futilely tried to check her pulse and as soon as the inevitable was realized he shook his head in disbelief as he gripped her feathered hand.

"Fuck! FUCK!" The Raptor screamed into the rain. He shot up and brandished a machete, his eyes ablaze with rage as his avian head darted every which way. "Fuck the cars! Everyone grab somethin' and find the sonuva bitch who just killed my WIFE!"

Another choked death rattle came from behind him as another of his associates dropped with a bloody throat.

"Find 'em NOW! What the FUCK are you all waiting for!?"

Two more immediately met their ends. Those that remained scattered away from one another, unable to process what was going on as their comrades were suddenly dropping like flies.

"Shit, where're they comin' from?" Fearfully cried out one of them. He visibly shook as he struggled to get a grip on his crossbow.

And with that, the crossbow wielder dropped his weapon along with himself as another neck was thoroughly sliced.

"Fuck this, I'm out!" One Raptor tried to make a break for the third jeep, but was stopped by the presumed leader of the group. He furiously pointed his blade at the would-be escapee's throat.

"You lay a feather on that fuckin' jeep and you're dead! You hear me!?"

"B... but what about-"

"While we're still bein' stalked and butchered like this? No, we gotta deal with this problem right the fuck now. If we run, they'll just follow us back to the house!"

The underling shakily nodded in agreement. He composed himself and firmly held his hatchet. The leader looked over his shoulder to address the rest of his compatriots.

"Everyone, you-"

His words died at the tip of his hung lower beak when he saw that the rest had already met their quick, bloody demise. His underling turned around to see the reason for his boss's horrified expression and he ended up bearing one that was similar, if not more severe.

Without a word, the underling pushed his boss out of the way and broke off into a frantic sprint towards whence they came.

"You fucking coward how could you-"

And before he could finish his insult, the underling abruptly stopped dead in his tracks.

Literally. A woman stood in front of him, her daggers buried deep in his stomach. The blades quickly trailed a bloody line up to his jugular, after which a foot pushed the ensuing corpse to the ground. Along their brief exit, the pair of tanto took with them some of his blood and a few feathers.

The last one standing was then face to face with a young woman who looked to be at the latter part of her twenties. An ocean blue streak stood out among the sea of whitish-blonde hair and a pair of determined seafoam eyes aimed to rend the Raptor Leader asunder, but she desired to let her blades have the honor.

Sparing no time to angrily demand the identity of his friends' killer, the bird immediately lit up a Molotov Cocktail and tossed it in her direction.

While it did look as if it hit its mark, the ensuing explosion was that of a thick, expanding mist rather than a flaring ball of fire. The mist spread wide enough to block the view of the road beyond.

Convinced that his assailant was still kicking, the Leader opted to take cover behind one of the broken vehicles with his back to a flattened wheel. He picked up a downed crossbow and held it firmly against his chest for dear life. With laborious pants and trembling hands, he loaded a bolt as fast as he could. Then he shot up from his sitting position and aimed towards where his foe once was.

The fog has long dissipated and the woman was nowhere to be found. Save for the vast multitudes of soft pitter patters, all was eerily quiet. Not a thing alive stirred other than the crossbow held in shaky, fear-stricken hands.

"The fuck...?" The Leader sharply whispered. He was about to turn around to get back into cover when his stomach was met with two sharp pieces of metal and his fearful amber eyes were greeted by a pair of vengeful sea green.

His crossbow fell to the wet ground along with the rain. His motor skills failed him as his mind whirled with a boiling blend of every negative emotion under the sun. But the one prevailing emotion was of bottomless grief as the prospect of his death reached him.

"You... you..." Was all he managed to sputter out along with a few beakfuls of blood.

With her blades firmly held, Jackie split her arms wide, horizontally bisecting the last Raptor's stomach. With no more strength left to resist, the bird fell back into sitting position, holding his overflowing abdominal wound and going into a wet coughing fit.

Jackie sheathed her blades and proceeded to walk past her opponent's final resting place.

"Wait..." He halted her with a tug of her pant leg. "Yer not... gonna finish me off?"

Jackie's normally gentle, amiable eyes peered at him with such contempt that it caused him to flinch the moment she turned around.

"No dude. You're gonna sit there and think about what you've done. Better start now, because you don't got a lotta time left. Bye."

Jackie tore her leg from his hands and continued walking.

"Please... my... my daughter..." Weakly cried the dying bird. Jackie froze in her tracks and her face fell into horror.

"What!?" She ran back to her would-be kill and knelt beside him to confirm what she heard.

"I-if you can..." His speech was cut off by another coughing fit. "Take... take all the medicine we got... give it all to her...she needs it real bad... a house... in the woods. Not far..." His wavering, bloody hand pointed down the road.

Jackie had absolutely nothing to say. The fact that she had just killed someone who went through all that for his sick child put her in an overwhelming state of unrest and confusion. It turned every perception and notion she had about what she's seen, done and experienced upside down and inside out.

The inner crisis brought her to wonder if everyone she ever killed had meaningful reasons such as this.

"Don't... let it all... be for... noth..."

He trailed off as his body slacked and slid off the rim of the car and onto the ground. No longer were there any more thoughts or ideas behind those glassy, amber eyes. Jackie knelt there in silence, allowing the rain and her recent action wash over her.

With an invigorated fire in her heart, Jackie was driven to right any and all wrongs of today. She turned around to search the cars. As he said, each trunk and every compartment was filled to the brim with a vast array of painkillers, herbs, fluids, and just about every other type of medicinal substance under the sun.

Gathering every one from two of the jeeps, she placed them all into the least damaged one. She hopped in, turned the ignition, and drove off in search of the daughter these seemingly bandits worked long and hard to deliver medicine to.

Scouring the dense brush and wood, she managed to find a well-hidden road that broke off from the main one, and sure enough, it led towards a quaint little cabin sitting alone among the towering trees, nestled behind a thick wall of shrubbery. A plume of smoke rose from its chimney, indicating that someone had to be home. There was a jeep similar to the one she was driving parked in front, though it bore a different color.

After parking next to the other car, Jackie walked towards the door and gave it a few knocks.

"Oh my goodness, Gale is that you?" Cried out an elderly woman's voice from beyond the door. Some hurried footsteps later and the door gave way to a bird lady who looked very similar to the ones from before, though visibly older. A wide smile quickly turned to a frown the moment she laid eyes upon she who wasn't expected.

"Hey there." Jackie sheepishly waved. "Guess yer wondering why I'm here."

"Who..." The old bird lady began as she rubbed the side of her beak. "... who are you? You don't look like anyone who lives in the town nearby."

She then looked past Jackie and noticed she was in possession of one of their jeeps, which was in severely less than peak condition.

"And why do you have one of my son's jeeps? And where're the other two?"

"Oh geez," Jackie averted her gaze briefly before returning them. "Well... they uh... got into like... a really bad accident... so bad, a lot of 'em... didn't make it..."

While she didn't technically lie, the knowing omission of several crucial details bore a heavy weight upon Jackie's shoulders and she couldn't stifle a pained grimace.

The old lady's face dropped drastically to one of horror. She looked to be struggling to hold herself up as she laid a hand on the side of the door frame and another on her head before shaking it in disbelief.

"Oh dear, oh no..."

"I'm. Really sorry. One of them sent me over here, bleeding out and dying. Told me to drive the medicine over to his daughter. Said she lived here."

The lady burst into tears, covering her eyes to futilely prevent any more from flowing, but they managed to slip between the cracks of her feathered fingers.

"I told him. I keep telling him he shouldn't have gone on this journey. But he wouldn't listen... he never listens... After seven years, he's left a dying orphan to live the fleeting remainder of her life without the parents she needs the most... "

"But... they brought all this medicine." Jackie gestured to the jeep. "They'd help, right?"

The old lady woefully shook her head. She wiped her eyes clean and stepped out of the house, gently closing the door behind her. "My granddaughter has a terminal illness with no known cure in any place in the world. Gale, his wife, and his old mercenary band went to seek out Lady Hekapoo for a pair of scissors to go off dimension and find one. I'm not sure how that went, but just yesterday, he sent a letter saying he was on his way home with some medicine. But she doesn't need excess medicine, she needs her parents to spend what little time she has left with her! But they would have none of it... they were so sure they'd find something to keep her alive..."

"Oh." Jackie merely said. She surmised that it most likely didn't go well since he and his associates took up raiding towns and villages for medicine as a worse alternative.

"Yes," She sniffled a few times before continuing. "Gale was... a hardheaded fool ever since he was a child. Never took no for an answer and refused to let things be if it didn't go right. He was especially furious at the doctor that diagnosed her some time after she was born. Strangled him almost to death as soon as he got the news."

"Wait, you mentioned he's been gone for seven years. How old is his daughter?"

"Exact amount of years, miss...?"

"Uh, Jackie." She briefly introduced as she extended a hand. Her host hesitantly shook it.

"Rita." The old lady introduced back. "But yes, it's been seven years since he went out to find a 'cure'. And what's worse is that the doctor informed us that Melody most likely wouldn't live to be eight."

"So wait..." The young woman's face lit up in realization. "If her parents have been gone for that long, then that means she never knew them?"

"I mean, I've told her stories about them, how they met and all that. But all she has as a reminder of their existence is a few pictures of them."

"So..." Jackie gazed to the ground and dragged her feet across the ground. "What... should I do then?"

Rita sighed. "Well... I suppose you should return all the medicine my son must have foolishly procured over the years. Or give them away to those who really need it so they won't go to waste. Honestly, I'm not sure how he managed to afford all of that. Unless he returned to being a mercenary behind our backs despite making a promise to me and his newborn daughter never to do so again."

"Oh shit..." Jackie couldn't suppress the softly uttered expletive, but her host managed to catch it.

"Is there a problem, miss?"

Jackie's ears were deafened by her heart vigorously attempting to free itself from her chest. She swallowed hard. Her lips suddenly became as dry as the dimension itself.

"You don't know, do you?" Her whispered words were seeped in a sort of terror.

"I'm sorry? Don't know what?"

Jackie's darting gaze once again fell to the ground and she held herself by the temples in an attempt to stabilize herself. She then closed her eyes, focused on nothing but the darkness, and took deep, slow breaths. Just like she was taught. After a few moments, she composed herself. Her posture straightened and her eyes returned to their normal selves.

"Ma'am, are you all right? You look like you just had small attack or something."

"Uh, yeah... um..." Despite how calm she forced herself to be, she still had difficulties laying out the news to her. "So, what I was saying... did... you know your son and everyone with him decided to... become raiders?"

Rita only gave an arched eyebrow for a second before her lower jaw dropped and her pupils turned to almost imperceivable dots. Her beak open and closed repeatedly as she was stunned by the revelation.

Tears fell down her face once again. She clenched her eyes and proceeded to shake her head once again. "No... no, it's even worse than I thought..."

"What's worse than you thought, gramma?"

Both Jackie and Rita's heads shifted towards the now cracked open door. There stood a little girl who went up to Jackie's knee in height. Long, dark-red hair flowed to her shoulders as she wore a set of sky blue pajamas with little white clouds all over. She hung onto the side of the door frame, with only her head and her fingers peeking out as she seemed rather intimidated by the stranger at the door.

"Melody, honey... you," Rita tried to hastily wipe the tears from her eyes. "Shouldn't you be in bed by now, dear?"

"Uh-uh." She shook her head, then coughed a few times. "Can't sleep, gramma. Dunno why. Who's that?"

As soon as Jackie drew close and took a knee, the little girl shrank deeper into the door frame.

"Don't be scared hon, I'm won't bite." Jackie said as softly and as calmly as possible. "My name's Jackie. Nice to meetcha." She extended a hand in greeting and to silently inform that she meant no harm. The little girl hesitated at first but she slowly crept out of the door frame and her diminutive form in its entirety came into view. She gently took a few of Jackie's fingers in both hands for a small shake.

"I'm... mm... My name's Melody." She coyly introduced.

"Yeah, your gramma told me."

Immediately, the child darted back behind the door frame, but kept her eyes peeking out of the edge.

"I'm sorry, she's never interacted with anyone other than me. She's always staying inside the house," Rita explained. "as you can see, it doesn't leave much room for her social skills to flourish."

"Gotcha."

"Now then," Rita turned towards her granddaughter. "why don't you run along back inside, little one? I guess while you're awake, I could make you gramma's world-famous soup. Would you like that, Melody?"

The little girl merely nodded before hurriedly scurrying away and closing the door in her wake.

The grandmother merely sighed once more and leaned against the door as she slid down into a sitting position. Her legs were brought to her chest and her head fell upon her knees.

"Oh god, how could this happen...?" She cried to no one in particular. "First my son and daughter-in-law... and then the grandchild they blessed me with doesn't have much time left... what kind of world forces someone to outlive their children and their children's child?"

Jackie, owing to the pain of seeing an elder in bereavement, decided to sit right next to her and wrap an empathetic arm around her. The old lady fell into the gesture and rested her head on the stranger's shoulder.

Then, much to Jackie's surprise, the old bird pulled her into a tight embrace, quietly weeping into her shoulder. They stayed that way for what felt like forever.

Once Rita finally parted, she sniffled and wiped her bloodshot eyes of what little evidence of sorrow remained.

"I'm sorry." The old bird meekly said as she averted her gaze. "It's... hard to find comfort when it seems you've lost so much near and dear to you."

"No, it's cool. I get it." Jackie assured with a raise of her hand.

"Well, um," Rita cleared her throat and slowly rose to her feet. "I suppose you must take your leave then. Get back to whatever you were doing in addition to returning all that excess medicine. Though I suppose you could leave a portion of it here for the long run, but the rest should be put to good use. You're welcome to keep my son's car."

"Actually, no. I think I'm gonna stay here for a while and keep you two company."

The elder bird blinked in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"Mm-hm. It's the least I can do."

The elder bird arched an eyebrow in a combination of perplexity and skepticism.

"I... don't follow." Rita scratched her head. "Why would you want to stay with us? You look as though you have better things to do than to spend time with an old lady and her dying granddaughter."

Jackie forced a shrug and smile, belying the guilt and sorrow buried deep beneath. "Honestly, your story about the stuff you're goin' through really got to me. Since I brought your son's car and the medicine he worked hard to bring, I feel like I owe it to 'im to give his mom and daughter the peace and happiness they deserve."

"Wow I..." Rita was dumbstruck by the unwarranted kindness exhibited by someone she just met. "... I don't know what to say."

Jackie shook her head. "Nothing at all. I'll be happy to do anything and everything you need and make whatever time she has left as happy as possible. You can count on me."

The old bird sighed for the umpteenth time, though in resignation this time. Then she flashed a small, resolved smile. "Well, I suppose Melody could use another friend to play with besides me. I'll wager she'll take a liking to you once she, as well as I, get to know you better. And I'm sure Mr. Jenkins could use the break from bringing us supplies from town every week."

Jackie couldn't stifle an egregious flinch as she remembered the destroyed town from a few miles back. She absolutely despised piling all these bad news at once, but Rita had every right to know, and Jackie couldn't bear to keep her ignorant to the truth any longer than she had to.

"Do you have something in your eye, Jackie?"

"Uhh... oh geez... do you really want to know?"

Rita closed her eyes and hefted a deep sigh. "Well... if it has anything to do with the nearby town, then I'm sure it can't be worse than losing my son and... discovering he became a raider beforehand. Give it to me straight, I guess."

Now it was Jackie's turn to give a sigh in preparation for the bomb she was about to drop. While sparing as much of the gory details as possible, she informed Rita of the town's destruction at the hands of her son and his associates as well as the severe lack of survivors as a result. Every word was painfully forced out of her mouth and there was a bit of difficulty expressing them without pausing every other sentence or so.

After all that was said and done, the two merely stood at the front door in an awkward silence. Rita suddenly bore a rather blank expression as opposed to one of grief or sorrow. Without a word, the old bird proceeded to walk past her guest into the forest.

"Wait, where're you going?" Jackie called out as she extended a hand.

"A walk." Rita tersely said without looking back. "I need to clear my head and figure out what I'm going to do from here on out... just... keep an eye on Melody until I get back, if you please."

"Uh, ok. Yeah, sure."

Rita simply nodded in affirmation before continuing her aimless trek into the woods, leaving Jackie alone with a house occupied by a lone little girl.

Jackie proceeded to enter the house. The interior looked as compact and as simple as she expected. A den, bedroom, and kitchen all clumped together in one space. Though, she did manage to catch sight of a bathroom of sorts peeking from a cracked door. There was also a glass sliding door which looked to lead into their backyard.

Melody merely sat at a bed at a far corner of the room, her legs nestled beneath a layer of sheets as she peered deeply into something she held in her hands.

"Hey there, sport. Whatcha got there?" Jackie asked as she walked up to the girl. She sat at the edge of the bed.

The child blankly looked at Jackie for a few seconds as if she was scanning her every thought and movement. The woman felt she was making progress since the girl hadn't tried to shrink into the corner of her bed the moment she drew near. Upon closer inspection, there was a photograph in the girl's feathered hands.

"Where's gramma?" She asked looking up at her unexpected guest.

"She went to go for a walk. Dunno when she'll be back, but if she said she was gonna make you some soup, then it'll hopefully be soon."

The little girl nodded and returned to staring at the photo in her hands. Jackie didn't want to be nosy, so she opted to stare out the window that was right above the bed. Her sea-foam eyes idly glazed over the environment beyond the glass as she became lost in the splendor of nature.

"Do you wanna see?" Melody suddenly asked, abruptly popping Jackie's thick thought bubble.

"Uh, if it's okay with you, sure."

Jackie took it in her hands as gently as possible, treating it as if it was the most precious and simultaneously fragile treasure in existence. And considering what it was a photo of, she was right to treat it as such.

It was like staring at a completely different reality from what they were living in. The photo depicted an image of a smiling avian couple, holding one another in their arms, smiling and throwing up peace signs to the camera. They were sitting on a wooden bench in what appeared to be a park, as indicated by the clear grassy meadow in the background with laughing, children playing with one another and some of their parents. The sky was a vibrant blue harboring a few stray clouds and the sun shone at the top corner of the picture.

Staring at the picture. Seeing how it was an echo of days far better than now... it made a dent in Jackie's heart.

"Gramma said it was a... park." Melody said. She softly coughed a few times before continuing. "Where kids and their moms and dads come to play..."

"You ever been to one before?"

The little bird shook her head. "I always stayed here. Sometimes gramma lets me play outside the house but stay away from the forest. Too dangerous, she says."

"You ever play with other kids?"

Melody shook her head once more and left her answer at that.

"Why not?"

The girl hesitated a bit before briefly and quietly muttering. "I'm scared."

"Of other kids?"

She nodded.

"Why?"

She shrugged.

Jackie ponderously tapped her chin before continuing the conversation. "Are you scared of me?"

She shook her head.

"Heh, why not?" Jackie couldn't suppress her smile.

Melody began shyly poking her index fingers together.

"You look pretty. Like the ones in the pictures." It was almost too quiet to hear, but Jackie managed to catch it.

"Aww, thank you." Jackie bashfully ran her fingers through her hair. "What pictures you talkin' bout?"

Melody said no more and merely leaped off the bed, then dipped her little hands beneath it. She fished out a small stack of manga, all of their covers depicting cat-eared little girls with their hair in a wide spectrum of colors. Each book was part of a series called _Nyan Chu._

"Yo, Dai-sensei has these, too!" Jackie absentmindedly blurted out, her mouth hanging in a wide grin.

"Huh?"

"Oh uh. One of my teachers reads these." As Jackie flipped though a book, she couldn't help but grimace as she discovered that Melody colored every black and white page in crayon. As blasphemous as the act was, she relented to give her a pass, all things considered.

"Teachers?" She tilted her head in further confusion as things didn't get any clearer.

"Uh, just someone older I know."

"Oh. I just like looking at the pictures and coloring them."

"Heh, I see that. These yours?"

Melody shook her head again. "They're mommy's."

"Hm." Jackie merely said before closing the book and putting it back on the stack. Melody decided to rife through it and pull out a random issue.

"You look like her." She pointed to the cover which displayed a sea-green haired girl crying and shouting in fear as she was rapidly rollerskating down a steep hill with her friends chasing behind her. Sora was her name, Jackie recalled.

And then a flash of inspiration suddenly came to the older woman. The set of wheels and the thrill of rolling in them brought a genuine smile to her face.

"Melody, do you wanna take a ride on my board for a bit?"


	55. Wash Away the Anger

_Foreword_

 _Since I've began delving deeper and deeper into depths scarcely touched by blissfully ignorant minds, oft do I beg the question: Is the destiny of mortals controlled by some transcendental entity or law? Or is it controlled by the Hand of God constantly looming above? Either way, the fact shall always remain undeniable. That mortals have no control. Even over their own will_.

"Yeesh," Glossaryck scratched his head as his eyes glazed over the first paragraph of Eclipsa's chapter. "I forgot that she opens up her chapter with some edgy, deterministic diatribe. She's not wrong, but man, did she have problems when she was younger."

Star merely shrugged as she mindlessly thumbed through the pages to search for the one elaborating on the All-Seeing Eye.

"Mind Shatter... Shadow Walk... Consuming Mist... Edge of Death... A Call Beyond... Soulsucker... Here we go! All-Seeing Eye!" Her finger began gliding across lines and paragraphs as she immersed herself in the details. Apparently it is only usable by one person at a time. And its activation is prioritized by whoever's magical prowess is greater. Any attempt to cast it while it is already in use will only be met with static. There was even a thinly-veiled warning that read: If anyone finds themselves using the All-Seeing Eye, I'll know. Seems like regularly using the Eye was a bust.

"Past Variant?" Star's eye widened at this new development. She began reading its description out loud. "One can use a variation on the All-Seeing Eye which allows them to find truths only hidden in days long gone. However, it relies on magic and concentration of the utmost, tremendously more than the original, as it allows one to peer backwards into the Currents of Causality. The invocation is similar to the original, with minor deviations. It goes as follows: 'I summon the All-Seeing Eye to tear a hole into the sky. Reveal to me that which has passed. Unveil to me the events of last'."

She turned to another page and her eye widened further. "Whoa, I can see into the future with the Eye, too?"

"Yeah, but uh," Glossaryck stroked his long, ivory beard. "I wouldn't recommend using that one. Could mess ya up real bad if you aren't, y'know, prepared up here." He pointed to his jeweled noggin to emphasize.

"Whaddya mean?"

"It's not like the Past Version where you could just skim through what already happened and find something easily. Since the future hadn't happened yet, you'd end up seeing countless variations of countless events that hadn't happen yet, so if your head's not all there, the information overload could have some dire consequences."

"Hmm..." Star rubbed a ponderous claw against her chin. "Y'know what? I think Imma try it out. The Past Version, I mean."

"You sure about that? Aren't you afraid you'll risk giving away your position?"

"Well, gotta see what happened to Buff Frog, right? And who knows? Maybe Dad ended up in the same place."

"Alright Star, if that's what you want." Glossaryck allowed with a shrug.

With that, Star rose from her seat and took a deep, long breath. She held her Wand at arm's length and began the incantation.

"I summon the All-Seeing Eye to tear a hole into the sky. Reveal to me that which has passed. Unveil to me the events of last."

Once again, the Eye opened up before her, though still obfuscated with static.

"Oh no you don't, you old bitch." Star seethed beneath her breath. Her short hair began to billow out and her cheeks glowed a luminescent pale. The entire bar violently quaked as she dipped down as deep as she could to surpass her enemy's influence over the spell. Everyone in attendance braced themselves, the ones on the counter catching their shaky glasses and rattling stools. Marco, who sat across from Glossaryck and Star dormant till now, held onto the table for dear life.

The static within the Eye slowly tore away, revealing a vague, fuzzy image of the Butterfly Kingdom at large. At the very bottom, where a few strips of white noise remained, was Yvgeny walking past the front gates, among coexisting Monsters and Mewmans minding their own business.

Unfortunately, the image couldn't hold for long, and the Eye dissipated altogether as a profusely panting Star fell slack into her chair. Her face flooded with sweat and her heart threatened to throb out of her chest. As soon as the tremors ceased, everyone went back to their own thing as if it didn't happen, though smuggling momentary glances at Star before doing so.

"You ok?" The mentor asked.

"Yeah... I just..." She hoarsely spoke. "...need a sec." After several more minutes, she managed to catch her rapidly escaping breaths and every part of her stabilized to some degree, though there arose a faint throbbing in her head.

"Wasn't exactly the mind-blowing reality bending I expected, but hey!" Glossaryck flashed a proud smile. "You're at least making progress by winning that tug-o'-war over the Eye even for a few seconds."

"Whooo..." Star sarcastically celebrated as she spun circles in the air with her finger.

Speaking in length about and casting the All-Seeing Eye gave Star a reminder.

"Hey Marco, you okay? You've been awfully quiet for a while. Surprised you don't wanna talk about what I just did."

The boy in question, even after what had just transpired, remained staring blankly off into the distance as his chin rested upon his hand. His attention and focus was held hostage by whatever raced through his mind.

Glossaryck decided to lunge forward and sweep his elbow resting on the table, causing his jaw to drop to the splintered surface with a dull thud.

"Agh! Glossaryck, what the heck!?" Exclaimed Marco as he rubbed his sore chin. Some tiny wood shavings stuck to his skin.

"Just wonderin' if you were still with us." The little man reasoned with a sly smile.

"I am. Thanks." Marco shot a stern, annoyed glare, hoping to rend the blue sprite into pieces with it.

"Wanna talk about what's been botherin' ya?" Star asked, her eye gleaming with worry.

Marco hefted a sigh before hesitantly responding. "Just... thinkin' about that story we just heard. About that Artorias guy."

Star and her mentor exchanged a brief glance before turning back to Marco.

"What about it?" Star asked with a sideways tilt of her head.

Marco proceeded to gaze into Star's eye with a deeply woeful expression. He felt somewhat sick to his stomach and his heart ached as he tried to form a clear picture to convey his strong concerns.

"I'm... worried you might end up like him." He spoke just short of a whisper. Star's eye sullenly fell to the book before her.

"I mean, as long as you're around, I'll be okay, right?" Star assured with forced smile.

Marco wanted to believe it, but the depressing nature and content of the story as well as Skull Knight's words from the previous day kept his confidence clouded. "Say, Glossaryck?"

"Hm?"

"What was... Celena's deal with that Berserker Spell? Why was she so crazy about it and how did it go after she made it?"

Glossaryck rubbed his chin as he searched through his boundless memory to recall. "I'm guessing Skull Knight gave you the skinny on how the spell came to be?"

Marco nodded. Star's eye tore from her book and shifted to Glossaryck, desiring to hear more about it as well.

"If I'll be honest with ya kid, even I don't know what her thought process was behind it. Celena was so reclusive, she barely spoke even to me. All I know was that every night, she snuck into her teacher's treasure room, and just... studied it. For hours. She measured it, took notes on it, all that other stuff. Whenever I approached her about it, she didn't so much as look my way. Like I was just thin air to her. Ol' Flora n' Skully brought this up to me and, while I myself was kinda weirded out by it, I told 'em not to worry. Just really weird curiosity, I thought."

"Celena had a thing at the end of her page that was basically a eulogy for a guy named Gunther." Star brought up. "What's that about?"

"Ah yes. Sir Gunther, Former Captain of the Royal Guard. One of the bravest, toughest knights Mewni has ever seen. Lotta people believed that he died trying to protect the kingdom from a huge monster attack. But that wasn't entirely true."

Marco was almost afraid to ask but liberated his gnawing curiosity anyways. "So what happened to him then?"

Glossaryck took on a graver expression and tone. His eyes shifted briefly to Star before returning to Marco. "Same thing that happened to that Artorias guy."

Marco dropped his gaze to the ground, his heart ladened with dread. Star was snagged on a sentence in the book and found herself unable to continue.

"Yeah., for several months, he was basically the spell's quality assurance before Celena decided it was good enough to cast on an entire army. But of course, the inevitable happened and, right after Gunther single-handedly massacred an entire Monster Army, he turned his blade on his own queen and... this time, he couldn't snap out of it. She did what she can for as long as she could, but eventually, she had to... do the mewmane thing before he became a bigger threat than the one he just stomped out."

"Is that what you're afraid of, Marco?" Star wistfully turned to him. "That you might have to... do that?"

The boy pensively looked to his friend before slowly nodding.

"I mean..." Star looked off to the side and rubbed her arm. "... I wouldn't mind if it was you..." As was Marco's, her last comment was spoken quietly, but enough for those nearby to hear it.

Marco flashed a dumbstruck expression as a response.

Without another word, she rose from her seat and took the one next to Marco. She held his right hand in both of hers, balled it into a fist, and placed his knuckles over heart.

"What are you-"

"Promise me." Star spoke with an unbridled determination that made Marco flinch. "Promise me that if there's no way you could bring me back, that you'll do the humane thing."

"I..." Marco was at a loss and his face twisted as if he was on the verge of tears. "... don't think I can promise that, Star, I don't-"

"Marco!" Star threw her right arm on his cheek. Her sharp, hissed yell drew errant looks from the counter. One of worry from Mina and a couple of intrigue from Jimi and Janna. "I'm trusting you with this because you're the only one who can do it. As long as it's by someone I loved from the bottom of my heart, then I can die peacefully knowing that he put me down before I can hurt him or anyone else."

Marco could only stare on with a slack jaw and eyes shimmering with sorrow. His eyes flitted down and his head shook in ardent disapproval.

"What's gotten into you?" He softly asked, wondering if who he was speaking to was actually Star.

"Sorry... it's just," She paused and darted her eye to the ground for a second. "This whole thing's just totally messed up. Don't get me wrong, a huge part of me really, really wants to bring justice to Toffee and Eclipsa and take back my home, but... a small, but really loud part of me also wished that I was..." She choked down a lump in her throat. "Dead."

Once again, Marco wasn't sure what he could say to turn Star's self-deprecating views around. He could see where they derived from, but it didn't lessen how hurt he felt hearing such things he strongly disagreed with.

Maybe this is what her inner darkness wants. Maybe if she kept feeling this way, it'd make her an easy bed for her demons to fester and eventually overcome her.

Well, it'll be a cold day in the Lucitor Kingdom before Marco would let anything like that happen. That familiar, invigorating heat surged through his arm and into his heart as he became renewed with a greater purpose.

"No." Marco firmly spoke with an unyielding conviction. "I won't let that happen."

"Huh?"

"Star, you literally brought me back from the dead." Now it was his turn to make Star flinch with his overwhelming aura. He held her cold, metallic hand in both of his. "If you could do that... then who's to say I can't bring you back even when you've gotten too far gone?"

"Marco..."

"I don't care what it'll take. If I have to risk life, limb, and soul to keep you from going off the deep end, so be it. I wouldn't dare lift a hand against the most important girl in my life. And I will never let you fall off the edge without catching you. That I can promise."

And yet again, their expressions switched and Star was the one with her mouth agape in awe. Then it shut and she bashfully averted her gaze as a moved, genuine smile graced her once wistful face, followed by a warm blush.

Their moment was interrupted by a small round of applause bursting from the counter. Janna gave an approved whistle and Mina downed her drink with a smirk.

"That was beautiful." The bartender said, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye.

"I know we've been jumpin' genres for a while, but this whole thing's still a cheesy shonen through and through." Glossaryck commented.

The duo, still joined by the hands, looked at their peanut gallery with scarlet faces and sheepish smiles. After some awkward chuckles, they parted from one another and Star returned to her original seat, her eye looming over the aged pages presented before her.

"Say kiddo," Glossaryck perked up. "since we're in relatively brighter spirits now, why not go to an equally bright chapter? Like Solaria's? I mean, we just got done talking about her, right?"

Star nodded in approval. "Yeah sure, why not? I'm sure she's got some good stuff in here that'll help us out, just like that one cut-everything spell."

"Oh yeah, speaking of which," Marco piped up. "I'm like, ninety-nine percent sure that your grandma took inspiration for that spell from my old school back in Hekapoo's dimension."

"Yeah, if I remember correctly," Glossaryck began to recall. "She did attend that one academy. Anna Ow Cages, or something."

" _Hana Aoikage_ ," The boy sternly corrected.

"Whatever. How's Dai-sensei, by the way?"

"Uh, haven't seen 'im since I graduated, but he was still as weird but as wise as usual. Kinda like you."

"I'm sure he's also still as powerful as ever, too. Man, I bet he wouldn't have jobbed to Toffee if he joined the MHC all those years ago."

"Wait what?"

"Yeah, I asked him once if he wanted to join. Y'know, to teach mewmans a more graceful and effective means of self-defense as well as philosophies of life and nature, but he declined. Saying that his teachings 'aren't meant for a dull many, but for an aspiring few'."

"Uh well," Marco rubbed his hair. "he never mentioned you guys once."

"Yeah, I thought so."

As Star managed to find Solaria's chapter, she proceeded to climb down a rather lengthy description that took up an entire page. Basically, it explained that her chapter was filled to the brim with a plethora of equipment augmentation spells, lightning spells, and just general dragon-slaying spells and strategies. Though considering what happened very recently, the latter set just might help in the coming future.

As she speedily flipped across the chapter, her attention was caught by a rather colorful section filled with spells spoken in an unfamiliar language that was either long dead or never discovered on Mewni, though with english pronounciations below them in fine print and english translations in fine print below the fine print.

"Dragon Speech Spells?" Star asked curiously. Her eye flitted to Glossaryck to silently solicit some elaboration.

"Yeah, Solaria went reeaally far and wide to learn the best dragon-slaying techniques to cull the infestation in Mewni some hundreds of years ago. The whole dragon language thing came from her time in a dimension where she studied it with a buncha old, bearded kooks (besides me) in the mountains. Around the same time, she hung around with a group of weebs who also happen to be dragon slayers called the Blades. When the geezers found out about her association with them, they became a little more passive-aggressive towards her, but kept teaching her."

"When does Solaire come around?" Marco asked.

"That would've been during her travels to the Lordran dimension. I never followed her there, because... well, it's not bad enough where we would deem it forbidden but, from what I heard, it's definitely up there. In fact, I'm glad I ended up not following her, because it seemed her experiences there changed her quite a bit."

"How so?"

"Well..." Glossaryck nervously rubbed the back of his slender, blue noggin. "Y'know how badly Star wants to kill herself now?"

"Not like I'm sitting right next to you or anything, jerk." Star bit back in hushed tones, keeping her eye adhered to the book.

"Uh... huh." Marco hesitantly confirmed as his pupil inched to Star for a fleeting moment.

"It was like... the light was drained from her eyes, and she wasn't as determined and chipper as she used to be. I tried to ask her what was up, but she pulled a Celena and just ignored me and all-around became distant from there on out."

At some point, Star tore her gaze from the book as her attention was tightly gripped by Glossaryck's account of Solaria's life.

"Sounds like whatever happened in her journey really messed her up, huh?" Star surmised, realizing that she and Solaria are related in more ways than one.

"Uh-huh. After some time, she reverted back to normal to some degree, if a bit forced. I started to notice a few quirks she didn't have before. For starters, she decided to change the dress code of her Army to wear this weird chainmail, bucket helmet getup with a crude picture of the sun on the chest and on these big, round shields she mandated."

"Solaire." Marco plainly said.

"Right. And then, every day, she would climb to the highest balcony of the castle and just... stare off into the sky whenever the sun was in that direction. That wouldn't have been concerning in and of itself, but whenever someone would call out to her, she'd just ignore them completely. Too lost in the splendor of the sun to respond. And she would always end this routine by stretching her body as taut as she could and extending both of her arms diagonally from one another. Every time. And she'd leave the balcony and continue as if everything was normal."

"I'm guessing it really wasn't, right?"

"I mean, her family and friends would like to think so, and she was more or less her usual self, but there was always this sense of unease associated with her that, to this day, I could never figure out. Then, some time after she rendered the dragons of Mewni extinct, she just up and disappeared one day. Never to be heard from again. All the life detection spells in the universe were unable to find her and we couldn't expend manpower to do it manually after being so spread thin following the dragon extinction. Had to get one of her relatives to take over since she didn't leave any heirs, due to the fact that she never married. According to her, none of her suitors 'shined as bright as he did'. Whoever this Solaire guy was must've meant the universe to her if it made her act all weird like that. Makes me wonder if Star would force a dress code of red hoodies if something ever happened to you."

Star threw a genuine punch at Glossaryck with her gauntlet arm before it was instantly stopped with a small raise of his palm. He deterred her with a stern glare and a shaking of his head, causing her to slowly withdraw and return to the book with her proverbial tail between her legs.

"So what was this Solaire guy like anyways? Heard you met him while you were, uh, indisposed."

"I didn't really hang out with him for too long, but from what I gathered, he was a bit of a weirdo. A nice weirdo though. He saved my life when I was attacked by these evil spirits and he invited me to his home afterwards. He really, really liked the sun and he made it a huge part of his philosophy, I guess. Though I'll admit, he's also really inspiring. Helped me discover myself and all that."

"Huh. I guess that sorta explains Solaria's behavior prior to her disappearance."

"She has her own personal armory?" Star asked, parting herself from the book once more. "Says so at the end of her chapter here."

"Yeah, that's where she kept all the weapons and armor she accrued over the course of her adventures. It's more of a private museum than an armory, really, because she proudly put everything up on display like trophies of her achievements rather than put them to good use. From what I saw, there were some really rare and powerful equipment, too. Nothing you'd find anywhere else in the universe. Not even Quest Buy. She also decided to hoard a good chunk of the Dragonslayer weapons there after they outlived their usefulness. Had sentimental value to her or somethin'."

"Hm. Says right here that the Armory 'Lies where the end is certain for all, but impossible for me'. I'm guessing she means the Forest of Certain Death?"

Glossaryck nodded. "Kinda like you, Star, Solaria lived for the thrills and always bumped headfirst into danger without regard for her own well-being. Conquering the greatest challenges was all she lived for, really. Since everything in the armory was the culmination of all of her efforts, I assume she meant to pass them along a princess who would be worthy of 'em."

"Then I guess we got two options then." Marco stated with crossed arms. "We can go find that prison and try to break out Buff Frog and whoever else we know that's over there. Maybe your dad. Or we can go search for Solaria's Armory and use whatever she's got to help us out."

"We don't even know where the prison is." Star reminded. "I'd say we're better off going with the devil we know than the devil we don't."

Marco gave an aloof, but agreeing shrug. "Sounds good to me."

"Y'know," Jimi popped up out of nowhere, evoking a startled yelp from Star. "it was said that Solaria also had a magical ring that allowed her access to the Abyss. The world of eternal darkness, where the most vile, unspeakable beings dwell beyond mortal perception."

"Uh, how long have you been standing there?"

"Actually, I just got here, but I've been eavesdroppin' since I first heard the name 'Solaria' come from this table. And I gotta say, she turned out to be a lot cooler than I initially thought. I mean c'mon, she can speak Dragon? And she brought 'em to extinction? That's freakin' dope!"

"Anything else you can tell us about her?" Star asked.

The bartender shook his head. "Nothin' I haven't told you already. But there is one thing I forgot to mention earlier." He pointed a fat finger to Marco. "Has to do with you, boy."

"Wha-what about me?" Marco pointed a finger to himself, feeling judged.

Jimi scratched his rubbery face before explaining. "I mentioned earlier that your princess is a walking mass of red flags because she's dunked in Abyss stank. But I feel a small part of it on you as well."

Marco couldn't contain a guilty grimace as he idly rubbed the Brand that etched itself behind his neck.

"Yeah, whatever you got, it's on her, too." Jimi gestured to Star. "I mentioned in Artorias's story that his mission was to defeat the head honcho of darkness himself, Manus. That is, until Solaria found the poor bastard all corrupted and was forced to end his misery and carry his torch to beat the big bad herself in his stead. Now, we thought that killin' ol' Manus would mean the end of the Abyss's influence entirely. But I got this feelin' in my cellulose that he was just a pawn for somethin' bigger. Somethin' far beyond our understanding. And I think it might have to do with whatever piece of the Abyss you two are currently sharing."

Star and Marco shared a determined look before loudly specifying exactly what Jimi was talking about.

"The God Hand." They uttered in unison.

"Bigger than that even, I'm afraid." Glossaryck ruefully spoke.

"What?" Star and Marco both uttered once more,

The floating imp nodded. "That's why they're only the Hand, not the entire body. But let's not get too far off into the horizon, shall we? Let's just focus on what's right here on Mewni." Two pointing fingers dipped to the ground below.

The teens suspiciously narrowed their eyes at the mentor, hoping to make him sing with their combined scowls before resolving that he wouldn't elaborate no matter how much they wanted or needed it.

"Say, you don't happen to have any drink recipes by Festivia the Fun in there, do you?" Jimi asked, dropping his head closer to the old tome.

"Uh, this a book of spells." Star pointed out matter-of-factly. "It's a manual for up and coming queens and master mages, not a get-rich-quick book for bartenders."

"On the contrary, little Star," Glossaryck dissented with a raise of his finger. "Festivia was prominently brazen when it came to her debaucherous and hedonistic lifestyle. Much so that she jot down a lotta lewd party activities and drink mixes in her chapter of the book in addition to her spells. Many of her self-made beverages used to be sold to liquor establishments all over Mewni some ages ago until her eventual passing. No one had the skill to consistently maintain the amazing quality of her brews much like she did, so their manufacturing eventually ceased and the once public knowledge of her drinks fell into obscurity. But before then, she was well known as the Patron Saint of Soirees and Spirits."

Jimi sheepishly rubbed his arm as he chimed in. "I'll be the first to admit that some shipments of her drinks sometimes uh... fell outta transit and found their way here once upon a time, according to my grandparents (Elizabeth rest their souls). Tried a bottle that was kept in storage once. Crystal Crush Vodka, if I recall. Man, the sugary, tingly goodness is something I'll ever forget s'long as I live. Like somethin' outta the teats of a booze goddess."

"So I'm guessin' you want them to get business flowin' again?" Star asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Please? I'll consider it payment for all the free drinks and snacks yer getting' from me."

"But you said it was all on the house!"

"Yeah, and the price for my hospitality just went up." Jimi sternly crossed his arms. "C'mon man, I'm barely makin' ends meet anymore and I've got kids care for since their daddy's apparently behind bars."

With a rolling of her eye, Star reluctantly relented. "Uhh... fine." She proceeded to fly through pages for Festivia's chapter.

"Sweet! I'll go get some inked quills and some paper!"

Henceforth, everyone went on about their business. Star buried herself in her book and thoroughly studied Solaria's combat spells, along with some of the secret spells she had to request from Janna. Marco went back to staring off into the distance, attempting to pierce the dense veil that was the future, but to no avail. Eventually, Mina and Janna joined the three at their table and they were brought up to speed with their new destination: Solaria's Armory.

About an hour passed before everyone began to pack up and leave the bar, though not without receiving some complimentary snacks and beverages from their esteemed host. They stopped just short of the door when Jimi called out to them.

"Guys wait, I gotta impart a word of wisdom before ya leave. A sayin' that's been passed down my family for generations that I kept to heart since Mom told it to me as a sprout."

They all turned around in curiosity, wondering what sage advice a mushroom bartender could possibly provide with at this very moment.

Jimi cleared his throat and hefted a prepatory sigh before he unloaded a memorable phrase teeming with eloquency that served to expand minds that came straight from the deep, poetic soul that lurked beneath that rubbery, fungal vessel.

"Life ain't nothin' but bitches and money. Engrave that into your souls, my friends. It'll carry ya for a lifetime."

With a collection of annoyed groans and eye rolls, everyone immediately dispersed from the bar. As soon as the last of them left and shut the door behind them, the door immediately fell off its rusty hinges and toppled to the floor. None of them bothered to put it back up.

Jimi scoffed. "You give 'em gold and they give you shit. Buncha ungrateful pricks. Least I can start makin' these awesome drinks, though."

He heard a quiet murmur coming from a back room in his bar, indicating the awakening of the kids. The bartender put up all of his drinks and dishes and proceeded to ruminate over the hastily written notes he's thoroughly taken. As he sifted through page after page, he scrunched his eyes and quietly read what he wrote. After a while, he placed the notes flat on his counter, taking on a more resigned mood as he rested his head upon his palms.

"Dammit. I can't read my shitty handwriting."

However, his drive to seek out the secrets of Festivia's legendary liquor allowed him to jump the literary hurdle and he eventually managed to find a written recipe that was remotely legible.

"Well shieet, forget tryin' to read this," He rubbed his cap in exasperation. "I don't even have any of these ingredients. Or equipment! The hell's a 'Shakashuri' and why do I need to learn to play it to make the 'Gone Guru Gutrot'?"

_

After about a half hour of dragging themselves through the mud, muck, and mire, the group finally made it out of the dank Swamp and into the clear grassy mass of meadows and roads known as Mewni Fields. With a couple new objectives in mind, they marched with a spring in their steps and fires in their hearts. Internally. They were more or less exhausted from trudging through the vast remainder of the swamp, longing for the days where their dimensional scissors were operational and provided instant means of travel.

"Huh?" Star remarked as she felt a drop of water plop onto her nose. And then another. And another. Soon, the sky above was assailed with a gentle drizzle, lightly dampening their spirits and their bodies.

"The heck?" Marco said as he gazed into the sky now obscured by an expanse of dense, gray clouds. "It was clear just a second a- whoa!"

"Marco? Marco!?"

The name carried across the rain, but didn't find the appopriate ear to fall on . The boy in question looked to have disappeared without a trace.

"Did anyone see where he went?" Star asked as her head darted in every direction, even to the sky. Her desperation brought her to all fours as her eye wandered around the grassy ground below. Her heart raced as she had lost the one person she swore to protect in the blink of an eye.

"I dunno, he was just he-"

As quickly as she was cut off, Janna disappeared into the ground beneath her, the two remaining women unable to catch what it was that seemingly took her away.

"Stay close my queen, we're under attack." Mina strongly stated as she pulled forth her saber. She put her back to Star's as the two attempted to scan their surroundings for whoever was stalking and kidnapping their friends.

Star brandished her Wand, hoping to find whoever was responsible and make them answer for their actions. Her eye glazed over everything in sight, but there was no sign of life beyond the unending rain or the expansive field of grass.

"See anything, Mina?" Star asked, though the name she referred to failed to respond. "Mina?"

She peered over her shoulder to see that the back that once adhered itself to hers was no longer in sight. Star was left completely alone. All was rendered silent other than the constant, pitter patter of rain falling to the earth.

Just then, a swirling rift in space cut across the air before her and what came out raised and stretched her expression to nigh impossible lengths. A fateful encounter that would've arrived at some point, but it was baffling how soon it came about.

A familiar face casually strolled into view, flashing that usual friendly smile. Such a gesture would normally be cause for assurance and warmth, but to Star, it was disconcerting and almost blood-boiling to gaze into.

"'Sup Star? Long time, no see." Casually spoke Jackie Lynn Thomas. "Diggin' the 'Punished' look, by the way."


	56. With the Blood of a Dying Star

"Rolling around at the speeed of sound, got places to go, goottaa follow my raainbooww!"

Two girls on a skateboard seemlessly flew across the dirt road as the cool, brisk wind blew against their faces. Their singing, laughter, and squeals of delight filled an otherwise silent forest, and their radiant smiles illuminated an otherwise pitch black night. With Jackie on the board and Melody tightly clinging to her back, the two made it home from their little journey in record time.

As Jackie got off and kicked up her board, she let it rest against her hips as the two conjoined girls made their merry way back into the house. From the open front window, they could see that Rita was baking something in her stone oven, and its enticing aroma slithered its way across the air and into their noses. The two shared an excited smile as they were in for a night of some decadent sweets.

Kicking off her shoes and leaving them outside, Jackie stepped through the door, with the little bird still hanging off her shoulders.

" _Tadaimaaa!"_ The two beamed with the usual gusto that came with the greeting since Jackie first started living with them.

" _Okaeri._ " Rita responded accordingly, garnishing the remark with a smile. It was a routine she deemed strange at first, but quickly grew accustomed to as she warmed up to the human staying with her and waiting on her and her granddaughter hand and foot for seven weeks straight.

"Gramma, what're ya making?" The child asked as she slung herself over her elder's shoulder. "It smells amazing!"

"Cinnamon buns, my dear."

"Syn-no-nym buns?" She asked quizzically, the unfamiliar word twisting her childish tongue.

"Cinnamon, silly." Jackie corrected as she lightly tapped the tip of her beak, evoking a light giggle from the girl.

"Well, they aren't ready yet." Rita said as she looked back to her stove. "Maybe in about ten minutes, give or take. Remember to thank your big sister Jackie. I wouldn't be making these if it wasn't for her."

"Thanks, Jackie!" The child beamed as she embraced her 'big sister'.

"No prob, kid." The woman responded by laying an affectionate hand on her little sister's tiny arm. "Say, you wanna sit in the back yard and watch the stars again?"

"Mm-hm!" She affirmed with a strong nod. Jackie wasted no time obliging and made her way to the back door.

"I'll send 'em out whenever they're ready."

"Kay!" The two said in unison before the door slid shut behind them.

They sat upon their usual spot in the brushy grass, beneath the open eye of the seemingly endless expanse of leaves that normally got in the way of the sky's view. As fortune would have it, the birds picked the perfect spot to make their home, as their backyard held the best view of the sky without anything obfuscating the beauty of space peering down on them. Since Jackie began staying over, the two made it a nightly routine to gaze skywards and enjoy what the limitless cosmos had to offer, usually in silence as Melody rested her head on Jackie's lap.

"Say, Jackie?" Melody spoke up.

"Hm?" The woman's seafoam eyes met with dull, half-lidded amber.

"Why do ya think the stars stay up there?"

"Hmm." Jackie ponderously rubbed her chin as she tried to come up with the best answer to give to a child. Though they seldom shared aimless conversations here or there whenever they partook in this activity, Jackie wasn't prepared for one that forced her to think.

"I mean, I know you said that stars are like campfires in the sky, but why don't they get lit down here?"

"Well, it's pretty hard to make something that shines as bright and burn as hot as a star. And if you did, you'd go blind and get burned really bad. So they stay up there. Helpin' out the moon and keeping the night from gettin' too dark."

"So they stay up there because they're afraid they might hurt us?" Melody rose her head slightly.

"I'm not super sure, but that could be a good reason why."

"Then, what are they good for? Sometimes the stars don't even show up and they just leave the moon to do all the work to be the night-light in the sky. And if they come down here, then they'll just hurt everyone. So why do we need them?"

The cute little tirade caused the poor girl to get tuckered out and she proceeded into a lengthy coughing fit. After she stopped, her entire body relaxed and she laid back into her older friend's lap.

"Geez, you're awfully chatty today." Jackie remarked with a smile. "Careful not to push yourself too hard, kiddo."

"Sorry..." The child's eyes sheepishly flitted to the side. "Sometimes I think about how hard being the moon has to be. Being the brightest thing at night and sometimes being left with all the work while the stars go out and play or cause trouble or something. Like mommy and daddy leaving gramma."

Jackie felt a tinge of guilt strike her being as her little friend mentioned her parents. She decided to take herself away from it by searching for an appropriate answer for Melody's initial question. Luckily, she managed to find one.

"To answer your question, Melody," Jackie began, exuding a scholarly aura as she raised a finger skywards. "The stars are actually used for a whole bunch-a reasons."

"Really?" Melody's eyes lit up.

"Mm-hm. Sometimes the stars make pictures in the sky."

"What?"

"Yup. You ever did 'connect the dots'?"

Melody nodded. "Gramma got me some books with those on 'em. The dots have a number, and when I count up and follow the dots with my crayon, I can make stuff like a boat or a bunny. I tried doing it without following the numbers once, but I ended up making something that even gramma couldn't figure out."

"Yeah, it's like that. 'Cept that the stars don't have numbers. But sometimes, the stars regularly float in certain places and they arrange themselves in a way that makes it look like something or someone. They're called 'constellations'."

"Constel...tations?"

"Heh heh, yeah. Some of 'em even have their own names, too. And there's a bunch of 'em. My favorite is a tie between Orion and Aquarius. Wish I had my phone to show all of 'em to you, but I lost it a while back."

"Hm." Melody seemed to be contemplating something. "What else can the stars do?"

"Um," Jackie scratched her head as she found the first answer that sprung up. "Sometimes people use the stars to figure out their destiny. A fortune-telling kinda thing. Not really into that myself, personally."

"Des-tiny?"

"Yeah. Apparently, stuff that you're meant to do or be or stuff that's meant to happen. I think it's a buncha baloney, to be honest."

"Do a lot of people believe in it?"

"More than there should be," Jackie said, with an unintentional tinge of bitterness smuggled in her tone.

"You sound like you're mad at them. Are they... bad people?"

Jackie looked down at her little friend, realizing how harshly she had presented her answer. She shook whatever tension remained out of her being and reverted back to her chill, tranquil demeanor.

"Nah, it's just... I really don't like the idea that we're not in control of what we do or what we make. Yeah, some stuff comes outta nowhere that we'd never see coming, but I hate the fact that people just brush it off as something that was 'supposed to happen' one way or another, instead of leaving it at 'it just happened'. I also really don't like the fact that people use it as an excuse instead of taking responsibility for their actions. It's kind of a peeve of mine, y'know?"

Melody could only blink at her older friend as she listened to her strongly worded tangent. Jackie wasn't sure if the girl understood her brief rant well enough, but she decided to let it be as it was something she wanted to get off her chest for the longest time. A piece of her mind that she had wished she could've given to Dai-sensei but her boundless respect for the man kept it in place.

"Sorry, kid." Jackie apologized as she ran her fingers through Melody's soft, crimson hair. "Had that in me for a while."

The child nodded. "That's ok. I complained about the stars and you complained about... destiny. So we're even."

From then on, the two continued their star-gazing session in silence, with a few adjusting of bodies here and some silent yawns, there. At some point Melody's eyes became heavy as though the clutches of sleep began to take her and they drooped to a half-lidded state.

"Jackie...?" The little girl sleepily called out, her voice barely audible.

"Yeah?" The woman's idle mind instantly found its way back to ground level.

"What else... are the stars... used for?"

"Umm. Well, sailors travelin' in boats used the stars to find their way back home whenever they get lost."

"Uh-huh...?"

"Uh-huh." Jackie affirmed with a nod. "I think they just followed whatever stars are making a line and just rode their boat that-a-way."

"...Maybe that's why mommy and daddy...aren't home yet... they're lost... they haven't found the right stars yet."

Jackie's teeth involuntarily clenched.

"Yeah uh... I'd say so..."

Melody faintly nodded before softly chiming in once more. "Jackie?"

"Mm-hm?"

"Pretend you're the stars for a sec... and you believe in destiny... what's mine?

"Uh," Kind of at a loss for an answer, Jackie peered up at the sky above for some guidance. "I think. Maybe... you're meant to be a star," She said without so much thought behind it.

"Really?"

"Er, yeah," She didn't feel good about it, but it was all she had at such short notice.

"But... don't stars... fade away later? Never to be seen again?" That took a hit to Jackie's heart. "Am I meant to fade away, Jackie?"

Goodness, Jackie never imagined she'd end up delving into the impermanence of life with this child, all things considered. She so badly wanted to steer the conversation away from such a morbid topic, but considering it's a concept she's had to come to grips with for the longest time and the fact that she was always willing to answer any and all questions for the girl no matter how difficult they were, Jackie couldn't find it in her to leave the poor child hanging.

The woman heaved a hard sigh before continuing. "I mean... eventually, everything has to end sooner or later, Melody. Nothin' really lasts forever, I'm afraid."

"Even me?"

Oh goodness, she doesn't know, does she? "Y-yeah... even you..."

"Hm..."

This was far too much for her to take. To hold back. Jackie's face screwed into one of sheer agony as her entire body quaked violently and she began to feel tears encroaching upon her face. Soon, they fell down her face as the floodgates she desperately tried to keep shut immediately swung open and let loose an unrelenting torrent of suppressed emotion and pain.

"M-melody... I..." She could barely speak through her choked gasps, as she reluctantly forced the words right out of her mouth. "It was- it was my fault... I'm the reason why your parents aren't here anymore...I...oh god, I'm so sorry... I didn't know... I didn't know! They did some bad things, Melody! To so many people! I had to stop them... I had to... but I didn't know they did all that for you! And that you were sick and dying and just..."

Jackie's whimpering words trailed off into a series of loud, infantile sobs. Her face was clutched by her hands as all of her tears began pooling upon her palm. A few drops slipped through her fingers and started to slide down her wrist.

After what felt like an eternity, the young woman proceeded to compose herself and wipe off the remaining vestiges of sorrow from her face. Though her eyes were bloodshot and dried tears plastered across her freckled cheeks, Jackie was more or less stabilized as she finally got all of it out of her system.

"Hey," Jackie began as she sniffled and ran her fingers through her hair. "sorry about that... I know it's too much to take in for a kid like you, but... it's the truth. And I really hope you don't hate me for this, okay? We're still friends right, Melody? Am I still your big sister?"

No response. The young bird merely laid on Jackie's leg, her eyes shut and her beak slightly agape.

"Melody?"

Still nothing. She didn't even move a muscle.

"Melody."

Jackie refused to believe it. She began lightly shaking the inanimate child, hoping she'd stir and peer up at her in confusion with those vibrant amber eyes of hers.

"Melody!"

The call was louder than she had intended, as it ended up scaring away a few winged creatures that were once perched upon the nearby branches. The name repetitively rebounded in an echo that carried across the sky. Though it receded in reality, the name loudly beat against Jackie's eardrums along with a whining ringing noise that seemed to overpower all other sounds in the area. Her grip on her own senses gradually loosened as Jackie couldn't even hear herself loudly sobbing and screaming her little sister's name.

What eventually snapped her back to reality was the sound of a ceramic plate falling to the ground with a clink and a thud. Jackie's flooded, sea-foam eyes turned to meet with the quivering, tear-filled countenance of a grandmother who had just lost her grandchild.

_

Later that night, Jackie remained by Rita's side all the way through the entire burial. At first, the young woman ardently insisted that she do the honors to spare her friend the burden of burying a child in the dead of night. Though Rita denied it at first and opted to proceed, she eventually lost her composure when the grave was barely filled and nearly dropped the shovel into the hole, though Jackie managed to catch it and urged the grandmother to go back into the house since things were proving far too much for the older lady to handle. The grandmother reluctantly relented and allowed her guest to take over where she left off.

Once the process was finished and about an hour passed, the shedding of sorrow notwithstanding, the two ended up kneeling before the grave in solemn silence. Surely they had words of parting for the young girl, but their woe left their rational thought murky and difficult to wade through for the right words. And after everything that had unfolded up to that point, what else was there to say?

"I..." Rita finally spoke up after what felt like forever since they first sat there. "... heard the whole thing, by the way... your confession."

Another strike to her heart, though all Jackie did was mournfully gaze at the bird before peering back down to the grave.

"I'm so... so sorry... for everything. For not telling you... taking your family away... leaving Melody to die as an orphan... I'm the worst..."

"What...?" Rita was taken aback by the self-deprecating remark. "Jackie... none of that was your fault... yes, you ultimately did the deed, but you had no idea of the circumstances beforehand. You just acted on your own sense of justice and merely tried to do the right thing. And you've done nothing but that the whole way through. I can guarantee you."

"I..." Jackie tried to fight back more tears. "I don't... feel like I did the right thing. I mean... at first I did, but sitting here now, I'm not even sure anymore..."

"Jackie. Anyone could've killed people, whether for the greater good or a monetary gain, and just left it at that. But you... you went the extra light year and did all you could to try and make it up to those who got hurt along the way, without expecting or asking anything in return. Did you do some questionable things? Sure. Was it the right thing to do? The answer to that isn't as cut and dry, but in my honest opinion, I believe that you did. And I think you're one of the best things this universe has to offer because of that."

Jackie maintained her silence and her head still hung low as she didn't feel any more convinced by her friend's words.

"Look... I'm not saying that... my son and his associates deserved what happened to them. Because as a mother, that's a morbid idea that should never ever cross my mind, but... I think what matters is that you kept any more people from getting hurt or worse by his hand. I don't know if he would've stopped once he delivered all his medicine to Melody nor do I have any idea what he'd do if she ended up passing before any results could come to fruition... but since you went completely out of your way to try and make things better for people you don't even know despite the circumstances... for someone you owe nothing to... well, I think that makes you somewhat of a hero, doesn't it?"

"Does it really? I dunno..." Jackie said hoarsely. Rita said nothing more afterwards and continued staring at the grave in silence along with her.

After another long lapse of time, Rita slowly rose to her feet and made her steady way back to the cabin.

"You're welcome to stay another night if you'd like. Or... stay as much as you need to. I don't mind having you around whatsoever despite everything that happened thus far."

"What are... what are you gonna do now?"

Rita paused for a moment. "Since the nearest town was completely destroyed by my son, I think I'll have to consider moving someplace else. You can keep the jeeps you fixed up and do whatever you want with them. I only need one to travel."

Jackie shook her head in refusal. "I think I'll stick to my board to get around, thanks. You should just scrap 'em for parts and sell 'em off or something. Either way, you need 'em more than I do."

"If that's what you wish, then so be it. Good night, Jackie." Rita continued her brisk path, her footsteps receding until they stopped altogether upon the closing of the back door.

Jackie remained on her knees before the grave, unsure if she would be able to go back inside at any point. Her legs felt no need to give rise to the rest of her body. Her eyes could not be convinced to pry away from the mound in which her late little sister lied beneath, though they remained dry despite the crushing waves of sorrow churning within. Her mind had no inclination to give voice or image to any more thoughts for the rest of the evening, nor would it allow Jackie the peace she needed to sleep soundly for a while.

"A star that shined bright even in her final moments." Spoke a solemn, raspy voice from behind. " _Sarabada_ , Melody,"

"Dai-sensei!" Jackie almost shouted as she was instantly dragged out of her stupor and beheld her former teacher with great shock. "How did... how- how long have you been around?"

The old turtle flashed a faint grin. "Since you first drove here all those weeks ago. Correction: since you graduated my academy with flying colors."

"And you've been spying on me ever since?"

"Not 24/7. I do this with every student that I deemed fascinating enough to follow in their adventures. Until they depart the dimension that is, by whatever means may come their way. Though a good majority of them don't realize this."

"So... you've pretty much seen everything, huh?"

Dai-sensei solemnly nodded. "Every struggle, every conflict. Even with yourself."

Jackie gazed wistfully towards the small mound once again. A question formed along with a lump in her throat.

"Dai-sensei... did I do the right thing?"

The old man crossed his arms and blew a soft puff of air before responding.

"Even for as long as I've lived- and it's far longer than the greatest minds could measure- the answer to that question still eludes me."

A small, yet woeful smile formed on Jackie's lips. "Heh. Guess even Grandmasters don't have all the answers, huh?"

"Because a single correct one doesn't exist." The master said firmly. "Despite how a vast many would believe otherwise, we don't live in a world of black and white, Jackie. Only variations of gray. The best of us could only strive for lighter shades."

Jackie said nothing more. Once again, her master managed to flip her mind on its back with his psychological judo. It was definitely food for thought that the philisophically starving stomach of her mind welcomed.

Dai-sensei took her silence as a sign to continue. "Perhaps you shouldn't dwell so much on the right thing, but rather, the best thing."

"So... was it the best thing, then?"

The old man took on a more stern tone. "Why do you insist on asking others when you should be asking and answering yourself? Has everything you've done thus far done for the sake of justice and the concern over the well-being of others? If the answer to that question is yes, then you should already know the answer to the initial question."

Jackie's expression lit up briefly as a revelation washed over her like a cold splash of water.

"Is this just a roundabout way to get myself to wonder if the ends justify the means?"

Dai-sensei shrugged. "I dunno. Is it?"

"Tch. Of course you won't make it any clearer for me."

"It's not in my job description to do so, Jackie. I'm meant to nudge you towards what you believe is the best answer. But of course, there exists countless questions, with countless mysteries to solve attached to each one. Whether you find the solution to one or all means nothing if you yourself have yet to decide what your path will be and what end you ultimately work towards."

Jackie remained silent once again, allowing her master's words to settle in her mind as she attempted to work it out and make sense of her actions from there on out.

"Let me ask you this, Jackie. What is your blade to you?"

"My blade?"

"Yes. What do you use it for?"

"Um... I... I wanna do good things with it. Help and protect people with it."

"Hm." The master ponderously stroked his long, white beard. "Though your initial purpose left me quite puzzled, I am glad your time and effort has led you to a valiant reason that I am not surprised by considering what you've done. Especially with the sect of my school that you've chosen."

"Not a lot of ninjas use their skills for good?"

He shook his head. "In all my eons as Dai-sensei, no. You are part of a seldom few, among countless students in all of _Hana-ryu's_ existence to use their blade as a means of justice. And I speak of the school in general, too. The only names I can even vividly remember taking up the blade for that reason would be Solaria Butterfly and Marco Diaz. Most others who attended usually do so to seek more effective ways to slay their enemies or to gain great knowledge that eventually leads to greater power."

"I know Marco went to your school, but I didn't know one of Star's relatives did, too."

The old man nodded. "Oh yes. Quite the hardheaded scrapper was she. Always living her life one danger after another. But ultimately, she wanted to put what she learned to good use against those that threatened her home and the ones she held dear. A very compassionate one that Solaria. Always given to help others whenever they needed it. Much like yourself and especially Marco."

"Heh. That's good to know. I can see that coming from a guy who you said swore not to take a life with his blade."

"A foolish ideal, I must admit, but all-around respectable. Though he eventually broke that self-imposed rule towards the end of his journey."

Jackie's eyes widened. "What?"

"Mm-hm. I've seen it myself. Not sure if I've ever told you about Yang, but he was an ardent rival to Marco for well around a decade. Though I've always seen Marco as the superior swordsman, despite the results of every back and forth they've had, I was still nonetheless taken aback by the end of their long rivalry. I was happy that Marco finally went beyond his own limitations, but at the same time, it pained me to lose another former student, even if he was a smug asshole most of the time. So the whole thing left me rather conflicted."

"Wh-why did he do that?"

The old man merely shrugged. "I can't be certain myself. Though I suppose, to answer that, one must answer why we engage in conflict in the first place. Was it self preservation? Someone to fight for? A point to prove? Marco was never clear on his reasons for why he pursued the scissors. At the time, I think he either didn't know himself or he just plumb forgot at one point. Sometimes I wondered if he had any reasons at all, yet he fought and struggled as if he did. I don't know where he is currently, but I'm certain he's still pursuing that as we speak."

Jackie had no further questions. The two continued to stay still in silence for a time neither bothered to measure. Jackie let all this new information settle within her, allowing it to eventually fester and hopefully make sense by the end of... all this. What 'all this' entailed was a mystery even to her. Eventually, Dai-sensei began to leave the premises, almost without a word until he stopped and called for his old student.

"Jackie?"

"Hm?"

"One more question before we part ways, perhaps for the last time."

"Yes, Dai-sensei?"

The old master turned around as he met face to face with his old student. Jackie couldn't help but wince faintly as he took on an expression and mood that she seldom saw throughout her time knowing the old coot.

"If you mean to use your blade as a tool of justice, does it coincide with the initial goal you've set out for yourself from the very beginning? Where you wanted to fight and possibly slay Star Butterfly to save Marco?"

Jackie didn't say anything. She couldn't say anything. The answer should've been clear to her at this point after spending so much time training and fighting for her life for the sake of Marco and anyone else in Star's dark path, and yet... she was drawing a blank.

"All rivers flow one way and one way only, Jackie. You can be as defiant as beavers and build dams to delay them, but no matter what, the rivers shall always flow to their destinations. And once we are caught in their current, there is no resisting them."

And with that, the old master disappeared into the shadows of the night, leaving a woman alone in mourning and contemplation for the rest of the moonlit, cricket-serenaded evening.

"Unless you're a leaping fish." Dai-sensei's voice rung out in spite of his absence.


	57. Violent Winds and Soothing Rain

The gray clouds hovering above cast a dull tint and a continuous layer of moisture over the entire environment as the sky wept its torrential tears. Star Butterfly and Jackie Lynn Thomas stood a paltry distance from one another, their bodies outlined by the layer of damp warmth. Though neither spared any time to soak it in as their focuses were too entranced by one another's presence.

A combination of latent jealousy and violent intent towards an adherent to her most hated foes forced Star's body into a fighting stance. However, sense and civility managed to stay her hand, forcing her to stand fast and bare her teeth towards the one she thought was her friend.

In stark contrast, Jackie bore a straight posture and a pair of folded arms, not feeling threatened nor inclined to make the first move. Since she came into view, her amiable, welcoming smile remained unabashed, though it did little to lessen the strife that plagued Star. Partly because her beloved was taken from right under her nose and partly because the person before her was horribly on the wrong side.

 _He slipped from your grasp because of her once again._

"Where is he!?" Star loudly demanded, shattering the silence that had long formed a barrier between them.

Jackie dropped her smile and took on a more serious tone upon Marco being referenced. "Safe. At home."

While it quashed one concern, it didn't make Star any less perturbed. "Jackie, do you have any idea what you're doing right now? Who you're working for?" As time went on, Star found it harder and harder to contain herself, to the point where her entire body proceeded to tremble egregiously.

Jackie's hand fell to her sides as she hefted a resigned sigh. "The best thing, Star. Look, I'm not here to fight you, alright?"

 _Bullshit, she's armed to the teeth._

"Then what are those for?" Star gestured to the sword and gun hanging at each side of her foe's waist.

"Precautions, dude. I know what you can do and it's why I had to get Marco away from here. Dunno what Janna's doing here, but she's safe now, too."

Star couldn't contain an ashamed wince but another thought arose that kept her from dwelling on it further.

"And Mina?"

Jackie placed a hand on her hip. "Locked up in Time-Out Guy's prison. Don't worry, she'll be fine while she's doin' time."

Sensing that Jackie has no intention to injure or even fight her, Star's posture straightened and her Wand dropped to her side, much to her inner beast's teeth-grinding chagrin.

"Alright," Star forced a calm demeanor. "you did what I assume you wanted and now you got me all alone. Whaddya got in store for me, Jackie?"

Jackie didn't answer right away. She averted her gaze as a faint sorrow etched itself upon her normally tranquil visage. "Just... be honest with me, Star. Alright? I coulda restrained you before you'd know it, but I wanna give ya the benefit of the doubt. So all I got is a question."

"Does it..." Star grit her teeth as she forced a horrible experience to surface. "... have to do with that day?"

Despite the ambiguity, Jackie knew full well what she was talking about.

"Yeah. Exactly." Jackie's brows furrowed. "Now, I know what I saw when Eclipsa showed everyone what happened."

She doesn't know, does she?

"Showed... everyone what happened...?"

"Yeah, with that All-Seeing Eye spell. Even though the evidence was pretty damning, it wouldn't be fair if I didn't get anything on your side of the story."

"What... what did she show you?" She felt her stomach boil and bubble and her skull throbbing and aching.

 _Surely not what you saw with your fading eye._

Jackie took a moment's pause. Regardless that it happened some weeks ago, it was still as vivid and fresh in her mind as if it happened minutes prior.

"That you killed your own mom with the darkest spell."

The entire sentence was like a hammer shattering Star's glass psyche. Jealousy, rage, sorrow, agony, malice began to flood forth as every barrier that kept them in place crumbled in an instant, all culminating into a feral growl, a couple of clenched fists, and a firm stomp forward.

It prompted Jackie to throw her hands upon her weapons, but not quite draw them just yet. The young Hunter remained at her spot, awaiting either a verbal or physical response to come into fruition.

Thankfully, Star managed to catch her boiling emotions before they could spill further. She could feel the Serpent scraping its claws against what little remained of her composure, yearning for liberation once more, but her sheer willpower managed to hold just a little while longer, though it gradually tore apart as the seconds ticked by. The agonizing inner conflict eventually brought her to her knees and her face parallel to the ground.

"Yeah. I did..." Star admitted through tightly clenched teeth and eye as her fingers made muddy lacerations on the ground. She felt foreign moisture cascading down her cheek and was unsure whether it was the rain or her tears. "It was an accident..." She nearly whispered that last part.

"Accident?" The claim conflicted heavily with the evidence presented to her in the past, but Jackie nonetheless pressed further. "How so?"

"Toffee." She answered without skipping a beat. "I meant to hit him, but he redirected it to hit my mom instead."

"Toffee?" Jackie spoke with great skepticism. "You mean the same guy who threw a public funeral for your mom and invited the entire kingdom? The same guy who helped find homes and jobs for the homeless and unemployed mewmans and monsters? The one who brought better politics to your kingdom as well as the neighboring ones? That Toffee?"

"He...y-you..." Star felt holes being punched within her. Before her walls could break down even further, one more question sprung up. "What exactly... did you think happened in there?"

Jackie parted her hands from her weapons as she crossed her arms once more. "Well, from what I've been told and shown, the darkness within you got so out of control, Eclipsa had to call in her God Hand friends to contain it. You went on this blind rampage and killed pretty much everything in sight. All those bodies... you all covered in blood... it was awful... It was a miracle Eclipsa was able to evacuate as much as she could before you got to 'em." She shuddered as the image came back to her full force.

 _But she isn't wrong, is she? Apostle, Monster, or Mewman. You would've massacred anything that didn't resemble Marco, wouldn't you? Even your own mother. In fact, you almost did so of your own volition, too. Remember?_

Star had nothing more to say. She just hung her head, far too overwhelmed by... everything to think up an appropriate response. Her entire body quivered violently as a result of a strong chill coursing throughout her entire body that had nothing to do with the rain.

"Look, Star. Normally, I'd hunt down and kill anyone who did horrible things like that. But I know it wasn't all your fault, you just lost control. Eclipsa said that she could fix you and help you keep the darkness under control. And I wanna help you, too. Because despite everything that happened, I'm willing to bury the hatchet and stay friends with you."

 _Fix you, she says. Like you'd ever get better._

Jackie proceeded to walk up to Star and kneel beside her. She presented a friendly hand for Star to grab hold of.

"C'mon. A good amount of people wanna see you get better and overcome everything you're goin' through. Even though many don't think you deserve it, Eclipsa wants you to stand by her as princess after all is said and done. Then everything can go back to normal and we can all enjoy the rest of our summer till school starts again. Heck, Tom and I were planning to take you and Marco to this place that sells the best Sea-Salt ice cream in the universe. It's got a huge clocktower with an amazing view of the sunset. Perfect place for a double date, I'd say. That is, if you're willin' to take Tom back. But he said he'd be cool with it even if you don't."

 _Don't they still need Marco's Right Hand? I doubt they're gonna let 'im off that easy. Watch. You go along with this and Eclipsa will just take him and use him as her personal plaything again. Just as he'll go back to dating Jackie. Leaving you all alone. Did you really think you had any chance at being with him? Please. You won't even get leftovers._

The former princess remained silent and unmoving. She didn't even twitch or budge an inch since Jackie drew near. Realizing this, Jackie withdrew her hand and laid it upon her knee.

"This isn't about Marco, is it? Look, I'm cool with it, okay? I can't control how you feel, and frankly, I don't blame you. He's an amazing guy, and I'm honestly jealous that you got to live with him. I'll admit though. Your confession from way back when really threw me off. I even felt mad envy when he immediately ran after you soon as you left outta nowhere. But after spending sixteen years fightin' for my life in another dimension, I got to thinkin' about the bigger picture, y'know? At first, I only did it so I could fight to save Marco and whoever else from you, but then I realized, 'y'know what? I think I'd rather use what I learned to do good things in general. Help loads-a people out, y'know? And I think that's what Eclipsa wants to teach you. To use that darkness for good things instead of evil. It'll be a tough road, but I'm confident you'll get through it. So c'mon. Let's just put aside our dumb, childish feelings and we can work together with Toffee and Eclipsa to make Mewni and the rest of the universe a better place. Whaddya say?"

Jackie extended her hand once again, this time, placing her palm beneath Star's face to hammer it in that she wanted nothing but the best for her as well as everyone involved.

Rather than grab her hand, however, Star's gauntlet tightly wrapped itselves around Jackie's throat, the claws digging into her flesh and draining the air from her lungs. Both of them slowly rose to their feet and the skater girl was greeted with a face twisted in the most scornful of scowls and an eye that shifted from a soft blue to a harsh, gleaming green.

"You... are not..." Star's voice deepened and distorted as the black goo revolved around her body and head, molding itself into the armor, and soon, the ghastly serpentine helmet. "...taking me... to those... monsters!"

Seeing as how the situation has changed, Jackie instantly drew her gun, pre-loaded with Bone Marrow Ash and took a shot at Star's breastplate. The armored beast doubled back as she howled and held the smouldering dent in her chest soon after releasing her grip on Jackie's neck.

Jackie momentarily fell to the ground, attempting to regain the air she had just lost. Springing to her full height, she unsheathed her Rakuyo, parting the two blades an eye-blink after.

Star had already recovered from her wound and proceeded to barrel towards her foe on all fours.

With her right foot pushing her into a backwards leap, Jackie vanished into thin air before Star could get within range.

Lost for a brief moment, the serpentine helm darted every direction, scanning the environment for its elusive prey. She then rose to her full height as she proceeded to walk forward.

The Berserker felt a seering chill assail her legs as they became frozen in place. When she peered down, it became clear that that was literally the case as everything from the waist down was incased in a lumpy block of ice. When the helm peered over her pauldrons to find the source, there was nothing but empty meadow.

And then her upper body went stiff as that too became incased in ice, seemlessly combining with the block made below.

Before she could say or do anything else, her entire head became trapped as well as her entire form essentially became a statue. Jackie seemingly popped out of thin air in front of the newly made ice prisoner, bearing a rather stern, yet resigned expression.

"Really didn't wanna do that, Star." She said, rather woefully. She brought forth her interdimensional tanto. "Dunno how she's gonna fix you while you're like this, but I'm sure she'll manage."

Right as Jackie could begin cutting a hole in space, her face widened at the sound of ice cracking at an alarming rate.

Barely a microsecond after she heard the shattering that went above the pouring rain, she was suddenly met face-to-helm with an Armor on the verge of decapitating her with a black, broad blade spawned from the Wand.

Rather than spend even a breath in perplexity at how Star managed to free herself, grab her Wand, and cast some sword spell within mere seconds, Jackie used her right foot to launch herself backwards and her entire form blinked out of sight once more.

The Berserker cried out in anger the moment her blade struck ground instead of flesh. The snout of her helm pointed at every direction, guttural growls spewing forth as she did so.

An unforeseen slash across her back forced the armored beast to stagger forward and immediately retaliate with a swing that went behind her that ended up striking empty air. She roared in fury once more as her target was somehow letting loose strikes completely out of sight. There was no clear rationale for how this was possible as there was nothing to hide behind within the immediate area.

And then another slash struck her arm.

Then one across her chest.

Then against her back again.

Star could feel slashes all around her, but couldn' place their source nor find the person unleashing them. Eventually, the onslaught stopped. As the inactivity gave tension the time to take root, the armor slowly mended itself along with the body within it. Star paid no attention to her own damages as all she was focused on was to cut down the girl that vexed her so.

Star's gleaming green gaze shot behind her when she heard one lone footstep. Jackie was standing a few meters away with her back facing Star. Both of her blades were kept apart, coated in blood that fell along with the rain. It looked like she had just finished executing an attack, but Star didn't feel any-

Six deep gashes, one after another, appeared just before the Berserker could spawn another thought or movement. Blood leaked through every slit, giving the blackened armor a slight red sheen that accompanied that which was made from the pouring rain.

The injuries proved grievous enough as Star couldn't stop herself from collapsing to her knees. Four of those six gashes somehow managed to cleanly penetrate the armor and sever tendons and muscle that kept her standing tall and firm. No later after she fell did she feel the barbs working themselves into her flesh, attempting to stitch back her severed pieces and inject more stimulant fluids to push through the severe lacerations.

Completely ignoring the hasty and instrusive reparations, the armored girl rose to her full height once more, and held her ethereal blade before her.

"Tch. No wonder no one uses their best move off the bat." Jackie remorsefully remarked.

Before Star could take one more step, Jackie took one of her own, disappearing once again before her foot could land.

The armored beast decided to go on the defensive and merely pace in a controlled path, slowly shifting her body in every direction in a preparation to block. She took the time to stop, look, and listen every couple steps.

Another seemingly long period of agonizing stillness and silence. The Berserker took the presumably brief reprieve to listen as closely as she could. Her increasing focus on the surrounding noise made her hearing acute and the beast managed to catch wind of a sound that was faint and irregular. Some rapid, pitter-patters that followed its own erratic rhythm separate from the ceaseless percussion of the raindrops.

At first it sounded as if it came just a few feet in front. Then as seconds passed by, it grew louder and louder, shifting to Star's right in mere seconds.

The armored beast shifted her blade to that side and felt an instant impact against the edge of her magical blade. The foreign plips and plops went all the way around her body and stopped for but the smallest fraction of a second.

Catching this, Star made a rapid 180 and managed to block the strike in time.

And after that, no further blows came her way, but the distinct, incessant splashes began to pervade all angles, making it difficult to predict where it would stop next.

And before she could begin predicting, Star was assailed by an barrage that went nonstop for what felt like several minutes. She managed to deflect some, but not every one before they eventually ceased, leaving behind a palpable tension in their wake. Star was left alone, provided with more time for the damages to her body and her armor to gradually mend themselves.

The tiny, distinct splashes eventually ceased entirely and no sooner after did Jackie reappear in full form, just yards away. Her faintly heaving chest and slightly slouching posture gave off the impression that fatigue had a cursory grasp on her.

Rather than immediately run forward blades-a-swingin', the Berserker surprisingly stood her ground and let its enchanted hide work its visceral healing properties. Even beasts such as she, as single-minded and as bloodthirsty as they tend to be, knew when they required rejuvenation.

"So, you figured it out, huh?" Jackie's words were interspersed between soft huffs and puffs.

The beast merely growled in response as if in understanding.

"Yeah. I'm bouncin' from raindrop to raindrop." Jackie confirmed as she straightened her posture. "Works almost all the time for the kinda sitches I deal with. Even for armored dudes and animals since they've got weak spots I end up findin' eventually."

Star still had not walked forward. Whether she was intently listening to Jackie's words or just allowing herself to catch her own breath was unknown.

"But now? I think I'll hafta switch gears."

With that, Jackie stretched both arms wide, with each hand tightly kept on each blade. She shut her eyes and heaved the deepest of breaths as she appeared to be delving into the furthest reaches of concentration.

And then, much to even an altered Star's surprise, Jackie impaled herself in the abdomen with her weapons, forcing her body to lurch forward as each blade stuck out of her back.

What was more surprising was that the young Hunter didn't bleed a single red drop upon commiting this strange act of _seppuku_. Instead, bubbly foam gathered at the hilts of the blades buried in her body.

Noticing this, Star was pushed into a savage sprint in an attempt to halt whatever Jackie was planning, her Wand-made sword wound back in a readied strike.

Before she could get within swinging distance, however, Jackie tore her blades from her stomach, unleashing a powerful explosion of water that burst forth from her very being, launching Star and sending her rolling across the wet grass.

Star immediately recovered and continued her offensive, maintaining the exact same stance as before.

With a smirk, Jackie took one swing of her weapon's main blade when Star was only several meters away. Following after her slash at the air was a residual arc of liquid that hit her foe diagonally across her torso and stopped her cold in her tracks.

Briefly stunned and confused, Star brought a hand to her chest and was met with a handful of her own blood. Her glowing green sockets peered at Jackie and she quickly noticed that both of her blades were encased in contained sheathes of water. Though the dagger half of the Rakuyo looked to be extended to the same length as the sword half.

Wasting no more time, Jackie took several more swings, the movements of her body in tandem with her blades almost resembled that of a masterful ice-skating routine, her feet sliding seemlessly across the grassy surface as she swung her arms in varying angles that were an ordeal to follow. Star was unable to block or dodge more than her metallic hide could endure as many of her opponent's strikes scarcely left her enough space to evade nor time to react. Somehow, the liquid blades cut just as deep and hit just hard as the prime weapons themselves, if not more.

Fed up with her lack of progress, Star resigned herself to muscle through the rapid barrage and allowed her savage steps to continue unwavering, regardless of how many blows and how much damage she was incurring. Pain as a concept was completely abandoned which made her mind turn a blind eye to the clear fact that her body was slowly being torn to shreds.

Noticing that the beast had no intention to halt, Jackie quickly converged her blades and bent her arms back as the tip of the main blade pointed in her still-sprinting foe's direction.

Once again, right as Star barely reached swinging range, she flew a great distance backwards, even further than before as a massive jet of water blasted forth from the blade's tip right as Jackie thrust it forward.

The impact was more blunt compared to prior aquatic attacks as it made a rather large, circular dent at the core of Star's plated chest, joining the various slices that were drawn all over it.

But for the nth time, Star refused to let up in her advances and kept forward, still incapable of learning and adjusting to the changing combat climate. Her movement was relatively slower than before and her Wand arm quivered with each step.

Much to Star's feral glee, Jackie remained at her spot, with nary a tell to show that she had any plans of dodging or blocking.

What the Beast failed to notice, however, was that the Hunter's hand was resting on the grip of her gun.

Right as Star drew close enough for a good hit, Jackie pulled the trigger a second after she drew it, letting loose another shot that aimed to leave it susceptible for a riposte.

To Jackie's ardent shock, however, the Berserker gaped its seemingly artificial maw and literally bit the ensuing bullet right out of its flight. Star immediately followed up with a strike to her enemy's throat.

"What the f-"

The Hunter's sheer reflexes brought her own blade in the path of her adversary's as steel collided with solidified dark energy.

What followed immediately after was a flashing flurry of slashes that went outside of normal perception as their clash was merely a display of rapidly flying lines of silver and black that spiraled and chased one another between them like a contained tempest.

At some point, their respective barrages ceased and the two found their blades hugging one another.

And for the most fleeting of moments right after they halted, the rain steered clear of them as if the two had slashed every drop within their close proximity, momentarily forming a dome of clear air around them before physics reapplied and the rain continued to fall upon them.

Star swung again, though the noticeable wind-up gave Jackie enough time to evade by leaping backwards, disappearing in a blue mist before reappearing again just several meters away.

Repeating her ritual from shortly prior, Jackie parted her blades, tightly clenched her eyes, and spread both arms as wide as she was able to. This time around, her blades weren't plunged into her body. Instead, she stood still in her spot for several seconds in a T-pose.

Star found the chance to strike while her foe was wide open and took it. There was seemingly nothing stopping her from finally getting a hit in after what felt like eons since the fight began.

That is, until the baffling sight of Jackie levitating towards the air froze her feet.

The constant pitter-patters of the rain ceased in an instant when every single drop froze in mid-air, the phenomenon causing Star to gawk about in confusion.

And then every droplet of rain came rushing towards Jackie, a vast amount converging into themselves and forming a dense, snaking stream that proceeded to spiral around and into the Hunter's form.

Once it looked as if Jackie had drained the entire battlefield dry, she emitted another massive explosion before landing back to Mewni on her knee. Steadily, she stood back to her full height, her entire figure enshrouded in a whitish blue mist.

It was no longer raining.

"Not gonna lie, Star," Jackie began, her voice still exuding the normal gentleness and warmth as always. "Never been driven this far before. Ever. I've only been like this once and that was during practice. Guess it was a matter of time before things got real, huh?"

For once throughout the entire bout, and in spite of her current state of mind, Star was compelled to take a step back.

_

The California summer sun cast a dull glow that seeped through the windows of Marco Diaz's bedroom. What was once a quiet space that was as kept as clean and organized as he left it, with its condition maintained by his mother, now bore a loud liveliness that came with its owner falling onto his made bed through a rift in space.

"Oof!" He cried out as he landed hard on his mattress. His mind failed to process that he had somehow made it back home as it was held hostage by another thought that rang loudly in his ears.

"Star!" He quickly stood up from his bed. "Where did-"

"Rraghrrr!" Happily roared a certain dragon cycle as she rolled right up to her dearly beloved best friend.

"Wha- Nachos? What are you doing here!?" He asked as his mind was swirling with a frantic blend of shock and confusion.

"Rrawr-grawwrgh!"

"Jackie? She was the one who- She brought yo- Ugh!" The expository overload was proving too much for Marco as he was assailed by an intense migraine. As a response, he stopped for a moment, shut his eyes, and breathed as deeply as his lungs could allow, focusing only on the darkness in his vision and the hefty huffs and puffs of his mouth.

After performing the stabilizing exercise for about a minute, Marco's eyes slid open as he took in his surroundings and assessed the situation at hand.

Okay, so he was just suddenly brought back to his house and his dragon cycle from ages ago was standing before him, as thrilled as she could be. He has no idea what happened to the rest of his friends, and even more pressing was that he had no idea what was going on with Star.

"Rar-gurrhraarrr?" Nachos gurgled, looking somewhat upset.

"No, of course I missed you," Marco assured as he rubbed beneath her chin the way she always liked it, evoking joyous purrs from the reptile. "It's just that... so much just happened in so little time. I'm outta sorts at the moment."

"Rrruurrgh-rrwaawrrr-gwrarrgh,"

"What!?" Upon hearing Jackie's plan, his heart threatened to burst out of his chest. "Nonono, she cannot bring Star to Eclipsa! She can't! We gotta get back to them now!"

"Rrawrrgh? Rorgurrargh?"

"Nachos, you don't understand," Marco's hands gently flanked either side of the dragon's head. "Whatever she wants to do with her cannot be anything good. We gotta stop it before it's too late. Before Star-"

Marco cut himself off as he couldn't bear even grazing the thought of what might happen between Star and Jackie at this moment. Especially since the former is currently a user of that armor.

"Rrawrr-rrar-rawgh?"

"Oh no Nachos, both Eclipsa and Toffee are the absolute worst. Anything they say about wanting to 'help' Star and the rest of Mewni, is a straight up lie. She knows it as well as I do and that's precisely why I think she isn't gonna come quietly. Especially if Jackie's involved."

"Rarr-rar-rarrgh-rurrghargh? Rar-uhrrrawwrr."

"But Nachos, they-" Marco stopped himself from falling back into that awful memory. "I... don't wanna get into it now, okay? But just know that neither one of them are trustworthy in the slightest."

Nachos nodded solemnly. "Rarrr-urrgh-rahhrrr."

"Thanks, girl." Marco wrapped embracing arms around the loyal steed's neck. "I'm glad even after all these years you're still on my side. And I'm even more glad that you weren't completely behind them either, despite what 'good things' they've done since then. What they did to get to that point cannot be justified in the least bit."

Nachos merely arched a curious eyebrow, but opted not to ask. As Marco sat back onto the edge of his bed to think about what he should do, the wheeled reptile rested her chin upon his lap. The boy took to gently rubbing her head, the massive culmination of tiny scales like velvet therapy to his addled mind.

"Rr-rrawrr-rargh-rawrr-ragh?"

He shook his head. "Nah, they don't work. I'd have used them right aw-."

Marco suddenly shot to his feet as he began to feel an familiar, oppressive pressure surge throughout his body, as if his very soul was being squeezed in a vice. In fact, he knew exactly what it was and where it came from, which forced his expression to fall into pure, undiluted horror. It wasn't long ago that he felt this and it was understandable then that he felt it under certain conditions within a rather far, yet acceptable radius.

But the fact that he felt it right that moment with consideration to where he currently stood was the most alarming part.

"Star's _sakki_..." He spoke urgently beneath hushed, terrified tones. "...I could feel it from here... she-"

"Marco!" Janna shouted as she kicked his door wide open. "By the way, your folks aren't home, so I had to pick my way in here."

Rather than dignify her arrival with a response, Marco instead shot out of his bed in the blink of an eye and snatched Janna's beanie right out of her head. She didn't even get to react before the boy drove his hand inside and dug around.

"Uh, you could've just asked, y'know?"

Feeling nothing but mostly empty space and junk, Marco tore his arm out of the hat and instead began to shout into it. "Glossaryck! Glossaryyyyck!"

After a few seconds without a response, Marco proceeded to violently rattle the headwear as if it was able to affect the pocket dimension within. After a few more moments, he continued repeatedly screaming the book patron's name, bringing his face closer to the opening of the hat.

"C'mon man, I heard you the first time," Glossaryck finally popped up, rubbing his ear as he flashed an annoyed glare at Marco. His eyes broadened a tad when he noticed the sudden change in geography.

"Oh hey, we're back on Earth," The blue man spoke rather nonchalantly. "How'd that happen?"

"Yeah we're back on Earth and we need to get back to Mewni, like, right. Now!" Marco frantically and loudly demanded. "Star's _sakki_ is off the charts! And there's no telling what'll happen if we don't get to her right this second!"

Glossaryck gazed quizzically at Marco before surveying his surroundings and taking notice that their group was currently two cans short of a six pack. He took an particular note of the fact that the more worrisome of the lot was missing.

"Alright, kid. I'm gonna need you to lay down on your bed and relax."

"What? Glossaryck this isn't the time to-" It suddenly dawned on Marco what his motive was. "Wait, you want me to go to that Blood Moon dimension thing?"

Glossaryck nodded solemnly.

The boy could only stare at him with a degree of skepticism. "Uh, shouldn't we, like, find a way back and get between them or something?"

"Trust me, Marco, it's extremely important that you get your fine tush into gear and into her head. It's your turn now."

As hesitant and as uneasy as Marco felt about the plan, he had to admit that the blue guy might be onto something.

In fact, Marco started to figure out exactly why he needed to make contact with Star via Blood Moon as opposed to simply get between her and Jackie. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't been dreading this very moment.

"I really hope they'll both be okay," Marco dismally spoke, somewhat unsure of himself. As he laid himself to rest, he fidgeted profusely, finding great difficuly in seeking a comfortable position.

"Rrarrgh-rawr-rrrurrgh-rawrr."

"Kinda figured. I mean, how else was she able to meet you, right? But even if she went on the same sixteen-year adventure that I did, I dunno how bad things'll get between her and Star, and frankly, I wanna stop it from getting any worse as soon as possible."

"Alright, you all set?" Glossaryck asked as he pulled from his sleeve a brown cloth bag that was as big as he was.

"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess." His noncommital response belied the anxiety that churned within.

"Seeya later again, I guess." Janna simply said with a casual wave. "Lekmet says, 'good luck'."

"Thanks Janna. Lekmet."

"Rrrrgh..."

"It's okay, Nachos, I'll be fine," Marco tried to assure with a delicate rub of her head. "I've brought Star out of it before, I could do it again."

"Yeah but," Glossaryck started, looking surprisingly nervous himself. "yer gonna be treading some dangerous waters since you'll be gettin' deep in there this time."

After responding with a nod, Marco hefted a deep exhale through his nostrils and closed his eyes.

"G'night, Marco. Or should I say, g'morning?" Glossaryck quipped as he proceeded to sprinkle the golden sparkling spores upon Marco's prone form. "Forgot to tell Star before she went through with this herself, but say 'sup' to Neil for me, will ya?"

"Wh-who...?" Was Marco's last yawned words before the powdery, sobering feeling of the spores took him hostage and dragged his body along with his consciousness to an abyssal slumber.


	58. Drifting Further, Sinking Deeper

_Those two?_

"Those two."

 _Hmm... I don't know..._

"C'mon MP, they're exactly what you're looking for. Don't you see how cute and perfect they are together? Don't you feel the gravity between them? Gives me the chills, even from here!"

 _But neither harbor any strong feelings for the other. Furthermore, they each currently pine for different individuals. Not to mention they've barely stepped into adolescence._

"After shipping so many people with your weirdo ritual, you still haven't gotten this relationship thing down yet? I guess that's why you got me here instead of asking Neil, huh?"

 _His ability to seek perfect matches are about as effective as mine. Which is rather odd considering, prior to my adoption of him, he possessed what mortals called a "wife" as well as children of his own._

"Uh, 'cause he's a sea captain with a family, not a matchmaker."

 _Regardless, ever since we've begun working together, we have had no luck in finding solid enough bonds for my tethers to embolden. The couples we've chosen in the past either drifted apart or have proven themselves to be less than sufficient for my needs._

"Well, that's because neither of you have experienced the amount of relationships that I have witnessed for as long as I've existed."

 _And you are absolutely sure these two will prove more than pivotal for our cause? One of them is a descendant of Ebrietas whose bloodline you've mentored for aeons enumerable and the other is a meager human who bears no such special qualities that supplement hers. I fail to grasp how such a relationship could blossom into anything fruitful or meaningful."_

"Are you saying that you don't trust me? And by extension, Ebrietas?"

 _But of course I do. It's just that-_

"Need I remind you who helped set her up with that peasant-turned-most-powerful-yet-forgotten-warrior-of-all-time? The one who's half the reason why the Butterfly Line exists and bears such immense power to this day? Why the Right and Left Hands of God came to be in the first place?"

 _Be that as it may, I am also keenly aware of your perplexing, convoluted line of thinking as well as your irksome ambiguousness. That which evokes more ire than progress. Why she created you to behave in this way is beyond even me._

"MP, I'm the living embodiment of giving you what you never knew you needed. And I'm saying that, as long as their friendship persists, the boy will reach lengths never before been reached by humans of his dimension. Watch. Give it a season or two. If you really want to stick it to the Idea of Evil, I'm gonna need your unwavering trust and cooperation to make this happen. Okay? Besides, it's getting close, isn't it? I've already got the painting set up, so just give the word to Neil whenever."

 _...Fine... if you are resolute in your faith in these children, then their fates as well as that of the infinite cosmos rests in your hands._

"You mean theirs."

-

Shortly after sinking into darkness, Marco was pulled awake by an unrelenting barrage of raindrops. He was steeped in awe at how different the Knot had become since he last came here.

The red tint that conqured the landscape became exceedingly darker and the waves rose and crashed against the shoreline. What was once a clear, dark-red sky was now obfuscated behind a barrier of thick, black clouds surging with lightning and roaring with thunder as its ceaseless weeping flooded the once serene beach.

Marco's hoodie bellowed beneath the rapid, howling winds and his entire body became drenched within moments. Futilely, he threw his hood over his head.

One thing remained as it always was, however. The Sea Captain still stood before his little campfire, though holding an umbrella that somehow stood firm against the raging storm.

"Second storm we've ever had. Worse n' last time, too." The cap'n dryly spoke, seemingly unfazed by the inclement weather.

"Second time?" Marco asked as he surveyed the area. "This happened before?"

"Aye. 'Bout yesterday, if I recall. Guessin' it's that lass's doin'."

"Y-yeah." The boy began anxiously rubbing his right arm. "Do you uh... have any idea how to fix this?"

"Hmm..." The old man rubbed his beard in contemplation. "She's drownin' in 'er anger." The captain explained. "Gaspin' fer breath, without the strength to break surface on 'er own and a life preserver to grab onto."

"So what you're saying is, I should... in there."

"Aye."

Marco's worried eyes flitted towards the vigorously churning sea. He noticed that, amidst the wild waters, rose forth a green beam of light that reached for the sky. Despite being able to briefly look past the clear obstacle laid out before him, he still harbored deep dread towards the prospect of having to wade through dangerous territory and possibly drowning himself. He had no idea what would happen if should the latter fate befall him and he loathed to find out.

But of course, the reminder of what she meant to him as well as how she saved him in a similar way pushed his feet to move forward, though not without heaving a bracing sigh before doing so.

The small, yet strong tide crashed against his ankles the moment he reached the shoreline. When he took another step forward, he was taken aback by the fact that his feet dove beneath the water as opposed to land on top of it. He deduced that the storm must have caused the water to lose its magical solidity.

As he steadily waded his way forward, the waves grew ever stronger and had, on many occasions, roughly pushed him back, causing him to land on his rear. Of course, as defiant as the water might be, Marco's stoicism prevailed by maintaining his unwavering stride.

Things took a turn for the challenging when his footing lost shallow seafloor and he ended up having to swim to move forward. It was at this point was where he was left to the mercy of the furious ocean and its towering waves tossed and twisted him about like a piece of wood left adrift at sea.

Sheer willpower once again carried him across the raging red and allowed him to punch through the crashing walls. His stroking limbs spun and pushed without pause and every system in his body worked beyond their very limits to get where he was needed without succumbing to the ordeal.

As he drifted ever so closer to the green spire, the ocean seemed to have drastically changed composition as Marco began treading into a bordering sea of black slime. Though he was hesitant at first, he kept his stride, albeit not as quickly and as fluidly as before.

The moment his entire body transitioned into the foreign substance, Marco felt a discomforting sensation of millions of microscopic needles pricking his skin. Like something gnawed at his flesh and was slowly and surely attempting to make its way to the bone.

The feeling steadily intensified and discomfort soon gave way to increasing pain the further Marco advanced. The sea also grew more dense the further he went. Debilitated by the slime's damaging and thickening properties, but not deterred, he kept pushing and pushing and pushing. The unyielding hope of rescuing Star went far beyond whatever physical obstacles attempted to impede his path.

Finally, Marco reached within several feet of his target, but the muck got to the point of nigh solidity and he was unable to proceed any further. When he tried to pull himself out, he found that the slime was offering great resistance, almost as if it was attempting to drag him deeper into itself.

And it turned out that it was doing just that, because the moment Marco ceased his squirming, the heavily thickened slime adopted the qualities of quicksand which began to devour him at an alarming rate.

Try as he might to jump out of the surface, but his struggles failed to find purchase. Faster and faster the rest of him was being consumed until he was neck deep.

He feebly called out for the Sea Captain. Pushing his vocal chords to their very limits in order for his shout to carry across the sea and above the raging storm. When no immediate response came to be, he quickly resolved that it was no use and he was merely wasting his breath.

He could barely even raise his head to try preserving what little air he was starting to lose. In a last ditch effort, he raised his arm to the stormy sky, hoping that someone, anyone would grab hold as pitch darkness washed over his vision. His hopes dissolved when the remainder of his arm became submerged along with him.

He couldn't even move the slightest inch. Completely incased in almost solid slime, he felt himself involuntarily gasping for breath as claustrophobia began settling over him, a feeling he was tragically familiar with. The pervasive puncturing feeling that he tried so hard to ignore came in at full force and it felt as if he was in an Iron Maiden.

But the physical pain that layered itself over his flesh didn't compare to the agony of losing his best friend to the darkness that he failed to fight back. The depths he was unable to pull her away from. Soon, he was going to be completely consumed as well. Without him. Without Star. They had already lost. Their most hated enemies have rid themselves and won without so much as lifting a finger nor most likely being aware of it.

At that point, Marco's attitude became that of Star's. Wishing an immediate death on himself so he didn't have to feel like such a failure. It was preferable to being stuck beneath the muck for who knows how long with what prevaling self-deprecating thoughts swam through his mind.

And then, completely out of nowhere, he felt a tug on his palm, deriving from a pair of hands that barely combined to the size of his own. Starting from the tips of his held fingers, a familiar warmth began to envelop his entire body.

Suddenly, the muck he was bound in instantly reverted to the consistency of water and regained some clarity. Enough that Marco was able to see who held onto his hand.

A child-like white silhouette was pulling him along. Its blank, gossamer form bore no detailed features other than its mildly long, luminous hair, which drifted behind as the two swam towards the bottom of the once-corrupted sea. Marco noticed that his body was incased in the same light that comprised his ghostly escort.

He looked past the deftly swimming child and found that the two were making a steady way towards a seemingly unconscious Star, whose entire, floating body save for her head looked to be covered neck to toe in black, wriggling little creatures. As soon as Marco and the child drew near, the imps immediately dispersed, shewing the true form of the former princess, though bruised and worn.

The child of light, with Marco still in tow, took Star's limp hand and drew it closer to the boy's. Their slightest contact caused the white aura that shrouded Marco to pass over to Star and rapidly outline her entire form. Not a moment too soon and Star's eyes shot open and she began to fearfully lash out upon finding herself deep underwater.

"Marco!" She very near screamed as she desperately clung to him with every limb she had available, burying her face into his shoulder.

"It's okay, it's okay. I'm here, I'm here." He softly assured, as he gently patted her back. Both of them neglected the fact that their voices were as loud and as clear as if they stood on the surface.

The water stirred as both of them began sensing vigorous movement nearby. When they turned to the source, they discovered that it was the tiny creatures from before, which all combined to form the disembodied, serpentine head that they were, to their dismay, more than acquainted with.

"You think we're finished?" The Serpent maliciously spoke. "Please, we haven't even begun to have our fill. There's still have some unfinished business to settle and I refuse to let you deprive us of that which we endlessly crave!"

The Serpent spread open its gaping, abyssal maw and proceeded to lunge towards the two embracing teens, their hold on one another only tightening in response.

The monster was stopped cold by the child of light instantly coming between it and its prey while raising a deterring palm.

"You... you're..." The creature seethed while grinding its sharp teeth and narrowing its green eyes.

But before the Serpent could speak any further, the child swam up to it and gently placed a hand on its snout. It was then that the entire head became wrapped in ethereal chains that tethered to the seabed beneath. The beast slowly began sinking to the bottom.

"You think adding more chains will stop me!?" The Serpent roared as he made his gradual descent. "Put as many binds and barriers as you wish. The one key that opens them all at once is you, Star! Your nature! You might think you've divorced yourself from it, but you never will! Sooner or later, you'll fully embrace it once again! The path you walk will ensure it!"

The thing finally shut up once it disappeared out of view. If its angrily spoken parting words were anything to go by, it definitely won't be the last they'll see of it, but it'll hopefully be suppressed for the time being.

Marco and Star proceeded to stare at the young spirit before them, somewhat taken aback, yet comforted at the same time by the aura it exuded.

"Uh, thanks?" Marco said, unsure of how to respond to what had just happened.

"Wha- who are you?" Star inquired, unable to shake off the uncannily familiar presence.

Rather than reply, it instead drew near and outstretched both of its hands for each to hold on to.

Hesitant at first, the teens shared a concerned look, but soon exchanged a resolved nod after, seeing as the being bore nothing but benevolence. With their other hands still entangled with one another, Star and Marco each took the hand of the luminous body, and in an instant, their vision was filled with a blank, blinding whiteness not dissimilar to what they experienced after resolving Marco's final memory.

 _Remember who you are,_ Spoke a little girl's voice briefly before the two returned to the land of the waking.

-

After taking only two steps forward shortly after her shift into the next phase, Jackie took one swing with both blades traveling the same diagonal path.

Star was ready for the ranged striked and held her blade defensively before her, and as expected the residual arc of water followed suit, meeting her ethereal blade.

What she didn't expect, however, was the arc of mist that trailed a nanosecond afterwards which immediately solidified into an arc of ice that trapped Star's arms as well as her Wand. The arc spawned from behind Jackie and ended at the ground directly in front of Star.

Jackie followed up by once more converging her blades and executing the same motions which caused a large stream of water to spew forth with great intensity.

However, the blast froze in a near-instant and what came forth instead was a large spike of ice that aimed to impale Star.

Quick to the draw, Star was able to break free from the ice and slice the oncoming spike in half within the same breath. She then shot forward towards Jackie.

In response, the Hunter proceeded to swing in various angles in narrower arcs, shooting forth numerous blades of ice in her enemy's path.

Star managed to cut down every single one in her way, her advance not deterred in the slightest. She drew close enough to strike once again, and Jackie seemingly didn't have any time to dodge nor parry in any way possible within the small amount of time and space Star was scantly providing. This time, the magical blade would strike true and this time, it will finally have landed a hit.

The magical blade seemlessly passed through Jackie's body. Almost too fluidly so. Though it was clear that Star's strike went undeterred, there was a shocking lack of blood dripping from her blade or the body of her target.

When the green glowing eyes peered up at Jackie, she seemed to be standing there, completely inactive and without a scratch on her.

Star took another swing and was shocked to see that, while it did indeed hit Jackie, it passed through her as if she was incorporeal, leaving behind no evidence of damage being inflicted whatsoever.

The beast took another swing. And another. And another. None of her attacks seem to be fazing her in the least bit. Not physically or mentally. Jackie remained in her spot, staring on in pity.

"You... done yet?" Jackie asked, her voice somewhat strained. She was visibly gritting her teeth as she spoke.

Star proceeded to unleash an onslaught of swings that would have sliced Jackie to ribbons had she not been as invincible as she was just then for some reason. Though, as Star's rapid-fire blows continued, she could see that the body of her foe seemed to have taken on the qualities of water itself.

She also noticed that Jackie's face twisted into a grimace that indicated that she became her liquified state by her own will, which also appeared to be putting her under great strain.

At this point it was merely a battle of attrition. Whose resolve would crumble first and who would take advantage once that happened to whoever it would happen to first. Star kept slashing away as if her life depended on it and Jackie maintained her liquidity because it essentially did.

Seconds. Minutes. Neither had any idea how much nor which amount of time had lapsed by since this test of endurance began. While Star thought about nothing but her enemy's demise, Jackie was beginning to regret partaking in this new stage of their bout.

Jackie began feeling her willpower waning beneath the strain and, to the Hunter's dismay, Star was showing no signs of letting up. She took on this form in the hopes that her foe would see the futility behind her need to fight, since Jackie's prior methods failed in doing so. But she gravely underestimated Star's tenacity, which was only heightened by the armor she currently donned.

She could feel herself slowly slipping back into solidity. She tried with all her might to hang on to that narrow thread and endure for a little bit longer, but it was no use. Her infrequent use of this technique left very little in the way of bolstering its longevity and she mentally kicked herself for not taking the time to temper it even if she didn't think she'd use it that often or at all. Seems as though all of her time spent training with those fish people, Dai-sensei, and Eclipsa was all about to come to naught in a matter of moments. Her only regret was not being able to help Star out and see Marco again.

Right as Jackie let out a breath, her body returned to its normal form and she readily accepted the sweet embrace of death, though she clenched her eyes to make it a bit easier. While she skirted it many times before, she was absolutely sure this time that it would come. She just wished it didn't have to be this way.

Though, much to her surprise, the moment hadn't arrived. At all. Jackie's eye slowly slid open, and then both of them grew to astonished lengths when she saw what was going on.

Star's ethereal blade stopped just short of Jackie's neck, then immediately dissipated. Confused, Jackie's gaze trailed towards Star, whose helm merely stared directly at Jackie's the eyes as soft, guttural growls carried forth. Star's armored form began to quiver faintly at first then steadily grew more profuse as the seconds ticked by.

Star then backed away from her foe, tightly gripping her Wand in both of her shaky arms and keeping it close to her chest. Her ire seemed to be drawn away from Jackie and towards whatever lied beneath her plated bosom.

And then the armored girl fell on all fours as helmed head hung. Seconds after, the armor rapidly receded into Star's body, unveiling the true, slightly reddened form of the girl that was trapped within. The two were essentially back to where they started.

Rather than say anything, Jackie knelt down beside her and once again presented her hand for Star to grab onto. Star skeptically looked to the open palm, then raised her head to gaze at its owner. She was met with a warm smile that seemed to have instantly abandoned the events that had just transpired.

"Why...?" Star quietly asked, a mixture of confusion and sorrow welling up inside her. Her arms shook as if they struggled to hold up her petite form.

"I told you, I came here to help Marco and you." Jackie answered, without a hint of anger in her tone whatsoever.

"Jackie, we literally just tried to kill each other."

"Uh, maybe you were trying to kill me, but I was just trying to wear you out. Dunno if I was the one that ended up doing that, but mission accomplished anyways." Jackie decided to withdraw her arm and leaned against her arms in a relaxed sitting position next to Star.

"And you're still giving me a chance after what I just tried to do? What you saw me turn into?" Star's voice wavered slightly.

The Hunter shrugged. "Dude, even though I was sure my life was at risk, I had this feeling that, deep down, you'd end up snappin' out of it eventually. Besides, you stopped yourself right when my invincibility thing wore off. Dunno if it was dumb luck or good timing, but I'm glad it happened."

Feeling comfortable with the situation herself, Star took it upon herself to lay on her back right beside Jackie as well, resting her Wand on her chest and her metallic hand on her stomach.

After several minutes passed by and she managed to capture her fleeing breaths, Jackie sat up straight and dug into her pocket. She pulled forth a small, drenched box which was white in color and labeled with the word "Charlotte's" in red bold letters.

"Aw man, my cigs got wet!" Jackie groaned in displeasure as she tossed the box.

"Since when did you start smoking?"

"Some point when I was adventurin' in Hekapoo's dimension." Jackie casually answered.

Star's eye widened as she became dumbstruck by the discovery. "What!? Why?"

"The heck did ya think I was able to pull off all that stuff?"

"Huh..." Star simply muttered.

The continued to sit beneath the dull gray skies and drenched grass in silence. Star still laid upon her back and Jackie took to repeatedly flipping one of her tanto in the air and catching it between her fingers. Time seemed lost on them as the two seemed to be to entrenched in their own thoughts and idle actions to do anything else.

"Jackie?"

"Yeah?"

"Why..." Star swallowed before she continued as the reality of it all was still all too strange to properly process. Even though about a day passed since she and Marco discovered the truth, it never found room to settle comfortably in their minds.

"Uh-huh?" Jackie asked, hoping the ellipses would lead to further dialogue.

"Why are you working with... them?" Star found that the ambiguity helped her addled brain and hoped that Jackie would pick up on it.

"Like I said before, dude," Jackie began, taking on a more solemn tone that held remnants of her normal chill. "I came so I could help out Marco because I heard from Toffee that your powers were gettin' outta whack. I stayed because I wanted to be part of the good they were bringin' to your dimension. Y'know, helping the people who couldn't help themselves. Bringing mewmans n' monsters together. Negotiating with other kingdoms and working together to make Mewni a better place."

Star involuntarily grit her teeth and shuddered. It pained her to hear that Jackie believed Toffee and Eclipsa but she couldn't truly bear any grudges against her because she was obviously being manipulated via her sense of justice being taken advantage of.

"Maybe they're doin' good things now," Star heatedly spoke, her eye still adhered to the murky sky above. "But what they did to get to that point... was nothing good whatsoever."

"I mean, all they did was invade the kingdom with Eclipsa's God Hand friends, right?" Jackie asked, her blissful ignorance being the second thing she had that Star grievously envied. "I get it. They might've hurt some people along the way and they kicked ya outta your home. It happens. Especially in war, y'know? But Toffee and Eclipsa were sure that it was the best way to go. And I get that ya got desperate and lost control of yourself. That's what I'm here for, dude. To turn the wrongs of yesterday into the rights of tomorrow. And I can't really do that if yer not willing, now that you're not... all monster-y n' stuff."

"Jackie." Star sternly said as she sat straight up and dragged her knees to her chest. Then her eye fell to the ground as sorrow snuffed out the rising embers of anger before they evolved into another inferno. "They... hurting people doesn't even _begin_ to describe what they did. Heck, I don't even think _anything_ can begin to describe what they did."

"Y'know, I had an inklin' that might've been the case when you went aggro on me the moment I mentioned those two." Jackie said as she ponderously rubbed her chin. "And to be honest, I was a bit skept for the longest time, too. Like, I had this feeling that it was all waaayyy too good to be true. And there was way more than what Eclipsa showed us. I kinda pushed the feeling away cuz I thought I was just bein' paranoid. But now that I'm sitting right here, I feel like maybe Tom and I were right."

"Yeah! Exactly!" Star nearly screamed as she threw her hands down, which evoked a flinch from Jackie. Catching this, Star realized that she came off a lot louder and more excited than she intended and chidingly threw her hands back on her lap.

"So then..." Jackie hesitated as she was priming the question of the eternity, somewhat gripped by this overwhelming sense of unease that came from a source she couldn't pinpoint. "What... happened in there?"

Star released a breath she didn't realize she was holding and proceeded to stare at Jackie. The latter couldn't help but recoil just slightly as her sea-green eyes met with blue that she could feel was brimming with a sorrow that was unfathomable.

"Whoa..." Jackie remarked out loud.

"What?" Star asked, slightly alarmed by the reaction despite the fact that she hadn't even said a word.

"Uh, well..." Jackie rubbed the back of her head. "Y'know what _sakki_ is, right?"

"Isn't that a kinda booze?"

"No, Star. It's... well, it's those vibes someone lets out when they've got this strong itch to kill someone. AKA, 'Murderous Intent' or 'Death lust'."

"Uh, okaayy...?" Star quizzically said as she arched an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Okay, well... when I was fighting you just a bit ago, I felt that loud and clear comin' from you. Heck it was so dense, I could swear I can just reach out and grab it if I could physically see it."

"Uh... huh?"

"But. I felt somethin' else along with it. Just as strong. I dunno if I've ever felt anything like this before and I dunno if there's even a name for it but... the best way I could describe it was... pain. And right now, as I'm starin' into your eye, I could feel it again, just as strong as it was just a bit ago. So whatever you're gonna tell me, it's gonna be way worse than anything I could ever dream of."

"Yeah..." Star idly rubbed her good arm with her metal one. "It's kinda-"

A realization forced Star's train of thought to come to a screeching halt. As she rubbed her arm, she noticed that the cold, metallic sensation that normally accompanied her prosthetic wasn't registering on her heavily scarred, thinly bandaged skin.

"What?" Star began running her good hand all over her body, then ended its throughough journey with a slap to her cheek. She didn't feel the usually slightly stinging sensation that followed whenever she did that. Just the slight pressure of her cheek being pressed upon.

Then, much to Jackie's surprise and subsequent discomfort, Star brought her hand to Jackie's freckled cheek and pinched it.

"Uh, what're you doin'?"

Star removed herself after a few seconds, then took a long, dismal look at her pale right palm. Then, in an act of masochism that astonished the normally calm skater girl, Star took her clawed index finger and drove it into her palm, penetrating cleanly through bandage, bone, and muscle as the ensuing hole cast a small red drizzle to fall upon the grass below.

"Star, what the heck!?" Jackie exclaimed as she dug into one of her many pockets and pulled out a small roll of bandages. Her caring instincts took hold of her and she gradually removed the wrappings that already shrouded Star's limb in order to replace them with new ones.

"Jackie, I-" Star looked on in horror as she was completely numb to her would-be nurse's contact. "I can't feel a thing."

"Doesn't matter. You can't just stab yourself like tha-" Jackie was cut off by the ghastly sight of Star's completely purple hand.

"Dude... did you dip your arm in boiling grape juice or something?" Jackie remarked as she completely unraveled Star's arm, then immediately took to wrapping it back up again with new bandages. She figured that's what her would-be patient would've wanted.

"Um..." Star averted her gaze. "That's kinda part of the story, actually."

"And your other arm." Jackie's eyes darted to the appendage in question. "You're not just wearing a cool gauntlet for the sake of style, right?"

Star woefully shook her head.

"The eyepatch isn't a style thing, either?"

Her head shook again.

Jackie's eyes broadened just slightly. "And your hearts aren't..."

She shook her head once more.

Jackie released her gentle grip off Star's hand once she concluded her re-bandaging. "And the hair?"

Star shrugged nonchalantly. "More of a symbol than a style. Though the white part's also one of my many, many deformities."

Jackie raised an eyebrow at Star's self-deprecating comment, but opted not to point it out. "So are all those scars... from that day?"

"Heh. These are just the tip of the iceberg." Star couldn't help but find the particular question humorous for some reason. Maybe Jackie's ignorance was that endearing. Maybe her sense of humor became as dark as her life.

"Geez..." Jackie leaned further back into her arms. "dunno if I wanna know, but I gotta hear it sooner or later. Can't hide from reality forever, y'know?"

"Ain't that the truth." Star said with great resignation.

The two stood in silence for several whatever-amount-of-time more. Jackie felt that she should hear Star out whenever she was ready and willing and Star was finding recounting the abhorrent events harder and harder every time. As if the burden got heavier at every subsequent attempt to unload it.

She hefted another sigh before she began. "Well-"

 _The eye._

"Huh?" Star looked all around for the source of that young female voice but, as always, the meadow was as barren as it's always been.

"You okay, Star?" She knew the answer to that, but the question was more of a formality than anything.

 _The eye._ The voice said again. Star quickly discovered that it came from within rather than out. It wasn't the usual voice that's been speaking to her for the longest time. The one that always goaded her into giving in to her darkest desires. No, this one was different. More pleasant, gentle and... child-like.

 _The truth lies behind closed eyes. Open yours to open hers._

Rather than offer a verbal response as well as heed Glossaryck's warning from earlier, Star braced herself with a hard, audible gulp and a tight clench of her teeth. She slowly lifted her eye patch as she turned to face Jackie, who merely looked on with apprehension laced with a tinge of dread.

Star unveiled the permanently closed eye concealed beneath the black piece of leather. Though Jackie had no idea what she expected, it certainly wasn't that.

"I mean, you don't gotta prove to me you lost it. Seen a lotta people like that before. No big deal."

Star shook her head and remained silent. As she took a finger to her left eyelid, she clenched the other to brace herself. The anticipation was bringing her heart to cardiac arrest levels. For reasons she couldn't ascertain, Jackie was undergoing something similar.

Much like how Glossaryck did so weeks prior, Star lifted her eyelid as slow as she possibly could. She seemed to have forgotten his horrified reaction upon lifting only a sliver of it and neglecting to realize that if whatever was behind her eye that was able to elicit such a reaction from someone like him, then Jackie stood no chance of recovering any time soon the moment her eyelid widened to its entirety. While the voice that issued the request wasn't at all demanding in any degree, Star was compelled to follow it to the letter anyways.

Star felt her finger tap the rim of her socket, indicating that the lid was all the way open. Star could feel tiny somethings running down her face, which she assumed to be sweat. Everything was still and silent for a few more moments.

"Uh... Star?" The girl in question couldn't see Jackie's face, but she had a feeling it was making at least a frown of some sort.

"Y-yeah? Did you see it?" Star didn't open her other eye. She couldn't bare to see how twisted in despair Jackie's face could be at that moment.

"Were you... trying to open your eyelid?"

Star was confused at first but quickly realized that her left eyelid was still shut. Now that she thought about it, she should've done the way Glossaryck did and pinched the lower rim with two of her fingers instead of trying to push it open with one. Instead, she just slid a finger across the surface, completely unbeknownst to her.

"Here," Jackie drew closer and decided to help Star along. As she took a couple fingers to the lip of her lid, Jackie too paused for a few moments. While the former princess, with her good eye shut once more, couldn't feel Jackie's touch, she could at least sense that her fingers reached the top of her socket.

And then, more palpable silence. Star's body shivered in anxiety and anticipation once again. She couldn't bring herself to open her other eye and see what was happening to Jackie. What she could possibly be doing to her.

She couldn't bare the tension any longer. Like ripping an old bandaid off of her skin, her good eye shot open, then went even wider than they were meant to as she bore witness to what brought forth the eerie silence.

The details in Jackie's eyes were utterly gone as there was nothing but plain white with some red veins rising from the bottom, indicating that they rolled to the back of her head. A dull gray mist spun around her head as her blank stare fell in line with Star's open left eye. She could just barely make out a series of faint, deep whispers coming from a source that was neither nearby or visible.

A loud gasp escaped Star's lips as she instinctively pushed Jackie to the ground for her own safety and pushed her patch back upon her eye.

When Star ran to Jackie's incapacitated form, the latter's body seemed to be slightly convulsing and drool dripped off the corner of her mouth. Quiet, quivering whimpers slipped through Jackie's lips as her entire being was held hostage by her stupor.

"Jackie! Jackieeee!" Star shouted to the heavens as she roughly shook the blank eyed, seizure-struck girl, who offered no response to the mewman girl's attempts to pull her back into the real world.

After a long period of trying to shake Jackie out of it, the girl's eyes instantly rolled back into place and the mist around her head dispersed. What immediately followed was a shriek that went octaves beyond what the human vocal chords were capable of and a flailing of arms that inadvertantly left Star hitting the ground on her rear.

Jackie immediately shot to her feet and merely stared at the other girl with an expression of undiluted trepidation that one could never even dream of seeing on the face of someone like her. Star felt more frightened by that than whatever Jackie might've seen in her eye.

"Y-you... h-howcouldjaba... hodid-did-id... whatdafffff...?" Jackie incessantly babbled as she gruesomely butchered the English language in her speech, leaving the carcass she spewed out barely recognizable to herself or Star.

Star rose to her feet and raised a hand towards her. "Hey, are you-"

And no later than that did Jackie take several steps back, almost as if she was afraid of Star herself. With no more time to spare, the panicking teen unsheathed her traveling tanto with an instant shing and cut a portal behind her with a single swing.

"Hey wait!" Star called out with another raise of her hand.

Right as Jackie dipped the entirety of her leg with the rift she spawned, she took one quick moment to withdraw it and cut another portal adjacent to the one she just made. Without another word, she jumped right into the portal and it vanished an eye-blink later.

"Star!" Resoundedly called out Marco as he burst from the other portal and went straight to tightly wrapping his arms around his best friend. Janna casually followed suit a few moments after, followed by Nachos rolling closely behind.

"Are you alright? You two didn't hurt each other too bad, did you? Where's Jackie?" Marco fired off more questions than Star was able to hear and subsequently process. Which was none of them. Because she was still hung up on how Jackie acted after seeing what lied beyond her closed eye. She didn't even bother to reciprocate her friend's hug.

"Star?" He called out again. "You still there?"

It took her a few seconds to respond. It took her even longer to close her mouth after just noticing that it hung loosely in perplexity and dread. Curiosity tempted her to find a reflective surface to see what the deal was with her left eye. The need to preserve what waning sanity was left shot that idea and the supporting curiosity dead. She wanted to know. She also didn't. Glossaryck could barely handle it. Jackie had no handle on it whatsoever. What would happen if Star were to take a look? She didn't know, but the other two did.

But one thing was for sure.

Marco's hoodie was still as velvety soft as it has always been and his presence proved just as warm and comforting.

Force of habit compelled her to hug him back.


	59. Becoming Clear

What?

How?

Why?

And a million other terse, yet heated questions that ran wild and reduced Jackie's mind as well as her composure to a state of anarchy, steadily breaking down the fabric of order that was once her cool and calm demanor. The worried calls of various citizens failed to permeate her ears as she made a mad dash towards the castle. Though her usual spacial awareness remained as she managed to dodge civilians and static objects with natural ease, common sense long departed as she hadn't thought of simply teleporting into the castle as opposed to at the front gates of the kingdom itself.

Though fleeting and murky as the images were, it wasn't what she saw that left her disillusioned and tongue-tied but rather, the overbencumbering agony that accompanied it. Though her steps went on uninterrupted and unrelenting, she felt nonetheless bogged down by a great weight crushing her shoulders. A strange paralysis assailed her left arm and her left eye twitched uncontrollably. While she maintained a forced silence and unresponsiveness to the world around her, tears flowed endlessly down her face.

Her journey up the castle's main steps went smoothly, though she lost footing at the very last step and fell to the solid stone ground.

A few concerned passerbys came to Jackie's aid and offered to help the young girl, but upon being surrounded to the point of being shrouded in their shadows, the girl lashed out in babbling, wide-eyed fury, causing her would-be helpers to recede in worry that turned to fear at one of their saviors' current behavior. Opting not to press any further, they all more or less dispersed and went on with their business with a few smuggling furtive glances towards the usually composed teen continuing her frantic sprint.

It doesn't make sense. None of this made any sense. Why wasn't any of it making any sense?

Everything they did. All the good they've brought to a nation that was once drowning in neglect and squalor. The people they've helped. The lives they've improved. The smiles and cheers of joy and gratitude.

Was all that just built upon a horrific lie?

Were the virtuous ideals that she had cultivated over the course of a decade and a half seriously abused and taken advantage of? To be used as a means to an end rather than an example to live by for herself as well as those around her? To keep her ignorant to the truth for as long as she was under their employment?

Everything she did. Everything she saw. Everything she lost.

Was just a stepping stone for those that used her.

She has to pay.

He has to pay.

All her demon friends. Those so-called gods. They all have to pay.

But of course, she can't do it alone. The way she approaches issues of a violent nature conflicts with how she really wants to take them down, but even as powerful as she could be, she's couldn't even begin to come close to the likes of either of those two. Heck, when she was training with Eclipsa, the old hag wasn't even giving it her all and she still proved to be a nigh insurmountable challenge to overcome.

Which is why Jackie ultimately withdrew her hand from her sword the moment she reached her so-called master's room.

She could hear muffled giggling on the other side. The Dark Queen seemed to be chatting it up with someone else in there. Another female by the sounds of it.

 _Ok. Hide your sakki, hide your sakki, hide your sakki..._

Jackie internally repeated the mantra in her head until the act became as natural as breathing. Not once had she ever a problem concealing her murderous intent on account of her rigorous ninja training and her generally aloof, yet approachable personality.

Yet at that moment, she had to force it just as much as her raspy, labored breathing.

"Jackie, dear? Is there something you'd like to talk about? Come in, come in."

Jackie's blood froze and boiled at once upon hearing her voice. That deceptively hospitable voice. Jackie always thought that Eclipsa's manner of speaking was always such that every word and intonation hid a layer of falsehood and malevolence. Boy, did it now become clear as day.

Not wanting to give her "superior" any cause for questioning, Jackie took the time to compose herself and rid her appearance of any hint of knowing and despair, straightening her hair and wiping all traces of tears in her face.

With a deep, solemn breath and a disengenous, yet convincing smile, Jackie took the knob in her hand and gently pushed the door open.

The tension and dismay that she briefly worked so hard to extinguish was quickly replaced with disgust and baffling perplexity.

Eclipsa was sitting cross-legged on her beyond queen sized bed. In her rather modest pink pajamas and daintily holding a tea cup in one hand and a half-eaten Snookers bar in the other, which, one would rightfully assume will end up as an empty, balled up wrapper along with the pile on the floor. That's normal enough.

But then there was Eclipsa's "guest", sitting right across from her. At the very bottom of the floor as well as filling half of her side of the bed were bloody, fly-infested piles of torn open animal corpses with their insides hollowed out. The stench of death and decay nearly caused Jackie to gag and the sensory overload was close to forcing Jackie's dismay and tension from earlier to flood back in full force and then some.

As ghastly and as gross as she looked, Jackie's gaze was transfixed upon the woman lounging next to Eclipsa. Egregiously lacking the modesty of her host, the woman was completely nude. Long, tentril-like hair most likely made of intenstines crowned her head. Broad, flabby shapes that looked like they were supposed to be wings spanned from her fleshy, skinless back. Though it was abundantly evident that the woman was made from the organs and sinew of the dead creatures that surrounded her, they all molded her form well enough for her facial features to stand out clearly and her "skin" to be as smooth as an actual person's. She looked less abominable than was expected from such a gruesome and rudimentary manifestation, but it didn't change the fact that she was in concept and in status.

"Ah, Jackie." Eclipsa called out with a genuinely wholesome smile. "I trust things have gone well with your mission?"

"Uhh..." The girl paid no mind to Eclipsa's words as her attention was held hostage by the other woman.

"Hmhmhmm... I believe your assassin is far too enthralled by me to formulate a proper response, darling." Chuckled the woman. "Even in this form, I still somehow manage to drop jaws and break hearts."

Eclipsa giggled. "Well, imagine everyone's reaction when you no longer have to manifest here in such a way."

"Oh, I will simply relish the day." The woman shook her arms in delight. "When will that come about, darling?"

"Soon, my dear. Rather soon." The Dark Queen assured. "Ah, but it appears that my tendency to neglect introductions remains to be improved." She looked to Jackie and waved a welcoming hand to her guest. "Jackie, this is Slan. Slan, meet Jackie."

With that, the woman in question leapt off the bed and made a slow stroll towards the young girl, swaying her hips in an exaggerated and unnecessary display of lewdness towards no one and making sickining squish noises with each slow step.

"Whore Princess of the Uterine Sea and Fourth Member of the God Hand. Enchante." Amiably greeted Slan as she presented an open palm. Jackie reasonably and instinctively recoiled, withdrawing her own hand before taking one small step backwards. Slan withdrew her hand as well, while smiling and nodding in understanding.

Now, Jackie wasn't taken aback nor internally distressed by the person standing before her because her hands as well as the rest of her bare body were heavily dripping with blood and other bodily fluids. Not because she was also made entirely out of dead flesh and innards. Not even because she was immodestly dressed.

But because she recognized her. Very vividly so, despite the fact that this was their very first meeting.

"Uhh... I'm good, thanks." Jackie handwaved as she tried her hardest not to scream or let even the smallest piece of her composure fall off before these two... goddesses standing before her.

"So what brings you here?" Eclipsa asked as she pulled forth another Snookers bar from out of nowhere. She pulled out another one and extended it towards the young Hunter. "Would you like one?"

"No thanks, I don't want diabetes." Jackie replied without much thought. Wasn't as harsh as the actual justification, which was not wanting to touch or eat anything coming in contact with hands as dirty as hers.

Eclipsa merely raised an eyebrow before dismissing the remark and taking another bite of her newly opened candy.

"Honestly, I don't know how you can eat those things by the dozen." Slan chided as she folded her arms, barely covering her exposed chest. "They're far too sweet for my liking. Almost deathly so." Slan turned to the younger girl. "Don't you think so?"

"I... guess? I mean, they're no different from the other brand I have every once in a while."

"Let's not talk about it any further, lest we get into copyright trouble." Eclipsa spoke up as she tossed another wrapper to the floor and sucked the remainder of chocolate and nougat off her dark purple fingers. "You came here with a purpose, did you not? By the way, how went that melee with young Star?"

Just then, Jackie keenly noticed that Eclipsa had the same exact purple hands as Star had. This was entirely news to her as she had never once seen the Queen of Darkness without her gloves.

"Jackie, dear? You seem to be awfully distracted today. And I don't believe it has anything to do with Slan's appearance either." The Queen pointed out as she peered at the young Hunter's distant, glazed look.

"I just... um. Why're your hands purple?" Jackie responded to divert attention away from her current behavior.

"Hmm? Oh." Eclipsa looked at her hands as if she had just remembered their existence. "Yes, it happens as a result of overexposure to Abyss magic. It starts off as a searing pain that brings forth an overwhelming desire to cut off your own hands, but once it passes, it subsides into a permanent numbness. It also adds a rather nice aesthetic to the arms almost akin to masterful tattoo artistry. I've always wanted tattoos when I was around your age, but I suppose this is the next best thing."

"Uh. Huh." Jackie tersely responded.

"I really do like the strong contrast of your almost, light-draining arms with the rest of your luminescently pale skin." Slan complimented as she rubbed a chin. "Jarring to some, but beautifully surreal to me and the artistically keen few."

"Which is why I quite enjoy them even if the numbness makes me forget I even have arms in the first place." Eclipsa giggled as she spun her hand and closely examined it. Jackie wasn't sure whether she was joking or not. The Queen then cleared her throat and slightly lifted her levity to shift focus back to Jackie. "But yes, back to the question at hand."

"Yeah." Jackie absentmindedly rubbed her left arm. "Uh, things went well, I guess."

"Oh c'mon, dear. Where's the usual bravado and conviction that's strongly present whenever you come back from a job well done?" Eclipsa crossed her arms.

"Yeahhh, that's the thing..." It wasn't, but she had feebly hope to slip one past a being bordering on omniscience. "It... wasn't really well done. Like. At all."

The Dark Queen raised a brow once more, and Jackie, expecting a reprimanding of godly proportions, visibly flinched at the faint, puzzled gesture.

"Are you insinuating that you... failed, Jackie? Is that what I'm accurately interpreting right now?"

Now Jackie wasn't sure what to anguish over more. Her recent revelation or the fact that she had possibly angered one of the most powerful beings of this universe who is capable of far more than her earthly mind could comprehend and then some.

"Y-..." She struggled to regurgitate the one syllable word as if it was a physical obstruction in her throat. "Yeah... I did."

All that was heard from there on out was Jackie's exponentially quickening heartbeat, the rhythmic drops of liquid from Slan's rudimentary body, and Eclipsa unwrapping another chocolate bar. Jackie was on the brink of collapsing right then and there, but she didn't want to do it so close to the gross puddle that Slan had made by simply standing, so the teen opted to struggle on her feet with subtley shaky legs. Her teeth ground almost audibly as she awaited whatever punishment her superior had for her, for surely she hadn't the tiniest bit of power to resist nor escape.

"Okay."

Jackie let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and the muscles she didn't realize she had stiffened.

"Excuse me?" Among the millions being screamed at her from within right at that very moment, those two words were all that she could effectively blurt out.

"Okay." She repeated. She began patting an empty spot close to her in silent invitation. "Would you like to talk about it with myself and Slan? We're good listeners, I assure you."

"Wha... you're not... mad?"

"Not in the least. Why would I be?"

"I mean," Jackie began scratching the back of her head. "I thought you'd expect me to. Y'know? Succeed. Especially since you put me through Hunter training that went for waayyy long. I mean, when I was training to be a ninja, I definitely didn't get a simple 'okay' whenever I failed at something. Heck, failing or succeeding was pretty much life or death back at Heks's dimension and messing up today almost killed me if it wasn't for dumb luck."

"Your point is?" Eclipsa asked, seemingly not picking up what her student was putting down.

"I just... didn't expect to get off scot-free that easily, y'know. Not before. Not now."

Eclipsa calmly and solemnly exhaled. "Jackie. Sweetie. Everything you've done for us, whether significant or otherwise, have built the very foundations of the Mewni we walk in today. Before we all took over, my fair home has been rife with poverty, ignorance, and mutual hatred between monsters and mewmans. The poor and the helpless, regardless of their race, struggle to even scrounge up enough funds to equal half a piece of bread! And look!"

Eclipsa pointed to the window, displaying a rather vibrant and active city beneath the shining sun, with people out and about as happy and as busy as they could be. Monster and mewman living and working as one. "Over the course of a few weeks we stomped out the pestilent dogma that has plagued Mewni. For eons enumerable! Monsters and mewmans could barely stand to breathe the same air before we came in and took over. And now look! Though some tension may remain after such a drastic shift in the social climate, overall my dear, we've brought exactly what was necessary for this nation. Seldom a soul lives in poverty anymore and those that once have were able to find jobs for themselves that climbed them out of the very holes they've been unrightfully trapped in for who knows how long. Everyone that was never given a chance because of some unfortunate circumstance now has one and then some! Do you know why, Jackie?"

While Jackie felt a bit invigorated by Eclipsa's little speech, she still couldn't help but feel intimidated at the same time.

"W-why?" She responded rather hoarsely.

"Because of us." Eclipsa shifted a finger between her, Slan, and Jackie. "Myself, Toffee, Tom, Hekapoo, Rhombulus, Omnitraxis, the God Hand, the citizens, our vast armies. And last but most certainly not least. You."

"Mm-me? But I'm just-"

"Jackie." The firm uttering of her name made the aforementioned girl wince. "Sure, you may have played the part of 'assassin' throughout our entire campaign, but without you, we wouldn't have underhanded, yet non-violent approaches to those who defied us. Capturing the rebelling kingdoms' monarchs and imprisoning them wouldn't have been easy if not for your skills. And we most definitely couldn't rely on Rhombulus with such a task considering he lacks the finesse and critical thinking that you have in spades." She says as she smiles and points at her own cheeks. Jackie noticed the attempt at humor and offered a sheepish "heh" in response.

"But... why are you telling me all this?"

"Quite simply because I don't want you to self-flagellate over one minor setback that pales in comparison to what you've done for us and the nation at large. Not a being in existence, whether mortal or otherwise, is perfect Jackie. Don't try to place yourself on the same standards as myself just because I trained you to fight as I did. Go home. Rest. Fight another day."

Before anyone, even Jackie herself realized it, the teen resolutely held out her sheathed Rakuyo, horizontally before her. Presenting it to Eclipsa, much to her and her fellow God Hand member's brow-raising confusion.

"I quit."

Slan's worried gaze flicked to Eclipsa as if she was anticipating a rather burning reaction. Jackie stood there with her blade held forward, her body lightly quivering and her muscles going taut as if expecting the same thing.

Eclipsa shrugged. "Okay."

"Huh?" Both Slan and Jackie remarked in unison. Slackie ending confirmed?

"Child, you were never bound to us by contract or anything. Though, you are aware that yours as well as Tom's involvement with us was a result of some magical intervention. But it was cursory at best and you've had every chance to opt out whenever you felt was necessary. So long as you didn't get in our way, that is."

"Uh, I wasn't really given a choice when I was dumped in Heks's dimension, though."

"Yes, but who ultimately made the lengthy journey to better themselves in order to draw closer to their goal? If anything, you could've just stayed in that dimension and spent the rest of your life adventuring or seeking enlightenment or what have you. But you ended up going along with us and became one of the many hands that delivered salvation to those who desperately reached out for it."

"But... Hekapoo could've killed me herself if I hadn't passed her test."

Eclipsa raised a dismissive hand. "From what she told me and Toffee at some point, it was merely a ruse to push you further to your peak. And look where that jape has brought you now."

Jackie let her hands hang at her side and her head hang low in defeat. Between what Eclipsa was telling her and what Star showed her, she was at a crossroads. Questions and debate arose within her almost similar to what she experienced with that whole Melody situation and she wasn't sure how to rationalize any of it now. It was an ordeal to even begin especially when there's this woman made entirely out of rotting animal flesh and organs standing just an arm's length away.

"But if you wish to go on and live the rest of your life peacefully as a regular human, I most certainly won't hold it against you." Eclipsa amicably stated, kicking her legs over the edge of the bed before landing on a pair of fuzzy pink slippers.. "Keep the Rakuyo. Consider it a parting gift from me to you for everything you've done for us."

The Dark Queen proceeded to walk towards Jackie, stopping just an arm's length away. The perfect enough distance for a handshake.

"It's been an honor." She warmly stated as she held out an open purple hand.

Jackie looked to the hand, then back to Eclipsa's face.

That smile.

That same smile.

That spade-to-spade smile.

That won't-hesitate-to-backstab-you-or-sell-you-out-an-any-point-in-time smile.

Rather than take her hand, Jackie immediately made a beeline for the door, unable to bear the tension that beat down on her with each passing second she had to subject herself to standing within the same room as someone like Eclipsa, who arguably reeked more of death and decay than the actual walking pile of meat.

The moment she laid a hand on the doorknob, she heard Eclipsa spoke from behind her.

"Jackie."

The mentioned girl begrudgingly turned to see what her then-former employer needed.

"While I do not mind any friendly visits you may consider having even after resigning, they better be just that. Friendly visits."

Jackie simply gave a quizzical look in response.

"What I'm trying to say is, if you come facing us bearing a different flag, well... I hope you're also prepared to die for that flag. Do I make myself clear?"

Jackie's face afterward belied absolutely nothing. She dropped her entire facade and noticeably attempted to burn holes into Eclipsa's pajama-clad form. Though Jackie was aware that, even if she was able to, it'd be nothing more than a minor inconvenience to a being of Eclipsa's proportions.

"Crystal." And the door was slammed hard enough to shake up pretty much everything that hung on a wall. What followed immediately after was the suppressed sound of a portal being ripped open.

"Well, that was... unexpected." Slan remarked as she sauntered back to the bed, joining Eclipsa who had already laid her head on her hands and pillow.

"How so?"

"I was almost certain she was going to bring up the day of your resurrection."

"I'll be honest, I anticipated the same. Why else did she seem so discomposed and distracted compared to all of our other prior interactions? What was even more obvious than that was the feeble attempt to conceal it."

"We ladies are impulsive creatures. Stoicism just isn't in our nature and even if we could feign it to the best of our abilities, our emotions will leak out one way or another."

"I can attest to that." Eclipsa agrees as she takes another halving bite of her Snookers.

"Though I must wonder how she could possibly have found out if you hadn't, to this point, delved any deeper into the rather... unsavory details."

"Something tells me that it might've somehow been Star's doing. Perhaps by way of All-Seeing Eye."

"But aren't you powerful enough to deny any such use of your own conceived spell?" Slan began toying with her intestinal "hair" as she spoke.

"If I'm being honest Slan, neither Toffee nor I have been able to use the All-Seeing Eye in weeks. Every use has always been met with static or images far removed from clarity. It's almost as if the spell is being cast every hour on the hour. At first I thought it might've been Glossaryck, but I highly doubt he has the will to constantly maintain a spell to protect a princess that should be no different from any other he's tutored. That just isn't his normal behavior."

"Hmm." Slan peered up at the ceiling, seemingly deep in thought. Eclipsa opted to do the same, hoping to find some strange shapes she wasn't able to find when she did this during her first few years as a queen.

"Quite a shame she had to leave so soon." Slan lamented, her eyes never leaving the ceiling. "I was hoping she and I could be friends. All of us, including Lady Hekapoo, could bond over and speak in length about the boy's virility and other such attractive aspects that make him such a compelling specimen to behold. And express our collective jealousy towards the one that had already claimed him."

Eclipsa couldn't contain a snort and nearly choked on her chocolate bar. Not that it would do anything if she did.

"Tell me, darling." Slan asked almost longingly. Her hands drifted from her ample breasts down dangerously close to her nether regions. "How did it feel? I knew what I saw and felt when it all happened, but..." She lightly bit one of her fingers. "I'd like to hear it from you... in great detail if you please. And slowly."

Eclipsa's briefly eyes flitted to Slan, who looked rather fidgety and aroused. Then she flitted back to the ceiling.

"I'd be spouting lies if I said that a small part of me didn't enjoy the act itself."

"Oh?" Slan perked up a little bit. Resounding squishing sounds emanated from where she laid, unclear whether it was the gelatinous nature of her makeshift form or... something else.

"But of course, I would be spouting more lies if I said that I did it all out of spite, sadistic joy, or personal pleasure. Like a certain someone we know."

"Mm... hmm?" It was uncertain if Slan was still listening at that point.

"But, you know... the reason I did that to the boy is the same reason I sent Jackie out there to combat Star. The same reason Toffee recruited her in the first place."

"Y-yesss?"

To the suprise of Slan that went from shocking to instantly pleasant, Eclipsa rolled atop the womanly mold of innards, their faces almost breathlessly close to one another's as the mewman queen held her friend by her smooth, jelly-like cheeks in one hand, while her other hand slid down and found Slan's active one, smoothly moving along with hers and mirroring her vigorous motions.

"She's getting close... dangerously close. When she plunges deep enough, there'll come a point where she'll never hope to see an out of it. And I'll be sure to be there when her suffering reaches its climax."

Slan loudly squeeled beneath the mercy of her fellow angel. Her entire body stiffened and seemingly froze for a good few seconds before finally slumping. One arm hung loosely off the side of the bed and the other one rested across her forehead as she made attempts to catch her rapidly fleeing breaths and recover from her recent peak.

Eclipsa fell back to her spot on the bed and continued to stare at the ceiling. She gave a light chuckle.

"Goodness, you are depraved." Spoke the Dark Queen without the barest hint of irony or doubt.

Slan chortled in response. "And what does that make you?"

"Strategic."

The Whore Princess laughed a tad louder. "Are you saying your taking advantage of that Marco fellow is but a small part of an even grander plan?"

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. Or perhaps I _did_ do it out of spite and personal pleasure. What do you think, Jackie?"

The sound of a portal frantically closing could be heard from beneath the bed.


	60. 667 Million Ways to Die

The Forest of Certain Death. The culmination of a malicious unity between uninhabitable and unhospitable. Teeming with ferocious and fatal flora and fauna. Woe to the scarcely prepared and the faint of heart for, as the name so egregiously indicates, an untimely end yet awaits those that find themselves even skimming its surface.

Inversely, there those who are prepared, physically and mentally, and those whose hearts know no fear nor regard for their own well-being. Oft times those types only visited the Forest for the thrill of life-risking adventure or to show off the size of their balls to their doubtful peers.

While neither reason for being there was with the four that were delving deep into its core, they of course fit the latter description of being prepared, and doubly so as they fought off waves of ravenous wildlife and sentient plants the moment they stepped foot within mere inches of its fenceless boundaries. The entire Forest roared alive as the group's soft rustling through the brush and silent footsteps across the dirt sent its murderous inhabitants homing in, with teeth, fangs, and other weaponized appendages aiming to rend the travelers asunder.

However, their lives were preserved by a teamwork of Star's immense strength and her powerful offensive spells, Janna's various and versatile skeleton summons, Nachos' strong wings, sharp fangs, and spiked wheels, and last, but definitely not least Marco's Right Hand and the sword that was given to him back in Dimension X-103, which he managed to pick up when he dropped back into his house not too long ago.

And now they found themselves head-to-head with a group of about a dozen giant, two-headed iguanas.

"Rainbow Fist Punch!" Star invoked as she brandished her wand before a line of three of the large reptiles towards her with their gaping maws unhinged. Rather than getting a mouthful of mewman as they foolishly expected, they each got a mouthful of magic.

Much to Star's surprise, however, the spell came out in a blend of blacks and grays as opposed to the entire spectrum that usually encompasses a rainbow. What was even more surprising is that, with the altered color scheme, also came with a drastic increase in power and penetration as the enormous ethereal fist went right through the closest iguana, splitting it down the middle and doing the same with both of its comrades behind it.

Star merely looked at her smoking Wand with slight shock before shrugging it off and subtly drinking in her victory.

On Marco's end, he was merely parrying strikes from his foes' long, stretching tongues as they surrounded him on nearly all fronts. Luckily for him, his trained reflexes disallowed a single tongue to touch any part of him, other than the extension of his body, his sword.

Taking the very brief moment the creatures halted their assault, Marco quickly sheathed his blade and breathed Hamon throughout his body. And then, right as his surrounding adversaries unleashed their tongues all at once, Marco pulled forth his blade within the blink of an eye, unleashing an explosive gust of razor sharp, sun-infused wind that instantly rendered the reptiles into scaly ribbons.

"Skeleton Wheel! Keep rollin', rollin', rollin', rollin', rollin'!" Janna cried out as she tossed six tiny skulls to the ground, the ensuing cloud of ash giving way to a number of skeletons seemingly stuck to large spiked wagon wheels. At the behest of their master, they all proceeded to roll their way towards the approaching lizards. The skeletons grounded the reptilian bodies to chunks as their buzzsaw-esque attachments went faster than the creatures could react, reducing them to plump, deformed piles within moments.

And finally, after what felt like eons since they stepped foot in the Forest of Certain Death, all was still and silent for more than a few seconds. Deathly silent, one might even say, as if the group purged the entire forest of all its inhabitants. Whether that was the case or they simply hid and cowered in fear of their powerful intruders, none could determine nor bother to care. They were just relieved that their hearts could beat at slower, calmer rates once again.

They took the time to lick their wounds and catch their breaths. For another day that death came knocking at their door, none of them bothered to answer.

With one, wide swing, Marco wiped the rainbow of blood off the surface of his blade, kicking up a small cloud of dust before him as he did so. With a deep breath and a sheathing of his sword, Marco mentally declared that the bloodshed was over and their journey could continue uninterrupted for the moment. Nachos, after biting and rolling to death her own group of enemies, came up to the boy, peering up into his bruised and blood-spattered face with a relieved nod.

"Yo Glossaryck," Janna removed her hat and spoke into it. "what're we looking for again?"

"I already told you guys," The little guy said, in slight annoyance, as he popped right out of the beanie as if reenacting a cliched magic trick. "look for a pair of feet and a broken spear,"

"And we told _you_ ," Star walked up to Janna, staring daggers at her teacher. "we dunno what the heck you're talking about."

"Ah, you'll figure it out soon enough." Glossaryck dismissively waved. "Thanks for stopping that racket, by the way. Thought it would never end. Now I can get back to my beauty sleep!"

With that, Glossaryck instantly dove back into the hammerspace within the beanie, never to be seen until he eventually awakens from his nap. Whenever that may be.

"Ugghh, we've been at it for an hour," Star groaned, throwing her hands to the air in impatience. "we're never gonna find her Armory at this rate."

"Either way, we gotta keep going," Marco calmly declared. "Even if we gotta walk every inch of this place, we're gonna find it."

"Can we at least take ten before we go on?" Janna asked as she struggled to prop herself up on her knees, "Runnin' around and hidin' behind summons for an hour straight's got me all pooped. Lekmet's all for it, too."

"Hmm..." Marco ponderously folded his arms across his chest. "Star?"

She shrugged in indifference. "I can keep going, but a little breather wouldn't hurt."

"Nachos?"

The dragon-cycle in question stood beside the open stomach of an iguana corpse, ravenously wolfing down its raw insides. She looked up at Marco, her snout completely covered in innards and blood and gave a smiling nod.

With a resigned sigh and an unraveling of his arms, Marco relented.

"Alright, I guess we could-"

"Marco Diaz!" Echoed a voice that belonged to no one in the vicinity.

The sudden resounding noise brought everyone's attention springing to their feet. With their offensive tools drawn and their backs adhered to one another, they looked all around for the source while prepared for whatever gets thrown their way. Because they were still reeling from the aftermath of a seemingly endless battle, it hadn't registered to anyone at first that it was a voice they all knew and that it called out for one of them. Marco's jaw fell slightly and his eyes chased around.

"Jackie? Is that you?" He shouted out. When Janna and Star realized it as well, their bodies loosened and they lowered their weapons, though their wariness didn't completely dissipate. Nachos smiled and growled in elation.

"Three questions for ya!" She loudly exclaimed, ignoring Marco's own question. "First, what's _Bushido_?"

"Jackie, what the heck are you-"

"Answer me, dude!"

While Marco was somewhat apprehensive as well as puzzled, he felt no malicious intent from his girlfriend, which was a feeling he was glad he got used to, but one that he found strange at that moment, all things considered. Still, given what Star had told him about their altercation and what happened afterward, Marco was inclined to think that Jackie had nothing but good intentions, even if she was acting a bit unusual at the moment.

With another resigned sigh, Marco sheathed his sword and parted from his peers with a few steps forward. He stood as straight and as stiff as a pole, his mind rewound to a time where he stood before his classroom back in Aoikage, mentally prepared to answer a question that a teacher threw in the air.

" _Bushido_!" Marco boomed with the utmost of heart and conviction. "The way of the warrior! We carry ourselves steadfast through the burning heat of battle! Walking a neverending path paved in blood, we look nowhere but forward, seeking life in death!"

"But that's not all!" Marco continued, his gusto intensifying with each word. "As Bushi, protecting our leaders is first and foremost! Giving body, mind, and soul to preserve their lives. Should death ever claim them, we soon follow, for the greatest dishonor is walking the earth as cowards who failed their duty!"

"Nice!" Beamed Jackie, still hidden amongst the brush somewhere. Her voice seemed to be omnipresent, as no one could get a read on where she was. "Second question! What is your blade?"

"My blade is a tool of justice!" Marco held a fist to his hand, the beat of his heart intensifying with the bold tone of his voice. "Never used in anger! Nor out of vengeance! With it, I swear to protect the weak and those I hold dear! With it, I fight those who wish harm on both as well as myself!"

"Right on!" Applauded Jackie, her tone indicating that she expected such an answer. "Last question! Who are you?"

"Marco Ubaldo Diaz!" The volume of his declaration raised to octaves that cracked his voice just slightly. Enough to elicit a few stifled giggles from his peers. He was too enthralled in his bravado to notice. "Student of the Tang Soo Do discipline of Karate, the _Katsujinken_ style of _Aoikage-ryu_ , and Hamon of Sendo! Bearer of the Right Hand! Tethered Soul of the Blood Moon! And Royal Guard of the rightful Queen of Mewni!"

Right as the last syllable escaped Marco's lips, Jackie landed on her feet just several feet away from the group. A few stray leaves slowly rained around her as she appeared to have fallen from the sky.

"Man, you've been makin' a name for yourself, haven't ya? A bunch of 'em." A smile of pride for her boyfriend graced her face. The smile immediately fell the moment her blade was raised in his direction. "Now let's see you back 'em up."

Star took a defensive step forward. "Jackie, why are-"

"No, Star." Marco sternly put an arm up to stop her. "This is between me and her. You two already fought."

"Hope that doesn't mean I have to next," Janna offhandedly commented as she put her skulls back in her bag.

Marco turned back towards Jackie. "So. A shinobi challenging a samurai in open combat. Thought our school woulda taught you better than that."

"Howdja figure that's what I am?"

"Nachos. And Star told me how you fought at first. Outta the raindrops. Pretty next level, I gotta say."

Jackie shrugged off the compliment. "Learned a lot in sixteen years. Know what I mean?"

"Yup."

With no further words, Marco let his blade see the light of day with an instant shing, holding it vertically and close to his head.

"Where's your other blade?" Marco asked, noticing the lack of a dagger at the end of Jackie's katana saber.

"Figured it'd be more legit if we just did one blade on one. Nothing fancy, Marco. Just you, me, and our swords."

Marco shrugged. "Fair enough."

A cold, mild wind blew across the forest, rustling leaves, billowing clothes, and chilling skin. Janna, Star, and Nachos stood at the sidelines, watching with bated breath the impending duel between, what they had just remembered, a high school couple. Star was initially concerned that the two might end up the way she ended up with Jackie. Then Nachos rolled up to her and nuzzled her arm in assurance, then looked up at her with eyes that hid no concern. Being a steed and close friend of both skilled warriors, the dragon-cycle seemed more excited than anything. Janna was munching on a handful of grass as her eyes were glued to her closest friends.

As Marco stood before Jackie, both hands tightly gripping his blade and his eyes locked with hers, he didn't see her as his girlfriend, a classmate, or even a friend at that moment. All his sharp swordsman eyes perceived was a blade and a faceless opponent holding said blade, challenging him. Goading his sword towards combat. For as long as he knew her, Jackie had sent Marco's heart aflutter every time he laid eyes on her, anxiously longing for a close relationship with her. It was at this moment that his heart raced for a different type of close relations. A contact of steel as opposed to a contact of lips.

" _Aoikage-ryu_ , Jackie Lynn Thomas! My sword, _Rakuyo_!"

" _Aoikage-ryu_ , Marco Ubaldo Diaz! My sword, _Dotanuki_!"

"Whoa whoa, what?" Jackie's composure fell as Marco's words put her off, though her stance remained fixed. "That's not a Dota, dude. That blade's waayyy too thin. Tryin' to throw me off before we get to it? Tch. And you samurai call us dirty."

The corners of Marco's mouth lifted just slightly.

In unison, the two stepped forward, with the only thing in their minds was the will and desire to win. Nothing mattered to either of them except for that. The Forest of Certain Death and all who inhabit it might as well be just a blank canvas of white to the two who were running towards one another with their swords raised.

And then, one solitary clang thundered across the Forest, rendering all sounds completely silent and all jaws to drop. It all happened so fast, no one but the combatants seemed to figure out what exactly happened. Not even Star, who experienced something similar not too long ago while watching Marco rub steel with someone else. It was just one move. One instant, decisive strike that no one was able to perceive.

All that managed to burn a lasting image in everyone's mind was the sight of Jackie, holding her blade above her head with its edge towards the sky as if it was about to flee her grasp and she fumbled to catch it. The tip of Marco's blade was just a hair's length from her throat as his sword rested on his shoulder with his back towards her.

"Heh, you're pretty strong." Marco withdrew his blade and sheathed it soon after. "That stroke's meant to either break someone's weapon or send it flying out of their hands."

"Yeah, I noticed you aimed for the base, the best spot to make that happen." Jackie examined the very part that was assaulted and found a glaring notch just above the hilt. Despite where she received the sword, she couldn't help but frown at the little nick. Seeing as it couldn't be helped, she holstered the Rakuyo and rubbed her throbbing, burning wrists.

Marco extended an open hand towards Jackie.

"Good duel." He remarked with a warm smile.

"Heh. Was it really a duel? I felt more like an excuse to show off your mad skills. No wonder Dai-sensei chose you as his inheritor on the 'near impossible chance that something would happen to him'."

"Just take my hand anyways. You were pretty good, too."

Rather than reciprocate his request for a handshake, it was Marco's turn to be caught off guard when Jackie engulfed him in the biggest bear hug she could make. While it was nowhere near as bone-crushing as Star could get, it was alarmingly close.

Initally he was mildly uncomfortable, parting his arms wide as if he was being hugged by a cactus. After a few seconds of physical and emotional warmth, he quickly adjusted to the gesture as he remembered that Jackie was, indeed, his girlfriend. Regardless of everything that had occurred up to that point, he very much welcomed her embrace as well as their much-needed reunion by returning the affection.

He felt Jackie hiccup against his shoulder and almost inaudible sobs slipped between their close contact. He was taken aback by her sudden burst of sorrow, but rather than question it, he gently ran his fingers through her hair and held her tighter. He figured she must've been worried sick about him and, considering she went on the same journey that he has, must've longed for him immensely.

But unbeknownst to him, that wasn't the reason she was weeping at that moment. And she held no intention to bring it up anytime soon.

"I still dunno what happened there," Janna spoke through chewed up grass. "But hey! Jackie's on our side now and Marco's got his GF ba- Star?"

Star directed a thousand-yard stare to the side as she idly rubbed her arm. She wasn't sure what she expected out of the result of their duel, but it sure wasn't... a feeling so complicated. Janna placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and flashed a smile that attempted to quell Star's worries, but to little effect.

In the next half hour or so, the group, along with their new addition, took to sitting in a circle, roasting skewered chunks of iguana over a broad campfire. Jackie and Marco fervently shared their numerous tales of adventure and battle as well as their differing experiences attending the same school of warriors. The two shared a considerable amount of mirth as they drank in each others' engaging words.

Star just stared blankly at the two, her hand not once moving as it grasped the stick that hung her food just slightly above the open fire.

"Star, your food's pretty grilled already. Take it out." Called out Janna.

The remark fell on deaf ears and the image fell on a blind eye. One that was too caught up in a sight that laid beyond the lashing flames.

"Star, it's like charcoal now. Take it out and get another one. We won't be runnin outta iguana any time soon. Should see if I got some bags in my beanie and pack some for the long haul."

Though she too wished to share in their smiles and laughter, she opted to stay on her side of the fire, not wanting to butt in and become a third wheel. Again. She'd rather keep her eyes adhered to the two as familiar feelings rended her on the inside. Why she did this, even she didn't know, but she'll gladly keep it that way as long as he kept on smiling.

"Star, your food's on fire!"

Finally coming back to her senses, Star cried out and frantically freed the stick from the campfire. Its skewered contents were blackened beyond recognition and a sizeable flame engulfed its end. Star feebly attempted to blow it out at first, then, seeing as how that bore no results, she threw it to the ground and stomped the fire out of existence. A darkened smudge on the ground was what remained of a potential meal. Star panted laboriously as she came down from the high off her sudden shot of adrenaline.

And then she felt every eye within the vicinity on her, filled with worry, which filled her with an embarrassment that warmed her face. She sat back down upon the ground, her appetite lost.

Marco and Jackie briefly blinked at Star before resuming their conversation.

"So yeah, I was just about t'ask." Jackie began, pointing towards the sheathed sword laying across Marco's lap. "What's up with that sword? Why'd it feel like you swung a girder at me instead of a, y'know, an actual sword?"

"Well, from what Dai-sensei told me, this sword is actually about dozens of layers of metal all piled on top of one another. Believe it or not, the blade is actually like two-hundred pounds. That's how I'm able to do stuff like cut through steel like butter or kick up gusts of wind."

"No way dude, how're you even lifting that thing? And how is it so thin for being made with that much metal?"

"Well, the handle's magic, so it carries the blade and makes it pretty light so any normal person can carry it. And the reason why it's so thin is because the metal was compressed with enormous amounts of gravity."

"How the heck does that not just destroy the metal?"

"I asked the same thing and the answer I got was that the blade was forged with the same metal that's used for dimensional scissors, but he never told me what that was. A multiverse secret or something. Guess it was the only material that could handle being pressed with gravity like that."

"Man, no wonder I lost that match. That blade low-key made me drop my guard a little. Shouldn't have done that. Especially with someone like you, Marco."

"Yeah, that's why I love this thing," Marco beamed as he humorously hugged his sword. "It's good at psychological as well as physical combat. It looks like it could snap in two with just one swing, but it can deal a nasty cut straight through the bone just the same while being almost unbreakable. It's the definition of 'stronger and sturdier than it looks.'"

"Hmm, wonder what that reminds me of?" Jackie softly remarked as she rested her head on Marco's shoulder and wrapped an arm around his.

"Eh, heheheheh... y-yyeahhh..." Marco was getting tongue-tied and hot-faced upon the intimate contact. One would think that, after all he's been through, he'd be above such childish reactions. But one mustn't forget that the dude's barely into his teens and spilling spaghetti is a common occurrence among those in his age group.

However, it wasn't Jackie's contact that was getting him hot under the collar. He was used to it by now, surely. No, there was something else. His eyes went towards the fire for a scant few seconds before returning to Jackie.

"No! My iguana!" Star loudly lamented as she accidentally dropped her food into the flames and turned it into the fire's kindling.

-

Now that a new party member had joined, the team (and to a much lesser extent, Star) rejoiced at the addition of an old friend, who brought to the table a capability of stealth and espionage as well as an extra blade to temporarily replace the one that was lost.

Speaking of, Jackie had addressed to the group that they could all go on to rescue Mina as well as any other number of potential allies that could help take back the Butterfly Kingdom as well as the rest of Mewni from Eclipsa and Toffee's clutches. Through careful consideration of their options and capabilities, the group eventually chose to prioritize Solaria's Armory not just because they were already at the Forest of Certain Death, but to establish a base of operations and another shelter besides the Queen's Sanctuary. One that, according to Glossaryck, could prove spacious enough to hold an entire army if need be.

As they went further, the gang ran into a tribe of sharp-eared, long nosed, green-skinned, bald, loincloth-wearing gremlins armed with a variety of weapons composed mostly of sharpened stone stuck to hard branches. Their heads have barely reached the gangs' knees, but their sheer numbers and strong inclination towards murdering strangers proved a major threat to the four travelers.

Janna surrounded herself in a half-phalanx formation of skeletons, surrounding her at every angle, holding up large shields and spears, pushing back and skewering any gremlin that drew near.

Star opted for the Occam's Razor variety of spells. Simply either blowing her diminutive, yet numerous foes with raw blasts of magic or summoning her black blade to cut down any that drew near. The sheer density of enemies as well as their tenacity gave Star little time to breathe a single word of any other spell she wanted to experiment with.

Jackie and Marco stood back to back, cutting down any and all that were unfortunate enough to run into the path of their constantly flying blades. The two stepped and spun accordingly, their movements in perfect sync with another as they let fly their sharpened steel as well as the heads and limbs of their miniature foes. Without the swords, the blood coating their bodies and the corpses that fell around them, one would assume they were locked in a graceful dance that aimed to take the breath away of any and all who witnessed their dextrous, fluid motions. Though they indeed took breaths away, they were more like allowing the frenzied imps their last before their tubby little bodies slumped to the ground.

"Gettin' a bit congested here, dontcha think?" Quipped Marco as he bisected three jumping towards his face in one quick swing.

"Yeah, I always hated fighting groups. There's too many of these guys for my rain thing to work, too." Jackie replied as she sliced the throat of one with one blade and stabbed the face of another with the other. "Yo Marco, I got an idea."

"Uh-huh?"

" _Taito_ stance for a bit, dude. Charge your sun-energy thing. Don't draw till I give the signal. Trust me."

"Uh, sure thing?"

Marco did exactly as Jackie asked and sheathed his sword while lowering his body. As he kept a firm grip on his sword, he breathed forth the fiery-yellow energy that outlined his body.

While the gremlins didn't let up, Jackie made every effort to defend Marco as he maintained his stance, thinning the crowd until the two gained a considerable distance between themselves and the rest of the dozens that surrounded them.

Taking the narrow window of time that Jackie carved for the both of them, she tossed one of her water marbles in the air, then a throwing knife a second after. The knife shattered the marble as a contained mass of water fell upon the two. Seconds before even a drop could touch them, Jackie immediately sheathed her blade and stuck her back to Marco's.

"Now!"

And with an instantaneous draw of both of their blades, an explosion of wind, solar energy, and water burst from their core, launching essentially all of their surrounding foes in cleanly sliced pieces.

Star was absolutely awestruck at the display. As she absentmindedly fought back the gremlins that threw themselves at her, she witnessed the whole thing, from the moment their blades first slashed in unison to their little dance that led right up to that flashy grand finale of elements blending in one magnificent burst of color and chaos, their performance topped with a unified, symmetrical pose. They loosened themselves from their fancy stance and clapped the flats of their blades together in a "high sword".

Star's grip on her Wand intensified as her eye was transfixed on the two. With the combined power of both of her hands, one would think the Wand would shatter beneath her intensifying vice.

The former princess snapped out of her stupor when she spotted a dagger fly by her head, just inches off of cutting a few strands of her short blonde hair. When she looked behind her, she realized that the weapon in question was freshly lodged between the eyes of a gremlin that presumably aimed to stab her in the back.

"Geez Star, ya gotta stay frosty." Jackie chided as she along with Marco walked up to the girl in question. "Don't think just because it's quiet and there's nothin' but bodies that you're out of the woods. Not literally, but y'know what I mean. Never know when some of 'em are either just knocked out or playin' possum. Luckily that was the last of 'em."

"Star, you alright?" Marco asked, worry painted on his face. The very last thing Star wanted to see and experience. "Not like you to get distracted in the heat of battle like that."

"Uhh, er, yeah, of course I'm okay!" Star frantically dismissed, rapidly flapping her hand as she did so. "Just uhh, a bit tired is all. Been walkin' and fightin' for about three hours now. Also gettin' a bit annoyed we haven't found the Armory yet."

"Yeah, I get it." Star internally sighed with relief that Marco bought it. At least, she thought he did. "We gotta pick up the pace before night falls. Got a couple-a hours left before sundown."

"I hear ya. Don't wanna be out in the open when the real freaks of this place come out to play." Jackie added with great certainty, as if speaking from experience.

"Somethin' like that." Marco's eyes knowingly flitted to Star to which she understood and responded with a single nod.

"Well then, what're we waitin' for?" Jackie took Marco by the wrist and treaded ahead with him in tow. "Let's get to finding those feet and that broken spear! Whatever that means!"

"Heh heh. Do you even know where you're going?"

"Nope. C'mon dudes, we don't wanna waste daylight, now do we? Double time, let's go!"

Marco and Jackie faded into the dense brush and trees, leaving Janna and Star just a few meters behind.

Star's eye closely followed the two marching forward wrist-in-hand and hefted a dismal sigh before trudging after them, with Janna just closely beside her.

"Welcome to the loser's circle, pal." Janna remarked as she laid a comforting hand on Star's tense shoulder. "Least you got farther up the bracket than I did."


	61. Burning Sunset

Nonstop.

Swing.

Blast.

Rattle.

Cut.

Bleed.

The four and their steed. Barely given a morsel of time to breathe or think for the last... none of them knew how long, for their minds couldn't even muster a cursory grasp on the time of day.

Limbs swung, screams echoed, bodies fell, blood painted the ground. That was all that repeatedly played in their eyes for as long as the sun hung in the sky. The distinctive denizens of the Forest of Certain Death, with the undoing of the unwelcomed guests all that filled their one-track minds, refused to let up. Their distinctive traits blurred and became lost on the travelers and became simplified to mere piles of what they once were. No matter what, they were all simply obstacles to them. Obstacles that had to be overcome. Try as the Forest might to uphold its namesake, death was starting to feel less likely than certain for the five that traveled its treacherous soil.

Down to their last opponent after countless others. A profusely hairy, humanoid creature, standing a few heads taller than them. An abhorrent mix of gorilla and sasquatch, an ovular head that narrowed a tad at the tip and the face more reminiscent of the former with a body just as thick and muscular. Though its posture was as straight and its legs as long as the former's. Its exposed face and hands, beige flesh that contrasted with the dark brown fur that cloaked the rest of its body.

Although it's intelligence was no greater than the average beast's, it harbored enough sense of strategem to utilizing objects in its surroundings as weapons. Several wounds did the creature's dense hide incure in its lengthy bout, though none of the teens were able to pierce its flesh and shed its blood. Seing as how its natural armor was slowly giving way, desperation compelled it to wildly throw around rocks and logs. But of course, its crude and savage attacks failed to find purchase as they were all narrowly avoided.

With a guttural howl into the air, the beast lifted a nearby boulder several times its size over its head and charged at Marco, who happened to be the closest. Right as the beast dropped his rock just a scant few inches, the boy held his blade in front and merely focused.

Time slowed to a crawl, though Marco didn't draw his right arm back. Every sound that hit his ears were reduced to quite, muffled, white noise and the environment around him blurred to a dull blend of colors. All that was clear to him was his breathing, his sword, and the boulder that slowly closed in on him.

A second later and the rock had been reduced to bite-sized pieces. The sudden destruction of the makeshift weapon catching the giant by surprise and causing it to stagger backwards.

"Crystal Soul Spear!" Star cried out as she held her Wand towards the stumbling creature. Pallid blue light shined radiantly from the bell of the wand before a gigantic, conal projectile burst forth and hit the creature square in the chest, exposing the flesh that hid beneath its thick fur. Star read about the spell in Solaria's chapter, under a section titled "Miracles, Sorceries and Pyromancies (Oh My!) of Lordran."

Standing meters away from the beast with a few summoned Skeleton Archers, Janna commanded them to fire a volley of arrows at the back of its legs. As luck would have it, some of them managed to pierce the beast's thick fur enough to bring it to its knees.

As her comrades set the giant up, Jackie, riding on Nachos, rode around the battlefield to build momentum before heading straight for the incapacitated beast. The two nodded at one another, their plan set.

With a loud "Now!" Jackie compelled the dragon-cycle to stop instantly, the abrupt motion sending Nachos's rear shooting upwards and propelling Jackie towards the vulnerable beast. As she flew across the air with her body as straight as an arrow, she held an open hand forward.

And then the strike hit its mark. Jackie's hand was wrist-deep in the creature's chest, her hand clawed around its beating, irregularly shaped heart. With a crushing squeeze and an instant tug, the giant's body fell to the ground with a resounding thud and fought and roared no longer.

Finally. Stillness. No one knew much time had passed since this battle gauntlet had started, but they were glad it was over. Though, at the same time, everyone couldn't help but dart their eyes every which way, awaiting the next inevitable attempt on their lives. Even reprieves such as this never lasted very long whenever they were fortunate enough to receive one.

And yet, still there came nothing. Not a soul sprung from the bushes, fell from the trees, or rose from the ground after about a minute. The longest break any of them ever had after a fight was up to thirty seconds, yet there was no need to go to arms after double that time. It would seem like they'd get their second real break for the day.

"Phew!" Janna loudly remarked as she fell on her rear and leaned against her arms. "Finally, another real break!"

"Don't rest your butt just yet, Jan." There was a bit of tension in Jackie's tone as she spoke. "So we got more than half a minute to breathe. Doesn't mean it's really over. Far from it."

"She's right." Star agreed as she walked up to her lounging friend. "Get yer butt right back up, Janna Banana. Something might come outta the woodworks in the next minute maybe and we gotta keep on guard."

"Aww, c'mon it's been houurrrs!" Janna whined as she laid her entire body flat on the ground, blissfully ignoring the blood and body parts that littered it. "We're never gonna find this stupid Armory."

"Well, sitting on our butts and whining isn't gonna get us any closer." Marco chimed in as he wiped his sword on his sleeve and let it rest on his shoulder. "We're wasting daylight."

"Uh, what daylight's left to waste? It's already dark, dude." Janna said nonchalantly.

"What!?" Both Star and Marco nearly shouted as their stressed gazes reached for the sky. What remained of the light of day was nothing but countless glistening pinpricks and a luminescent eye hovering among a backdrop of endless black.

Star and Marco locked eyes aflame with fear, silently saying to one another, "Oh, no..."

And then, the two felt that familiar stab of pain behind their necks, followed by the steady trickling of blood down their skin.

Ghostly purple flames enshrouded every corpse within the vicinity. From their mutilated cores rose translucent, mutant humanoids, their ashen gray bodies solidifying the moment they stood to their fool height. Their heads were torn in half, their cranial cavities exposed and hollowed out, filled with the same purple flames they birthed from. At the end of each of their beefy arms were sets of three claws, wrapped in the same flame they birthed from.

Though the specters bore no eyes, it was abundantly clear that their sights were set on the five mortals that stood before them.

With a wave of her hand, Janna commanded her Skeleton Archers to unleash another volley of arrows towards their new enemies. A storm of arrows began besetting the specters, seemingly none of them having a chance to avoid a single one as the onslaught cast a broad shadow over them.

And yet the arrows went right through them, their bodies untouched and unscathed by the seemingly unavoidable attack.

Knowing that it was most likely useless but feeling a great desire to confirm her suspicioons anyways, Jackie sent a throwing knife that head straight for one of their throats.

Only for it to pass through as if it only struck air and embed itself in a nearby tree.

Was it just them or were the demons chuckling?

"Okaayyy..." Star backed up as her eye found trouble parsing the density of their opposition. "There's like... a million ghost things against five of us. And only two of us can actually do something to em'."

"And considering where they're from," Marco sheathed his sword and slowly shifted towards Nachos. "There's no telling what they're capable of,"

"You readin' my mind, Marco?" Jackie asked, a forced smile struggling to stay on her face.

"Me and Star hold 'em off while you and Janna get away." Marco answered back with great certainty.

After an instant eye-roll, Jackie dragged Marco by the hood and practically tossed him onto Nachos's back, with him at the helm and her sitting behind. As soon as Jackie called out to both Janna and Star, the dragon-cycle took off almost immediately.

"Summon Warnicorn!" Star invoked as she conjured the aforementioned animal with a pink puff of smoke and leaping onto its back in a single bound. Without much thought behind it, Janna threw herself upon it as well, though with relative difficulty.

With everyone on their steeds, all four teens dashed into the thick of the forest, dipping and dodging trees, branches, and the other denizens of the Forest that attempted to snap at them.

Compelled by morbid curiosity, Jackie tossed a furtive look over her shoulder. Of course, she didn't expect the devils to stay put the moment she and her friends made their escape, but she didn't expect the way they gave chase.

Every single demon from before didn't run nor fly. Instead, they were all teleporting towards them, several feet at a time. They blinked across the air and through the trees, their forms blurring with each instant advance. Though each of their paths and patterns differed from their comrades, they all stuck together closely in a contained line heading straight for their pray.

"Oh man, they're breathin' down our necks," Jackie shakily said as she witnessed the demons gradually closing in on them. "Really wish these trees weren't so close that Nachos can't spread her wings to fly or go fas- whoa!"

A violet ball of fire wizzed by Jackie's face, nearly singing a strand of her hair. Soon, several more followed, forcing the two sets of riders to part and make serpentine motions around the trees. Jackie peeked over her shoulder once again to see that half of their pursuers were shooting off fireballs, somewhat farther back than the other half that were focusing their energy on giving chase.

While Star, Janna, and the Warnicorn the former two were riding managed to tailgate Nachos without much difficulty, they were nonetheless falling behind, while the demons were closing in.

One of their arms stretched beyond its normal length and made an attempt to grasp Janna, though it failed to keep up with the Warnicorn's immense speed and ended up falling short. Many more of the demons tried the same thing, their claws swinging and snapping at the two girls.

"Uhh, Staarrr?" Janna fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat as other-worldly claws inched closer and closer. "They're... gettin' a bit frisky here! And not kinda frisky I'd like, either. Could ya tell your unicorn bud to pick it up a bit?"

"Oh, I got an even better idea," Star retorted, a devious grin slashed across her face. "Ya might wanna duck, though."

Without a moment's hesitation, Janna did as was asked, pulling her beanie tight against her skull as she did so. Star turned to face her pursuers and directed the face of her Wand towards them. She took a deep, solitary exhale, gulping as much air into her lungs as she could gather. She cleared her head and focused only on the clarity and volume of the next three words that were going to blast out of her throat. Slender strips of orange and white light wrapped around her Wand as she prepared to unleash a spell that was sure to blow all those demons away, courtesy of the Monster Carver and Dragon Slayer.

"Fus. RO DAH!"

Following Star's voice booming across Mewni was a blue, unrelenting blast of air exploding from the face of the wand, accompanied by an echoing crack of thunder that forced everyone but the caster to shield their ears from the sheer volume. The trees behind Star and Janna jerked as every demon that was once zipping across the air flew back to whence they came, to the point where they were no longer in sight.

While Nachos and the Warnicorn maintained their stride, the rest lingered their gazes on the rear. There were nothing but trees receding into the darkness with each second past and every inch covered.

"Nice work, Star." Marco cheered, raising a fist of approval.

"Really gave it to those weirdos, dude."

"What'd you guys say!?" Janna shouted as she dug into both of her ears. "I can't hear you over my deafness!"

"Oops, sorry 'bout that, Jan. Didn't think it'd get that loud."

"So that's a Dragon Shout spell, huh?" Marco remarked, marveling at the power of such a sorcery. "Can you do something like that, Nachos?"

She gurgled and clicked as she shook her head.

"Huh. Guess it varies from dimension to dimension, then. Maybe we should give it a try some day. Learn the language and make magic with our voices. Maybe you could finally breath fire like you always wanted."

Nachos growled and purred in excitement.

"So uh," Jackie adjusted her hair. "were they, like, ghosts or somethin'? Is that why Janna and I couldn't do a thing to 'em?"

Marco nodded. "Remember when I said we had to hurry up and find the Armory before night falls? Yeah, that's why."

"So, how come they-"

Jackie stopped mid-sentence when she noticed a congealed spot of blood on the back of Marco's neck.

"Did one of them manage to get you or something? That looks a few minutes old," Jackie said as she examined the peculiar spot. "Here, let me..."

Jackie took a white handkerchief from one of her pockets and rubbed it along her tongue. She began rubbing circles around that spot, thoroughly cleaning off the dried blood.

She nearly dropped her handkerchief when she saw what she had unearthed from beneath the caked crimson.

"Marco... this..." She spoke gravely as she rubbed a finger along the various lines that formed the Brand of Sacrifice. She knew what it was, but couldn't place exactly what it did.

"Yeah." Marco affirmed without Jackie needing to say it. "That's why they're after us. Specifically, me and Star."

"Because of this..." Jackie's pensive eyes and finger traced the complex etching on Marco's skin. "'Brand', right?"

Marco raised an eyebrow at Jackie before lowering it and nodding. "I'm guessing Star told you everything?"

Jackie's eyes coyly shifted aside. "Yeah... somethin' like that."

Nachos began roaring excitedly, beaming at her passengers with glistening eyes.

"Wait, what?" Marco responded quizzically. "You see what we're looking for?"

Nachos nodded sincerely and directed her snout forward to confirm.

Like an oasis in a desert, stood a short stone structure among a small clearing. Faintly, rays of the moon above were just slightly out of reach, but managed to illuminate its craggy, broken down form for all to see.

It was exactly as Glossaryck described. A pair of disembodied feet standing above a pedestal, looking as if the body they belonged to was ripped right out of their ankles. What little evidence remained that a body once stood tall and proud was a single forearm clinging to the crossguard of a long spear that leaned right behind the feet and pedestal. Another arm, one that was more whole than the other , laid right beside the abandoned pedestal.

Boots returned to the ground and confused gazes lingered upon the pile of seemingly ancient pile of carved stone.

"Okaaay..." Star said with crossed arms and an impatient foot that tapped the ground. "So, uh, what do we do with this?"

"Alright Marco," Glossaryck sternly spoke as he seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, earning looks of befuddlement from Jackie and Janna. "Take a knee before the Altar."

"Huh?" Marco turned towards the blue imp, his eyebrow arching. "Why me?"

"Just... trust me on this," Glossaryck wasn't letting up with the ambigouity, which was expected, but never welcomed.

"Oh, almost forgot," He then dug into one of his gaping sleeves and fished out something larger than him as it was tossed in Marco's direction. The boy caught it without a second thought. "Present that to the statue as you're kneelin',"

Marco's eyes thoroughly scanned the glimmering orange medallion that rested upon his palm. Carved into the flat metal surface was a depiction of a personified, eight-pointed sun that was very reminiscent of that which was drawn on Solaire's gear, though the face only slightly differed.

"Take a knee, huh?" Marco questioned once more.

Glossaryck merely nodded.

Marco turned towards the structure. He felt all the stress and tension that stacked to unreachable heights from his excursion in the Forest instantly crumble as he stepped to it. As if the dusty, moss-laden pile of stone emitted some force that put his mind at ease and his body at rest.

And then Marco's knee gently fell upon the rough, coarse soil as he bowed his head to some unseen venerable being. Regardless, he felt compelled to display the utmost of respect. To who or what, he didn't know, yet he had a feeling that someone somewhere was witnessing his reverant action.

And then Marco raised the medal towards what would've been the carving of someone glorious and powerful and the boy waited as if that someone were there to take the medal from his hands and show gratitude in some way, shape, or form.

But instead of that, the medal glowed a glimmering gold for but a fleeting second, and a familiar warmth overtook Marco's entire body.

And then, a sound. A very brief noise that would best be described as a deep, angelic choir playing a single note. And before everyone knew it, the pedestal, as well as both of the arms, faded into nothingness, and in their place was a rectangular, cellar-like entrance upon the ground that gave way to a set of stone steps that stretched seemingly infinitely into a black, impermeable void.

"Whoa..." Jackie marveled as she walked to a still-kneeling Marco's side. "How'd ya do that?"

"I..." Marco struggled to rationalize what just happened, as was business as usual. "Glossaryck, how _did_ I do that?"

The book patron simply smiled and shrugged. "Let's just say you shook the right hand at some point. Welcome home, Warrior of Sunlight."

And in the blink of an eye, Glossaryck turned paper thin and retreated into Janna's beanie, making the girl flinch at how quick his entry was.

Everyone, including Nachos, simply stared at Janna, though in reality, they were actually staring towards Glossaryck's current place of residence.

"Is he always like that?" Jackie asked Star as she pointed a thumb to where he once was.

Star shrugged in indifference. "Eh. You get used to it. Gets kinda annoying till you realize what he's tryin' to tell you."

"Heh." Jackie smiled as if in fond reminiscence. She turned to Marco. "Remind you of someone, Marco?"

"Yeah, but we don't got alotta time to be tellin' stories." Marco firmly spoke as he returned to his full height. "Gotta get going before those... things show up. Or more of them."

Everyone else voiced their approval before proceeding with their descent into the hole. Replicating their advancing order from prior, Marco and Jackie took point while Star and Janna guarded the rear.

Further and further they descended and further and further they departed the secure embrace of light.

Bodies stiffened and hands fell upon weapons when what little light that grazed their surroundings was instantly snuffed out. Steps ceased, breaths hitched, and minds raced as hands grasped for the nearest thing to clutch to for safety and security. Though it didn't seem like the stairwell had any turns or such ahead, the sudden sensory deprivation forced all to halt their advance nonetheless.

And as if a transendant entity felt their growing fears, the downward corridor was alight by illuminating golden crystals that adhered to the ceiling, gradually descending the ceaseless stairwell and illuminating the way. Though the entirety of the corridor wasn't as clear as day, the crystals at least provided enough clarity to the steps they were treading.

And thus was revealed that every girl, barring Nachos, was closely clinging to some part of Marco. Jackie was clutching one arm, Star was clutching another, and Janna simply held onto his hood as her body snuggled close to his.

And after sharing a Mexican Stand-off of glares, the three girls shared an awkward chuckle and promptly removed themselves from their shared object of sanctuary. Marco shot a quizzical glance at each of them, then one at Nachos, who merely snickered in return.

"Whaddya think your grandma's got down here, Star?" Jackie asked. "Probably an entire museum's worth, I bet."

"Who knows?" Star shrugged. "From what I heard, going on life-threatening, death-defying adventures was kind of a daily routine for her."

"Heh. Wonder what that reminds me of?" Marco said out loud and offhandedly.

Star turned pensive briefly. She rubbed an arm and her gaze veered off to the side. "Think we'll ever get back to those days, Marco?"

"Who's to say we aren't still in 'em? We're just on a really, reeeaally long adventure right now."

"A long, totally messed up adventure..." Jackie added dismally.

"Can't say I disagree." Marco's mood lowered just slightly.

"But uhhh, y'know," Jackie forcefully perked up. "Maybe when things go back to... 'normal', maybe you and Star would have room for a couple more in your lil' adventures?"

Nachos growled excitedly from the rear, voicing her approval.

"Of course." Marco grinned. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind, either. Right, Star?"

"Huh?" The girl in question was shaken out of a thoughtful stupor, then hurriedly gave her response without processing what was said. "Uh yeah, sure."

"Wait, hold on guys," Marco said with a raise of his hand causing every foot to stop in its tracks. "Is that...?"

Some moderate distance ahead was a broad, blank white entryway. No one could tell where it led to, but the prospect of sanctuary beyond a gate of light overshadowed all pretense of possible danger and apprehension. Like the proverbial moths to a flame, everyone quickened their descent, but took great care not to slip and fall.

It was then that they discovered that the blank white they saw was the puffy surface of a seemingly impenetrable wall of fog filling the entire entryway. A wall of fog that both Marco was more than well acquanted with and one that Star only had a cursory familiarity with.

Without a word, Marco walked forth before the solid, cloudy field and gently put a hand to it. Jackie was on the verge of walking forward to stop and question his actions but was quickly deterred by a hand on her shoulder and a subsequent shake of disapproval by Star.

The dense mist felt exactly how it was back at the Nexus. Like putting one's hand upon a thick layer of cotton. As contact began to last more than a few seconds, the solidity of the wall collapsed and the entire thing almost instantly dissipated.

The moment the fog had faded from Marco's touch, it gave way to a sight that not a single one of them ever dreamed they would see. Once again, their breaths hitched, accompanied by eyes that lit up as bright as the sight they were seeing. Little nothings of awe escaped their lips as they found processing the splendor a great ordeal to overcome.

Past the ceaseless, serpentine stairwell, beyond the broad, opening, and beneath the Forest of Certain Death, lied another, smaller forest, which held a vitality and beauty that bore an overpowering contrast to that which stood above. A veritable sea of healthy green trees of Oak and Pine, with countless blades of grass with sunflowers interspersed among them, reached out to a sky of cyan stone. At the very apex and center of the sky-esque cealing was a spherical, golden crystal of tremendous size reminiscent of its smaller counterparts from the prior stairwell and most likely the reason why this "forest" was under an illusion of daytime. Somewhere in the distance was the distinct roaring of a waterfall. Within a much closer distance was the sound of a placid river flowing.

As the grass crunched and the soft soil quaked beneath the four sets of shoes and the one set of wheels, their eyes glided over the splendorous environment with a disbelief that left them unable to form a single word. After running through a marathon of death and madness for the longest time, the sight was as much of a blessing as it was a marvel. No strange, ferocious creatures to pursue them. No blood to spill, nor any more corpses to make. For once, all of them felt collectively at peace. As if the turmoil and dismay of the above world had yet to lay a finger on this bastion of beauty and brilliance.

Thus far, there were no sign of other lifeforms present other than the five that stepped foot in this place. In fact, it felt as if they were the only living beings to enter this place in what may be eons. They all found it rather odd that the lack of another sentient being didn't dissuade the Forest to maintain its health and natural splendor, but the overwhelming sense of serenity the underground forest provided was more than enough to assuage any and all concerns.

After trudging through the forest for who knew how long, the group came upon the other side, which was one gigantic wall not unlike that which they came from. Though, instead of one entrance, they were met with four that stood side by side, each with their own sign that conveyed their contents. And high above the entryways was one large duo of words carefully and ornately carved into the stone that read, "Firelink Armory".

On the far left was door that led to "The Loot of Lordran". To the right of that was one that was labeled, "The Treasures of Tamriel". To the right of that was a doorway designated as "Nippon no Weapons". And the very far right entrance was simply labeled, "Shrine" with a small aside beneath it that looked more sloppily carved compared to the other signs. The disclaimer read, "DO NOT ENTER". The message was reinforced by the fact that the entryway was closed off by another impermeable wall of fog.

"Aww man, Jap Weapons!" Jackie beamed as her eyes trailed down the tunnel leading into the "Nippon" section. Amidst the dimness of the corridor, one could barely make out the faint glint of katanas, samurai armor, and a wide myriad of other such eastern equipment nestled safely within cubic glass display cases on the walls and on tall pedestals.

"C'mon, Marco!" Jackie repeatedly tugged at his wrist as her behavior shifted to that of a kid at a candy store. "Bet we'll see some reeaal pieces-a history in here!"

Marco chuckled at her giddiness. "Alright then. Let's see how well you know your Japanese weaponry."

Jackie scoffed. "Psshh, you shoulda seen how well I did in our school's 'History of Japanese Combat' class."

"Lemme guess, you aced it?"

"You kiddin'? Dai-sensei said I did so good, it was like I had a time machine and lived through those periods before every test."

"Heh, well you do like history."

Jackie gave Marco's arm a playful punch. "Aww, you actually remembered! C'mon, let's see how big of a weeb Star's grandma was."

"Heh, okay." Marco looked over his shoulder. "Star, you wanna come along? Star?"

The call seemed to have fallen on deaf ears as the aforementioned girl merely stood there, her gaze taken hostage by something off to the side. Specifically, the closed off, fog-shrouded tunnel.

"Star, you alright?" Marco worriedly asked as he gently laid a hand on her shoulder. The sudden contact brought her back to reality with a low gasp and a widened eye.

"Uh, yeah, I'm good." Star said rather hurriedly and of course, unconvincingly. Marco couldn't help but glare at her with an eyebrow arching in skepticism. His mouth shifted to the side as he gave a rather quizzical hum at her.

"You wanna talk about it?"

Star slowly shook her head. She waved a hand towards the tunnel, where Jackie, joined by Nachos, awaited. "Just... go geek out over katanas or whatever with Jackie. I'll just be here... chillin' with Janna and... stuff."

Marco's concerned gaze didn't let up. His eyes stayed on Star's for a good few seconds before his face loosened and he relented to her words.

"Okay then. If you say so. Just lemme know if there's anything you need, okay?"

Star nodded sincerely.

Though unconvinced, he was compelled to let his best friend be and hash things out on her own, by her own demand. He knew if there was something she couldn't tackle alone, he'd be primary to assist her.

Marco relectantly parted ways, though not without smuggling a quick glance over his shoulder at some point in his brief travel to meet up with Jackie and Nachos. As the three journeyed further into the dark corridor, golden crystals on the ceiling lit the way forward, just like before. And very soon, mirthful sounds of laughter and competitive naming of japanese terms echoed from the tunnel.

"Well, I guess it's just you and me, Ja-"

But the scoundrel was nowhere to be found. The only indication of her whereabouts was the now-lit tunnel that was labeled "Loot of Lordran", with receding footsteps that eventually faded into silence.

As much as Star wanted to choose between being a third wheel (or in that particular case, fifth) or kicking it with her best gal pal and check out what well-earned weapons that Solaria has stashed from her time in Lordran, Star's attention was powerfully gripped by the closed off tunnel. A strange and familiar feeling washed over her entire being and drew her towards that tunnel. Though she couldn't place why, she preferred curiosity and a prospect of risk over feeling left out by her friends.

With a newfound goal and a choice of her own, Star found herself standing within arm's length of the fog. Remembering how Marco did it prior as well as her prior journey into his memories, she placed a palm against it, which quickly dipped deeper into its puffy body. Her entire body immersed itself into the wall and Star almost immediately found herself on the other side.

As expected, the tunnel of the "Shrine" was completely different from the others. While the other three at least had weapons and armor on display that stretched seemingly into infinity, the Shrine was but an extended straight corridor leading to another wide entryway, big enough for giants to walk through, also filled to its edges with fog.

Star noticed that the room was a lot more dim than she had thought, and in wondering why, she peered over her shoulder. The fog wall that should've faded the moment she passed through still stood strong. Frantic she became when she discovered that she couldn't go back through and it felt as though the solid fog was rejecting her desire to leave.

Star gulped and sweat slowly formed on her face when she realized she might've gotten herself into something she won't be able to escape from anytime soon. It was a feeling she felt for occasions enumerable but never brought herself to get used to. Looks like the only thing to do was move forward

As Star journeyed down the tunnel, golden crystals lit up the ceiling, and to a lesser degree, the entirety of the tunnel. Though it wasn't as illuminated as brightly as she had hoped, she was at least able to see some of the broader details of the Shrine. Specifically, the towering statues of a fellow that repeated all the way down to the other doorway. They were all of the same person wearing a bucket helm as a rather unamused sun was carved proudly into his chest. All of their arms were raised diagonally from the body with the tips of every finger clingly closely together and stretching outward.

Once Star finally reached the other fog door, a feeling of dread layered itself over the strange, compelling feeling of familiarity. Before, she was completely behind discovering what lied beyond the entryway that, presumably, Solaria was so adamant on preventing others from seeing.

But now, Star was feeling a nagging sense of regret in the back of her mind, as if the full weight of the forbidden nature of this Shrine was dawning on her.

Of course, she was already this far. Might as well go big but not go home because the fog wouldn't let her.

With a deep exhale and a "here goes nothing" Star pushed herself through the fog once more as it gave very little resistance to her entry. She felt her feet crunching and sinking into the floor as it had the distinct texture of sand. When the mist faded from her vision, Star could only feel her heartbeat and falling sweat quicken.

The room itself was rather simplistic and not much to look at, though its size was quite overwhelming. A large, circular room that bore a dome-like ceiling that was illuminated enough by crystals to see the entire room but not the finer details. Though there laid another source of light in the room, which stood at the very center in the form of a small bonfire with a coiled poker in the middle. The flames didn't look natural, however, as they displayed an ethereal look to them that was more soft and translucent than your average fire.

But the room itself wasn't what had Star so worked up over. It was what stood at the other side. She had hoped that her eye was betraying what her mind found great difficulty to process because such a sight would never be beheld under any realm of possibility.

On the far other end of the room stood a towering slab of rock, which held carved lines of, presumably, written words that stretched from top to bottom, which ended at the head of a rectangular throne of stone.

And sitting on that throne, with their head hung low, was almost the spitting image of what Star saw on her tapestry.

That minimalist ensemble with its motif of hearts.

That shaved head.

Those lightning-bolt cheek marks.

Now, the "almost" part? The entirety of the skin was emaciated and colored a darkened pink and held the texture of jerky or tanned leather. What should be a pair of eyes that would shine with the utmost brilliance and vitality were reduced to hollow black pits. Her cheeks were sunken and the marks that were once a testament to her attunment with magic and her tie to the Butterfly line were faded to the point of near nonexistence.

Wrapped around arms so thin and devoid of substance that they might as well be skeletal, was a single metal bucket helmet, sitting at her lap. It was as if she had spent centuries or so holding onto that for dear life.

"S-Solaria?" Star shakily called out, still in disbelief at what she was seeing and saying.

And then, what Star reasonably thought was a corpse began to stir. Her head slowly raised and a semblance of eyes in the form of barely visible orange pinpricks met with the younger royal's. The shell of what was unhinged her bony jaw, but uttered no words nor even a sound.

And then, she arose to her full height, gently and almost with a strange sort of reverance, placed the helmet onto the seat of the throne.

Star hadn't realized it until she wrapped her bony fingers around its handle, but this zombie-like being had a rather broad-bladed greatsword sitting right next to the throne, the tip of its blade dug into the sand-like ground.

And then, with such little difficulty that one would never imagine a being of such meager composition, she instantly tore the blade out of the ground, a hefty amount of dust erupting in its wake. Once the sword was raised to the air, its blade began to surge with electricity, enshrouding its entirety with crackling gold.

And before Star knew it, that same blade was several meters in the air, raised over the head of its wielder and prepared to rend a body asunder.


	62. Solaria, Lady of Ash

"Man this is one hell of a collection she's got here," Jackie beamed as she peered at a glass display case on the wall lined with daggers of varying shapes and sizes. "I see Star's grandma was really into the Edo Period stuff."

"Mmhm." Marco replied as he idly eyed a few sets of samurai armor. "I mean, she did learn under Dai-sensei, after all."

"Man, can you imagine how much this whole section by itself would cost? Hundreds of centuries old Jap weapons and they're in pretty decent condition, too. They may not be originally made in good ole' Nippon, but I'm sure they'd all still fetch a pretty penny."

"Wait, they're not Japanese originals?" Marco turned towards Jackie, wearing a look of surprise.

The young ninja shook her head. "Naw dude. Heck, I think Dai-sensei woulda said the same thing, but with a compliment on her crazy accuracy."

"Huh." Marco simply said.

"Still, for a foreigner, she made them good enough to put the wool over a lotta collectors' eyes. I mean, just look at these!"

Jackie pulled forth a few octagonal disks that were small enough to fit in the palm of her hand. The edges of the little chunks of metal were paper thin and presumably razor sharp.

"These _Injuichi_ are pretty top notch. They're not like the original that Dai-sensei let me throw once and never again, but heck, I'm happy to have 'em anyways."

"Hm."

Jackie placed the disks back into one of her many pockets and shot a concerned glare at Marco. "You alright, Marco? You haven't been geeking out as hard as I thought you would."

Marco's guilty gaze trailed off to the side as he struggled to dig up the worries that plagued his heart and mind.

"I'm just... worried about-"

"Star?"

Marco's face shifted gears into slight surprise. He wasn't sure whether he was that easy to read or Jackie's perception ascended to a whole 'nother level since they'd last seen each other.

"Sorry Jackie, I jus-"

"Ah, ah, ah." Jackie put up a deterring hand. "Say no more, dude. Just go and see what's up. We both know that any feelings you have for her should be followed through with, right?"

Marco's eyes trailed down the tunnel towards the entrance briefly before returning to Jackie. "You sure? I mean, I really thought you'd wanna catch up on all that lost time. Y'know, instead of spending hours fighting monsters and struggling to survive."

"To be honest, I didn't mind fightin' side by side with ya. I wouldn't have found a better way, really. And while I wanted to catch up, did you?"

"I... er. Uhhh..."

Jackie chuckled at Marco's awkward response. She always did find it adorable everytime he was figuratively caught with his pants down and struggled to form a way to get out of it.

She then placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and meaningfully locked aquamarine with brown.

"Remember what I said before you left Earth? You two have, like, unbreakable vibes when you're together and I don't think I can ever come close to what you and Star have. I can't force you to do anything, but I think you already made your choice."

"Jackie..." Marco put a hand over the one that rested on his shoulder. "I-"

"Ah, ah, ah. The more you're arguing, the more you're forcing yourself for my sake. Don't do that. Just let your heart do the talkin', the walkin', and go."

Marco's pensive gaze once again darted towards whence they came then back to Jackie.

"You wanna come with? I mean, she is your friend after all. I think."

Jackie shook her head once again. "Nah, I think I'll just chill here. Shoppin' with a five-finger discount."

Jackie's hand slowly slumped off of Marco's shoulders as she subtely gave him permission to leave. He released a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"Feel that tension comin' off-a ya? That's you making a choice for your own sake." Jackie remarked with a smile. "Now get outta here and don't come back till I see both of you in one piece."

Marco gave a firm nod before parting ways. After several steps, he smuggled a glimpse over his shoulder to discover Jackie taking a spear off the wall and closely inspecting it.

And then Marco continued walking forward.

He had to admit he got a little lost on the way out. He and Jackie went through so many twists and turns and got distracted by every weapon that he hadn't spared the time to pay attention to the path they took to easily retrace his steps.

Was it a right turn past the naginatas or a left? Did he already walk past that particular wall of Kusarigamas before or no? Wait, maybe it was past these samurai armor displays.

Eventually Marco managed to find his way towards the far end of a corridor that led to a straight path towards the radiant light of the inside-outside world. The trees and the grass were in plain view, just several meters away. After what felt like an eternity being stuck in a museum maze, he had finally found freedom.

And yet, something was amiss that marred the mirth Marco meant to feel.

The silhouette of some unfamiliar being stood fast at the entrance. An imposing body that was broad in its shoulders and general stature, standing with their hands on their hips as if they were awaiting him.

"The heck?" As Marco drifted closer, he could see that it was someone in a full body of golden armor, with a strange mask-like brown helm that looked like a caricature of an old man, with dopey eyes and a beard-like appearance on its lower half.

Marco did nothing but keep a hand on the grip of his sword. Though he later resolved that if the being meant any harm at all, they would've done so already.

"Who are you?" Marco asked, sounding as impartial as possible.

The armored figure then slowly raised their hands at level with their broad pauldrons, though from the way they moved it looked as if simply lifting their arms was quite the challenge.

"Well... What..." The figure wheezed, putting on a faux deep, intimidating voice as they words slithered out. Marco's body loosened and his eyes rolled when he realized who was facing him. "is it?"

And the moment they uttered their last syllable the figure toppled over like a hacked tree, their face plumetting towards the cold, hard stone.

"Janna, what the heck are you doing?" Marco chided as he lifted the armored girl back to her feet.

"One v... one me Marco..." Janna struggled to speak in full sentences as much as standing. "No weapons... No heals..."

"Janna, I told you you needed the FAP ring," Glossaryck chastised as he floated nearby. "The Giantdad Set can't be carried as is without it."

"Uh, FAP Ring?" Marco asked, flashing an understandably confused look at Glossaryck.

"Ring of Favor and Protection." Glossaryck clarified. "Two of three burden-lessening items needed to carry the extensive weight of the Giant's set with ease. But it's missing from Solaria's magical ring collection."

"Speaking of missing, have any of you guys seen Star?"

Janna scrounged what little strength she had left and managed to sit upright. She was about to remove her weird mask before moving her hands away from it and leaning against her arm, though she shuddered as she did so.

"Nope. Haven't... seen her." She replied tiredly.

Marco moved his concerned gaze over to Glossaryck, who only shrugged and hummed a noise that Marco interpreted as "I don't know."

"She wasn't... in there... with you... and Jackie?"

Marco woefully shook his head. "She said she was gonna hang with you."

"Well, she didn't meet up with us at any point, so we assumed she might've either gone with you or the Tamriel section. But none of the light crystals went off, so that just narrows it down to either somewhere in the forest or the Shrine."

A shouting roar came from the "sky" as Nachos landed gently back to earth. She retracted her lengthy wings and rolled up to the group gathered at the entrance.

"Hey girl," Marco greeted as he gave her a loving headpat. "You see Star anywhere in the forest?"

Nachos shook her head and growled negatively.

"Ohh, dear..." A grave apprehension took over Glossaryck for a brief moment, spawning implications that were mysteries to Marco but nonetheless were nothing short of dreadful.

"Ohh, dear?"

Rather than diginify his questioning with a response, Glossaryck's pupils flitted towards the left, where the next section of the Armory was. Where the closed off Shrine was located.

Marco scoffed. "Oh, Star. Disobeying signs once again." He breathed a resigned sighed. "Might as well go see what she's up to."

"Uhh, you sure you wanna do that?"

Marco raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"What, are there like, traps in there or something? Is that why there's a 'do not enter' sign next to the door?"

"Something like that." Glossaryck dryly said. "Just don't expect to get out as easily as you came in."

Marco merely blinked. Then looked towards the Shrine in exasperation. Another sigh slipped through his lips.

"Oh geez Star, what have you gotten yourself into this time?"

His rhetorical question was answered with a distant rumbling and a few light shakes of the ground.

-

The brief paralysis that Star was afflicted with as she gawked in absolute shock and bafflement nearly led to her undoing had she not reflexively thrown herself out of the path of the plunging tip of Solaria's massive blade.

Rather than impaling the younger Butterfly, the sword found itself once again buried beneath the soft, ashy ground. Though its rest was fleeting as it soon commenced swinging savagely towards its target in various angles.

For someone whose body was nothing short of emaciated and decrepit, it was surprising to Star how well Solaria was handling such a massive blade. Every slash at the air was as deft as a dagger's and the wielder herself didn't even spare time to recover or wind up between each attempted strike. However, none of her blows were able to find purchase.

For someone who was a revered swordswoman in her heyday, Solaria's technique at that moment was rather rudimentary. It reminded Star the first few times she herself spent training with swords herself before getting the wand. Sure, there's some level of control and she was far from struggling with its size and weight, but the way she was utilizing it made it seem as though the passage of time was unkind to her skills as well as her body.

But what she lacked in form and finesse, she compensated with raw strength and ferocity.

Despite how well Star was doing with deflecting and dodging Solaria's assault, she just couldn't bring herself to fight back. Self-preservation kept Star from incurring wounds and her conscience kept her from retaliating.

In addition to having her body occupied with survival, her mind was occupied with a myriad of questions that made the mountain piled by already existing ones far more insurmountable than it already was.

What was Solaria doing beneath the Forest of Certain death for presumably eons?

Why was she down here alone and clutching to some helmet?

Why was she undead as opposed to dead?

And why was she attacking Star for seemingly no reason?

Of course, while the question whizzed by and Star's mind was quick enough to give notice to them, she wasn't given the time nor space to dwell on them any further.

Any and all thoughts were halted and Star's focus on surviving was brought back to the forefront when a roundhouse kick from the Monster Carver brought Star tumbling to the ground and momentarily falling on her back. Solaria quickly followed up with a downward slash that aimed to split her foe down the middle, but the younger girl was quick to roll to the side to evade it.

Instantly getting to her feet, Star made a break for the entrance to the room, her mind racing and her heart aching for sanctuary from this insane ordeal. She had hoped that, the moment she made it to the doorway, the fog would give passage and she could run to her friends for help.

But of course it didn't. The misty wall was as impermeable as ever, allowing no escape from this fight Star was unwittingly forced in.

The teen's heart quickened faster when she heard the screeching scraping sound coming from behind. She didn't even need to see what it was that made her instinctively roll several feet to the side yet again.

And her suspicions where confirmed when she had managed to catch a glimpse of Solaria's blade falling with a loud clang behind her as she recovered from a rather wide upward slash that forced the blade over her head.

"Solaria! Stop!" Star cried out, desperately groping for options. Regardless of her lack of desire to retaliate, Star held her Wand-made blade before her, mostly as a precaution and as another means of protection when dodging wouldn't cut it.

The former queen in question said nothing but sling her sword over her shoulder and lower her entire body.

And then, in a display of graceful dexterity that left Star stunned for a few seconds once more, Solaria somersaulted into the air and raised her greatsword to the heavens once again.

And then instantly fell back to earth with a resounding thud, though there was no body for it to bisect as it dove out of its path yet again. A hefty cloud of dust exploded from the ground upon impact and showered Solaria in misty gray.

Almost immediately before the dust could clear, from the thick cloud burst forth the Monstar Carver who, instead of raising her sword to swing it, kept it slung over her shoulder as her other hand, wide open, flew towards Star.

Unable to dodge it, Star found Solaria's palm flat against her chest, knowing full well that whatever was about to happen couldn't be anything good.

And her suspicions were confirmed when Star suddenly found her back violently meeting the rough, craggy wall, chipping a considerable amount of stone off the hard surface. Star's ears rung and she could barely make out the faint, misty forms of Solaria and her two clones slowly and menacingly making her way towards.

In addition to her senses being severely hindered for the time being, Star felt the dull stinging of electricity surging throughout her body. In her concussive state, Star could scarcely recall an explosion of lightning followed by her sudden impact with the wall.

Before Star knew it, she was staring face to feet with her ancestor, who merely stood over her for a few seconds before the shadow of Solaria's massive blade loomed over her, awaiting to fall and claim perhaps one of countless lives.

And then, through her still ringing ears, Star could faintly pick up the dull crack of lightning. The blade's broad shadow hovered over her no more and instead shifted quickly behind its wielder as she seemed to have deflected a blast of lightning that came from the entrance.

When Star saw the source of the attack, she feebly reached out for him and could barely utter his name above a pained whisper.

As if she had completely forgotten about Star's existence, Solaria immediately went into a savage spring towards Marco, her blade trailing behind her as she made her advance.

And then halfway through her run, Solaria once again leapt into the air, her sword raised high above her head.

Rather than do the sensible thing and simply move out of the way or the less sensible thing and try to parry the overhead attack with his own sword, he instead waited. Waited until Solaria was close enough to the ground.

Bingo.

Marco's right arm pulled back and immediately, time slowed to a crawl and the whole world became a blur except for his target.

Let's see. Anti-air attack. Anti-air attack. Marco needed a good anti-air. Many of the names were grayed out, meaning that none of them fit the bill nor would they guarantee a hit.

However, there was one of few that were still highlighted that caught Marco's fancy. It sounded snazzy and stylish. Probably not the best for a situation like this, but hopefully it would be more effective than it sounded. It was cheap at one orb, but hopefully it does good damage all the same.

 **Kung Fu Samba**

Right as Solaria was about to bring her blade down upon Marco's head, she was met with a swift kick to the chest, followed by a cartwheel kick to the chin that left her in the air for a few seconds.

And after a rather slow, wind-up spin, Marco unleashed a devestating punch that instantly drove Solaria deep into a wall, creating an indent that took on the shape of her body.

But the Monster Carver once again refuse to let up. She instantly dug out of her hole in the wall and came running straight for Marco once again with her sword held vertically and its hilt level with her head.

Rather than prepare another Roulette Move, Marco opted to pull forth his sword and let his Hamon flow throughout his body, encasing it in the usual faintly fiery glow.

And at that moment, Solaria, after behaving as if swinging that huge sword was all she knew for so long, stopped dead in her tracks. Marco could faintly see the orange dots beneath her sunken eyesockets darting to and fro.

And then she continued her sprint, stopping just short of blade's reach and sending a downward diagonal slash at Marco.

Who then slashed back with a parrying strike, that momentarily sent her massive blade back to whence it came, leaving her bony body vulnerable for a riposte.

When Marco was on the verge of capitalizing on the opening with a forward thrust, his foe quickly hammered the butt end of her sword's grip onto the back edge of Marco's blade, sending the tip to veer off its path and driven into the soft ground below.

Solaria then quickly followed up with a hard kick smack dab into Marco's left shoulder, knocking him onto his rear and forcing him to release the grip on his blade that was buried into the sandy ground. While the kick didn't dislocate his shoulder, it felt as though a sledghammer was driven into it and the blow left Marco writhing on the ground without any hope for a quick recovery.

Once again, Solaria had someone at her mercy as her blade hovered in the air to prepare for a killing blow. Her tiny orange dots locked with Marco's pained eyes, slipping through clenched lids as he cupped his shoulder.

Despite how lifeless she looked, Marco could swear he could see a hint of... sorrow in her meager, sunken face. Maybe it was his somewhat blurred vision making him see things that weren't there, or the prospect of his death making him hope that the husk before him held some modicum of mewmanity or at the very least, lucidity.

"Sunlight Spear!" Resounded a cry from the distance with great breadth and clarity.

Solaria was launched off to the side as her entire being surged with orange electricity. She slid on her side for several meters, her skeletal fingers somehow keeping her blade trailing behind her in her frictionless travel. Marco could only blink in confusion and disbelief that death was averted for the millionth time.

An open palm suddenly came into his view. An invitation to get back to his feet. He gladly took it with his good arm and the accompanying smile of determination reinvigorated him to the point of making him jump to his feet.

And then, two blades stood side by side. One metal, one magical. Both blades shimmering as one with the same desire. And that desire belonged to opposing blades.

It was clear that the former Monster Carver wasn't going to let up anytime soon, despite what Marco might've percieved and no matter how much Star tried to convey that she meant no harm.

But whatever she was, the two had no choice but to end her clear suffering. To cease the mindless violence in one single swoop.

Solaria stumbled to her feet, using her blade as a crutch. Though she struggled a bit, she still possessed the strength to keep her greatsword steady and stable in the air. It was kind of a sad sight now that the two had a good look at her.

Two eyes on three, a staredown that only lapsed briefly, yet felt longer than it actually was. Tiny orange dots darted from side to side, almost as if silently analyzing the foes that stood side by side.

Hesitation. A moment of weakness that Marco and Star just barely caught wind of. The cadaverous figure before them shuddered just ever so slightly. Was it fear? Fatigue? Dismay? No one knew for sure, but the two found solace in knowing that there might be someone behind that murderous corpse after all.

"Solaria, please," Star pleaded. The mention of her name earned a rather baffled look from Marco who then directed it back to the deprived figure. "We don't have to do this. I know you're in there, somewhere. I dunno you personally, but I know you were a great hero. People loved you. Respected you. You're one of the greatest warriors to ever lived with some of the strongest spells in the book. Please, just stop this!"

"He's waiting for you," Marco chimed in. "Solaire says he wants to see you and catch up."

Solaria's shivering grew more profuse as time went on. They weren't sure what effect their words were having on her, but it sure looked like it was working. They were waiting for her to drop that sword and make things right again. To put aside the bloodlust and become a rather valued, yet decayed ally. Even in her deteriorated form, she could clearly put up a decent fight.

And yet, the former queen tossed away all pretense of peace and friendship and tore across the room with her blade ready to bisect a couple bodies. Though this time, a loud, raspy cry blasted forth from lungs that sounded like they've been filled with dust and razor blades.

With no other choice given, Marco decided to bring his arm back one last time. There was one particular move that he searched for that he felt like he hasn't used in years but remembered vividly the conditions needed to execute it.

All he needed was his sword and to be on ground level with his target.

Ah, there it was. A technique he spent essentially four years to perfect and it was right there. Waiting to be selected and executed practically at the press of a button. If only it was this easy to perform when he first swung at that swallow.

 ** _Tsubame Gaeshi_**

Marco wasn't even able to percieve the fact that he had just did the move. One second he was going through his menu and picking it out and at the very next second he suddenly found himself facing a far wall with his blade held forward. He felt no impact nor his body move. His mind failed to recall the in-between of his shift in position.

What was even stranger than that was the fact that Star was right next to him, standing in the exact same stance as he was, height, curved limbs, and all. Her broad, magical blade was even level with his.

Did... did she execute that mythical move as well?

Abruptly wrung from his baffled thoughts, a dull thud echoed from behind, followed by the deep clang of metal striking the ground.

Marco and Star loosed themselves from their stances and turned behind them. Solaria was on her knees, her head hung over the ground in dejected defeat with six slashes wrapping around her torso, though not a drop of blood seeped out of her body. Footsteps made their way to this pitiable cadaver of a person and eyes glazed over her form in varying degrees of sorrow.

Much to their surprise, pair of bottomless pits turned their way. Orange dots faintly piercing the darkness met their dismal gazes, then returned to looming over the ground.

"Warrior of Sunlight. Princess of Mewni." The teens' heartbeats and breaths hitched upon hearing words coming forth from the once-murderous being before them. "Do you lament... the setting of the sun?" The gravelly question lingered, awaiting an answer to greet it.

"Um..." Marco nervously rubbed the back of his head. "I'll admit I cry when it rains."

The Monster Carver chuckled. Her peaceful demeanor was somehow considerably more unnerving than when she was but a savage killing machine just moments ago. "Well, you really shouldn't. I know I never did. As reverant of the sun that I am. I still don't. Do you know why?"

They both silently shook their heads. Though Solaria didn't see their gesture, she took their silence as a solicitation for elaboration.

" _Hi wa mata noboru_. The sun will rise again. The blackest nights yield to the brightest dawns. Some longer than others. I never gave up hope that I would see mine. Even in my degradation birthed from this accursed affliction of undeath."

Star and Marco caught sight of a faint image of a black ring singed into Solaria's wrinkly back just below her left shoulder.

The two instinctively clasped one another's hand. Star didn't know whether she should feel sorrowful or hopeful. Here they stood, listening to the words of someone that should've been dead long ago. Someone Star had taken to looking up to. And yet here she stood at the aftermath of fighting that person.

Should she feel better about the whole thing that she might've just freed someone from their suffering? Or should she feel terrible about felling another family member that didn't deserve it? She had no idea. She just wanted to leave and stop thinking about anything anymore.

"Ah, I see it now. Peeking over the horizon. The gods have granted me this fleeting moment of lucidity. To see that our guiding sunlight still passes over Mewni. To know that my denigration wasn't for naught. Oh, there you are, dear Solaire. How did you get here before me? Heh... you were always... one step... ahead of me..."

And thus the sun sets for another.

-

 **Author's Stump Day Present** :

 **I apologize for taking forever again, but a combination of work and playing Darkest Dungeon delayed me to no end.**

 **Not only that but out of all the chapters I had written thus far, the encounter with Solaria was one that I had a great difficulty with. There were so many ways I wanted to do this. All basically in reference to various boss fight scenarios from the Dark Souls/Bloodborne series. Including:**

 **\- Star walking up to Solaria sitting on the throne and reaching out to her before getting her hand grabbed and Solaria uttering "Best let sleeping corpses lie, no?" Then she gets up and declares, "The Abyss has come to reap its debt. What say we pay them back, my dear?"**

 **\- Solaria seemingly getting beaten then regaining her mewmanity through SHOUNEN SHEER FORCE OF WILL and she fights in her prime. Fight continues onto next chapter and is named "Solaria, the Monster Carver". Scrapped cuz I believe neither Star nor Marco could handle True Solaria. She'd be like, secret boss-tier**.

 **\- And then there's some unused dialogue where Solaria says to Marco post-fight, "Good Warrior of Sunlight. Have our brothers and sisters kept the sun shining over Mewni?" Marco says something like yes and Solaria replies, "Thank you. It puts my heart at ease knowing that, even in my absence and affliction, our fellows-in-arms remain steadfast in their devotion to our true mentor."**

 **\- I considered having a dying Solaria just crawl over to her little bucket helmet and holding onto it for dear life without saying a single word. I'd have gone for it, but there was a hopefulness I wanted to convey, first and foremost. Writing that in would take away from that.**

 **\- I also considered having Solaria fight o one-handed while holding onto the bucket helm in the other hand.** **But in the end, I decided "less is more" and base it on the boss fight that best fit that description.** **As cool as everything else sounded, I thought it'd be more meaningful that way.**

 **Anyways, Happy Stump Day, ya filthy animals. And a happy New Year. Here's to another year of suffering and shitty literature based on children's cartoons.**


	63. Simple and Clean

The dull sound of a body slumping over and hitting the ash echoed throughout the chambers. It repeated for a few seconds, gradually fading into complete nothingness. Then all was left was the faint crackling of ethereal flames, a pair of quickening heartbeats, and low, quivering breaths.

And then came the crunching of boots growing louder towards the fallen former queen, who laid face down against the ash.

"S-Solaria?" Star knelt down and reached out, still in utter disbelief at what just happened. Her lips quivered and she was on the precipice of shedding tears.

Right as Star's hand was but a breath away from her ancestor's decayed form, white mist began outlining the body. It grew more transparent with each passing second, while accompanied by a distorted, low-pitched howling wind.

All that remained afterwards was her greatsword and a pair of rings that plopped onto the ground where her hand used to be.

Star slowly withdrew her hand and put it over her mouth. A solemn hand fell upon one of her shoulders as a warm arm wrapped around her. Her forehead rested upon the shoulder it was attached to as she let her contained sorrow run down her cheek. She couldn't feel them running down her cheek. She couldn't feel the coarse, grainy ash against her knees. But Marco's touch, his body was like a sanctuary from the world she couldn't feel nor bear. Her only island in an endless sea of dispair and confusion.

"Why...?" Star shook her head as she let the aimless question fly loose. "Why did it have to be this way?"

Marco's eyes linered where Solaria once was. He wasn't as sorrowful over it as Star was. Though his heart felt a tinge of pain as he beared the burden of seeing another life flicker out of frame, he took it with solemnity and understanding.

"I think... it's what she wanted."

Star looked up at her friend with a dismally quizzical look, silently asking for elaboration.

"A _bushi_ to the end. Someone like her wouldn't have wanted it any other way."

Marco wiped the tears off of Star's cheeks, which prompted her to blink a few times and realize that tears cascaded down her face, unbeknownst to her.

Star looked back to Solaria's final spot. While she was still laden with sorrow, a little bit of weight lifted off her shoulders upon Marco's explanation.

"It seemed like..." Star began, giving the entire context of the situation a lookover now that she was given the reprisal to do so. "...she was under a lot of pain before we came here. If her last words were anything to go by."

Marco nodded in agreement. "Yeah. If anything, we may have done the right thing. I dunno what turned her into an immortal undead, but I think we freed her from whatever it was."

A forced, resigned smile crept into Star's face. She sniffled as her eye, somewhat renewed with hope and vitality, shifted to Marco. "She's probably on her way to meet with Solaire again."

Marco's determined gaze met with Star's. "And he would be waiting."

Their gazes lingered for a few moments, their minds racing and their hearts alight with the prospect that their actions may have led two best friends to cross paths after veering off one another's for so long.

Then they snapped themselves back to reality and relented to continue on with it. Marco's eyes wandered around the room, attempting to make sense of every little nook and cranny of it.

Star's eye glided over the items that her late ancestor left behind.

The greatsword that Solaria wielded, possibly one of the biggest that Star might have ever seen. A dull gray blade that looked to be about two feet wide and about as thick as a fist. From the hilt to the tip, the blade proudly bore its scars and dents of battle like badges of honor. Also from the hilt to the tip, the blade narrowed every so slightly, though it was barely noticable. Its edges looked far from being able to cut a thing and its tip was just as dull and made the entire weapon look more like a rectangular club.

Though as minimalistic and blunt as the blade was, its dark bronze crossguard and accompanying brown grip were crafted with relatively more decorum. The guard was one straight line between the blade and the grip, though inlines of little flames stretched from the center, which held a carving of an eight-pointed sun proudly put on display for all to see. The flame motif carried over to the handle and ran down from the top to the butt-end, where it ended in a small golden sphere.

And then there were the two rings that Solaria left behind that she was presumably wearing.

One of them was a faint golden ring with complex carvings revolving around and meeting at its diamond-shaped centerpiece, which had what appeared to be the female symbol with tiny wings surrounded by more sophisticated patterns.

And the other ring was a stark contrast to the other. A sinister ring that was almost completely black if not for the bleached orange gem peering through a slit in the centerpiece like an eye piercing the most dense of darkness.

Star stared at the items that laid before her, unsure of what to do with them. She felt it wrong to take them as it was almost like grave-robbing, but at the same time, she didn't want them to go to waste.

"I think you should take them." Marco suggested as if hearing the questions simmering within Star's mind. "I'd have suggested that we bury them with her, but uhhh, she didn't leave... any part of her behind. I think that's a sign."

Star raised a questioning eyebrow at Marco. "How so?"

"That maybe..." He looked to the sword laying flat on the ground. "...Maybe her fight's not truly over yet and we gotta carry it in her stead."

Renewed with a small, yet singular purpose Star rose to her feet after scooping up the rings and walked to the fallen blade. Though it looked to be a heavy heap of raw iron, she was able to pick it up in one hand with ease. It was no feather, but it felt like carrying a regular straight sword.

"Hm." Star backed up a considerable distance from Marco before cleaving the air a few times with it, a deep whoosh accompanying each wide swing. She had hoped that it would start surging with electricity the moment she picked it up as it did with its previous wielder, but the blade was as bare as it could possibly be.

She then stuck the blade into the ground and handed the rings for Marco to hold onto.

"I don't have any pockets. Best keep 'em safe till we find Glossaryck. Don't put 'em on till he can tell us what they do."

Marco nodded. "I hear ya. You gonna check out the rest of room?"

Star nodded before she, with Marco following close behind, headed for the other landmarks in the room.

The first was this weird little campfire that stood dead center in the room. As she noticed before, the flames looked more magical then natural and their kindling appeared to be a pile of white ash with little bones sticking out of it. A tall, coiled poker stuck slightly askew out of the pile of ash and bones and the flames that once danced around it previously were now just reduced to tiny embers speckled across the mound.

For some reason, she was compelled to sit at the bonfire and sit she did.

A paper thin, translucent black rectangle blinked into existence, appearing before her eyes and almost forced Star to jump out of her seat. Intangible words in bold white letters popped out of the black backdrop that read:

 _Fire Keeper is absent. Cannot light Bonfire._

"Fire keeper?" Marco asked.

"This thing had bigger flames when I came in here, I think." Star responded. "Solaria probably kept this thing lit before we came in here."

"Yeah. Guess whatever it did before, it can't do anymore."

Marco helped Star back to her feet and the two headed towards the throne of stone which stood at the base of a tall slab.

Marco was on the verge of picking up what he surmised to be Solaire's original helmet before slowly recoiling his hand and realizing that its former protector might've wanted it to stay where it was. Ultimately, he left it be.

Then his as well as Star's attention were drawn to the rock that dwarfed the two. As their eyes made their slow descent from its tip to the top of the throne, they saw names carved into the smooth stone surface. Many that neither of them recognized. From there, they already knew what this giant slab of stone turned out to be. From top to bottom, read:

Sir Oscar of Astora.

Master Laurentius of the Great Swamp.

Witches of Izalith.

Crestfallen Warrior of Lordran.

Lady Rhea of Thorolund.

Sir Vince of Thorolund.

Sir Nico of Thorolund.

Great Wolf Sif of Anor Londo.

Sir Siegmeyer of Catarina.

Master Logan of Vinheim.

Lord Gwyn of Anor Londo.

Among the mountain of unfamiliar titles, two of them stood tall above the rest, despite them resting at the very bottom of the list.

Sir Artorias of Anor Londo.

Sir Solaire of Astora.

An idea sprung to life within Star's head and her eyes began groping around the throne. Lo and behold she managed to discover a lone hammer and chisel sitting at the side of the throne.

She took the pair of carving tools and went to work immediately. Though she hasn't done anything like this before, the inspiration within her heart guided her inexperienced hands and she managed to complete the task just fine, albeit not as neatly or as sophisticated as she'd like. Regardless, both she and Marco smiled at the former's handiwork and they were sure the names etched on the stone would appreciate the kind gesture. The very bottom of the tombstone now read:

Sir Solaire of Astora x Lady Solaria of Mewni.

-

"You, you. Crraw! Crraaarw! Want cute, cute. Crraw! Crraarw! Want, perfect, perfect. Craarw! Craarw!" Screeched a shrill, disembodied female voice.

Jackie and Janna stood over a giant bird's nest somewhere within the vast indoor forest. A myriad of miscellanous trinkets nearly filled it to its brim as the two girls stood for what felt like hours trying to appease the picky, unseen bird creature. As if it was possible, Janna was fast approaching the end of her supply of random junk to throw at as well as her patience.

"Ugh! What will this thing TAKE!?" Janna tugged at her beanie in annoyance and was on the verge of tearing it in half if not for the fact that it acted as the team's infinite storage. "Cute and perfect. Cute and perfect! What does it mean by this!?"

"Mm-mm-mm." Jackie shrugged with a smile, finding Janna's frustration to be more entertaining than the prospect of discovering what the unseen bird had to offer should either of them find the right item to trade with it.

"Well, I'm kinda running outta stuff to give it. How 'bout you, Jackie? Think ya got something it might want?"

"I dunno if lethal throwing weapons and ninja gear would be considered cute or perfect."

"Doesn't hurt to give it a shot." Janna said as she scooped all that was in the nest back into her hat. Right after she cleaned house, Jackie gave another indifferent shrug and decided to pull out a throwing knife. The tiny dagger fell into the pile of straw and branches with a soft thud before the bird person cawed its response.

"No. No. Crraw! Crraaarw! No cute! No cute! Crraw! Craaaarw! No perfect! No perfect!"

Jackie collected the lone knife and decided to toss in one of her water marbles.

"No. No. Crraw! Crraaarw!"

Jackie then tossed in one of those octagonal shuriken.

"No. No."

Jackie tried one of her packs of Quicksilver Bullets.

"No."

"Okay, okay. I've got nothin' else that I wanna give it. I ain't givin' up my gun, my Rakuyo, or my Tanto because I dunno if they'll just up and disappear if they turn out to be what it wants."

"What about your necklace?" Janna suggested as she pointed at Jackie's neck.

The ninja reflexively put both hands to her collarbone. "Ohhh no. I am _not_ giving this thing up. How 'bout you give up your beanie?"

Janna's visage took on the form of someone being attacked and she threw both hands over her hat. "I'll give up everything that's in it, but not the hat itself! It's like... part of my character design, dude!" Eyes of guilt took root on Janna's face as she gazed back to her friend's necklace. "But uh, I guess your necklace is part of yours, too."

"Whatever. Ya didn't give up everything in that hat anyways."

Janna raised a skeptic eyebrow. "Well, I already tried giving it one of my magic skulls. That didn't work, either."

"Nah, that's not what I'm talking about."

"Oh? And what _are_ you talking about?"

"Marco's hoodie."

It was then that Jackie noticed the cracks in Janna's forced calm demeanor. She tried to play off the comment not phasing her, but the ninja's well-trained senses could sense Janna's inner composure crumbling at the mere thought of parting something as precious as that.

"C'mon dude, I know you've stolen, like, sooo much from him. There's no way his hoodie wasn't one of 'em."

"Tch. Okay, maybe I did." Janna averted her gaze, forcing Jackie's smile to deepen. "What of it?"

"Why not give that a shot?"

Janna's teeth slightly peeked through her mouth as a soft, yet sharp intake of air fled into her mouth.

She lingered for a few moments, seemingly in self conflict between discovering what the bird has to offer for appeasement and preserving something to obsessively sniff every once in a while.

And then Janna let out a breath after holding it in for several minutes.

"Ehhh... fine. Not like it's the only one I've got anyways."

Janna dug into her beanie and pulled the snug culmination of cotton and Marco's scent. She hefted a resigned sigh and gave one good, long whiff before letting out another breath of ecstacy. Then she dropped the hoodie into the center of the nest like a bag of hot garbage.

"Perfect! Perfect!"

"Wait wha-"

Something black and lean whizzed by the nest at the blink of an eye and the sweater instantly fazed out of existence. Once again, the nest became barren.

"Uhh..." Janna stood dumbfounded and stared into the nest with her mouth agape.

"Okay, well," Jackie scratched her head. "Now what?"

"I dunno. Glossaryck never told me what would happen if I gave it something it wanted."

"Who knew it would turn out to be Marco's hoodie?"

"Well, it only said 'perfect'. Maybe there's more we can give it?"

"Probably, but I don't wanna spend all day, er, night trying to figure that out."

"Either way, I hope something good happens. Something worth, like, seven bucks."

"Wait, that's how much those hoodies cost?" Jackie spouted in disbelief. "Man, no wonder he's probably got like, a million of 'em."

"Eyy, speak of the hooded devil. There he comes." Janna pointed a finger behind Jackie, who turned to be greeted by two of her friends walking side by side. She was taken aback by the giant sword resting on the shoulder of one of them.

"There you guys are," Marco said. "We were wondering where you went. None of the tunnels were lit up so we figured everyone must be out here."

Jackie nodded. "Yeah mostly everyone's accounted for. Dunno where Glossaryck is and Nachos is still flyin' around somewhere. How did everything go? Did ya guys hash out what you needed to hash out?"

Star and Marco briefly exchanged furtive glances before directing them back to Jackie and Janna, the latter of which seemingly preocuppied with the giant nest before her as she ponderously rubbed her chin.

"Yeah, something like that." Star plainly answered.

"But not all of 'em."

"Huh?" Both Jackie and Star remarked in unison as both their puzzled gazes shifted to Marco.

"Jackie, ya got a minute?"

Jackie was briefly taken aback at first before her visage returned to its default, smiling calmness.

"Sure dude, what's on your mind?"

"I'll tell ya when we get somewhere private." Marco proceeded to walk off and away from everyone else. Jackie immediately followed as their figures and footsteps receded into the dense bush. Star nearly took a step in their direction before ultimately making that first step her last for now. Rather than worry over the two like she had been for the past several hours, she decided to put her concerns aside and kneel right beside Janna.

"So uh," Star felt a bit of awkwardness creeping into her voice. "What are we staring at?"

Janna stayed silent for a bit before idly speaking while keeping her eyes glued to the nest. "I just gave one of Marco's hoodies to a bird and now I'm tryin' to see if it'll gimme something in return."

"A... bird?"

"Mmhm. Didn't see it at first, but the moment I laid his hoodie onto its nest, it just swooped in and took it before we knew it."

"Uh, what were you doing with Marco's hoodie?"

"Same thing that you do whenever you get your mitts on one of 'em."

Star emitted a low hiss and her eye darted guiltily to the side. She was about to fire off a retort before she put her hand down and clasped her mouth shut in defeat.

"Mm-hm. Thought so." Janna said, still without flitting an eye towards her.

"Hey Janna," Called out Glossaryck as he floated nearby.

"What's good, Gloss?" Janna greeted back, her eyes still stuck to the empty nest.

"Got somethin' important I gotta talk to you about. In private."

"Can it wait? I wanna see what that bird thing's got to offer."

"Wait, you actually found something it wanted?"

"Yup. Just gotta reap whatever benefits that come with it now."

"Well, have fun trying to wait like ten hours for it to give something in return."

"Wait, ten hours!?" Janna's widened eyes finally tore themselves away from the nest and angrily shifted to Glossaryck.

"Yeah. So you're kinda better off doing... anything else besides waiting for that long."

Janna huffed in annoyance. "The wait better be worth it."

Glossaryck flashed a knowing smile. "It usually is. C'mon, let's head on over to the entrances."

"Mm, fine."

Janna begrudgingly rose to her feet and stomped off towards the four entrances, mumbling frustrated nothings, one of which involved having to do with seven dollars.

Glossaryck turned towards Star. "Hey, kiddo. How did everything go in the Shrine?"

Star sighed. "Heavy." She simply said as she fiddled with the greatsword laying on its flat surface.

"Yeah, I'm sure it wasn't easy. Glad you finally put her at rest, though."

"I mean, I still don't feel good about it. Even if it seemed like I put her out of her misery, I still feel... I dunno... like it was the right thing, yeah. But it still felt wrong."

"Well, imagine having to do that multiple times. Putting down good people not because you wanted to, but you had no choice _but_ to. That's basically what she did. Before you... found her in that state."

"I'm... not sure how I should feel about that, Glossaryck. Except a bit worse."

"Well, have you ever heard the phrase, 'It's a lot more painful to live than it is to die?'"

"Never heard of it, but I've sure been feelin' it." Star dryly remarked.

"Regardless, it's something that Solaria kept in mind throughout her life. After so many good lives were expended either by her or beside her, she tried so hard to be strong for the sake of those who left and those still around. She tried to be the exception. And yet, she became the rule. Hence why she ended up attacking you right off the bat."

"Yeah, what was that all about?" Star asked, thinking back to Solaria's deathly countenance. "Why did she look all zombified and stuff?"

"Kind of a curse she picked up when she was adventuring in Lordran. Everyone who ventures there go through with it almost immediately. They basically become immortal. Dying repeatedly and coming back until they reach the breaking point and lose all purpose in life. Afterwards, everything that made them who they are would vanish and only a husk that only knows how to kill remain. With all traces of their determination gone, their mortality returns and they would be ripe for permanent death. That's called Hollowing. And there's no coming back from it. And guess what's the only cure?"

"To put them down." Star's head hung in dejection as an eye loomed over the ground in shame.

"Yup. Imagine having to deal with the stress of slowly losing your mind with each death you experience. And imagine having to become friends with people going through the same thing. Helping one another. Laughing and smiling with each other. Being the only source of happiness and peace within a world that seems to exist purely to crush your body, mind, and spirit. And then having to put them down when they became overwrought with burden and they end up going off the deep end. Lost to the world you fought so desperately to protect them from."

Star said absolutely nothing nor lifted her head to peer up at Glossaryck. Every word he spoke was like another weight piling onto her heart and crushing her spirit.

"Now imagine also letting that same world plunge into total darkness out of spite and sadness, reducing the efforts of countless who were keeping it from getting that way to nothing."

Glossaryck's words were getting to much to bear, it was a surprise that Star wasn't falling over from all this weight on her shoulders.

"Now, my question to you Star is, are you gonna make the same mistakes?"

The question ignited something within Star as her face lifted to meet Glossaryck's. A furrowed culmination of fury and determination directed towards her mentor. Though she gave no direct answer to the question that hung in the air, her scrunched, powerful visage said it all.

The blue imp said nothing but turn around and started for the four tunnels. A few seconds into his advance, he stopped in mid-air. His head turned to the side as he flashed a smile of... pride?

" _Hi wa mata noboru._ " The book patron solemnly uttered before floating out of frame, leaving Star to her own thoughts to stew in.

Star practically flew to her feet and was about to storm off towards where Marco and Jackie went, but then remembered the two were having a private conversation.

She decided to take out her Wand.

She just wanted to see if they were done with their talk. She didn't want to eavesdrop or anything. She just wanted to pinpoint their location and find a good chance to meet with Marco and... do what she needed to do.

"I summon the All-Seeing Eye to tear a hole into the sky." Star began invoking, her Wand glowing purple with the usual sinister looking iris symbol replacing the cleaved half-star. "Reveal to me that which is hidden. Unveil to me what is forbidden!"

The eye, in its usual purple-yellow flaming oval, appeared before Star.

But the image was almost filled with static, with little fragments of the actual image spread about, just barely giving Star enough to go by.

She concentrated harder and harder, pouring all her magic into clearing out the static just enough to get a relatively clearer image. She wasn't exactly Dipping Down, but she was dancing around the idea, pouring enough energy to strengthen her handle on the spell but not almost turning it into a portal like once before.

The static began to part, like a dense fog being lifted. While some strips of white noise remained, Star could clearly see that Marco and Jackie were sitting at the edge of what looked like a cliff, directly in front of a roaring water fall. They were merely conversing.

Star let out a breath as the spell withdrew entirely. Not out of strain, but out of relief as well. Though she couldn't keep the spell cast and clear any longer, she at least knew their whereabouts.

Guess it's time to spy the old fashioned way.

-

"Y'know, when I was a kid," Jackie began, her aquamarine eyes shimmering towards the roaring waterfall before her as she immersed herself in fond reminiscence. "I used to go to the beach like, every weekend. It was awesome, but pretty typical. Sandcastles. Ice cream. Splashing water on your parents. Runnin' from the tide. Fun under the sun. Every Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Sometimes all three. Sometimes not. It was all I ever expected from when I was five till when I was about twelve. Then things... got different one day."

"How so?"

Jackie instinctively held onto the seashell necklace embracing her neck. A piece of her once-normal life that stood out from the sewn together accumulation of leather and metal. Like a flower amidst a ravaged battlefield.

"Well, one day I went surfing. Wasn't as good at it as I was skateboarding, but I was already rode a few waves prior, so I knew my way around the tides."

Marco nodded and abstained from speaking to allow her to continue.

"But, on this one certain day, I was cuttin' across probably the biggest wave I'd ever seen. At that point I couldn't believe I was still goin' steady. I was pullin' all sorts-a sick tricks and maneuvers through this humungous wave. Then, I guess I got too cocky and messed up somewhere. Lost my balance, hit a snag in the water, I dunno what. But I fell off my board and, as I'm wipin' out, my board hit me square in the forehead and I was knocked out cold, while I was gettin' swallowed up by the wave, and soon, the entire ocean."

"Goodness..." Marco could only comment as he couldn't bear the thought of seeing Jackie on an obituary as a result of a horrific surfing accident. "But uh, I'm glad you got rescued eventually, though."

"Oh, that was the weird part," Jackie's voice was reduced to a dramatic whisper as her palms rose in the air to give emphasis to her speech. Though such subject matter shouldn't warrant that type of theatrics, the storyteller didn't seem very phased by the morbid nature of the tale. Especially since it was in regards to something that should be traumatic. "but it was also the coolest part."

"Uh. Huh?"

Jackie continued, her voice maintaining the same theatrical volume. "While I was barely conscious and takin' in like a lot of water, my eyes were open juuuust a lil' crack and I noticed shadows underwater surroundin' me. Human-like shapes, dude. I swore they had like, long fish tails too, but maybe that was just the concussion talkin'. I felt hands grab onto mine, pulling me somewhere while I was deep below the surface. After a few minutes or so, I blacked out. And then... suddenly, I found myself at the pier, my lungs clear of all the water I had to have choked on while I was drownin'. Sun was already dippin' halfway into the sea by the time I woke up. Parents found me layin' on the pier, scared half to death that I might've drowned in the ocean or somethin'."

"I know I would've been." Marco softly commented, peering into the placid lake below.

"But yeah, you know what I ended up gettin' after waking up?"

Marco curiously turned towards Jackie with a raised eyebrow.

Jackie pulled up the little seashell tied to the thin cord around her neck. "Somehow. Some way. This little thing ended up around my neck. Never had it before surfing that day, but somehow I got a free seashell necklace after nearly drowning to death. And then, I swear, after I started surfing again while wearing this thing, I have never had any problems with surfing every again. I mean, sure I still wipe out every now and then, but none of them were as bad as that one day. And that's why I never once took this thing off. Ever. I guess I got it stuck in my head that it always protected me, y'know? Like it was magic or something. Maybe not, but I still can't bring myself to take it off."

"Hmm." Marco leaned back against his arm, sinking deep into thought at Jackie's little story.

"Sorry I just threw that little story onto you like that." Jackie sheepishly brushed her hair off to the side. "You wanted to tell me something, right?"

"Yeah, but now I dunno how to bring it up without making everything awkward afterwards."

"Hey man, whatever it is, I'll be cool with it 100%. Like I always am."

"Heh heh, yeah. I guess that's why I admire you so much." Marco's gaze nervously trailed away from Jackie as his dusky brown face turned a light shade of pink. "You always know how to stay cool and calm even in the face of discomfort and weirdness. I mean, you even continued to surf even after facing such a traumatic experience as almost dying. Like, how do you do that?"

Jackie couldn't help but giggle, eliciting a rather confused and bewildered look from Marco. "I should ask you the same thing."

"Huh? Whaddya mean?"

"Oh, don't play dumb with me, Marco. It's cute, but not needed right now. You should know what I'm talking about."

"Uh, I really don't."

After a quick eye roll, Jackie arose from her seat and gestured for Marco to do the same. When he followed her silent command the two ended up locking eyes. Marco internally cowered before that determined look just a paltry distance from his, which was like that of a lost little puppy.

"Three questions for you Marco." Jackie said with great clarity.

"This again, huh? Alright then. Shoot."

Jackie flashed a warm smiled and commenced. "What lies before our eyes but we never see them?"

Marco's pupils rose towards the sky for a few moments as he pondered. Then a lightbulb shined above his noggin. "Eyelashes."

"Got it." Jackie affirmed with a proud nod. "What's something you can cut as many times as you want, but it can never be cut?"

That was an easier one. It was all a matter of physics. "Water."

"Yup." Jackie beamed again. "One more for ya. It's the most important one, too."

"I'm ready."

"I know you are." Jackie briefly inhaled through her nostrils before unleashing the final question. "You tell it not to come. It does it anyways. You tell it not to leave. It leaves anyway. What is it?"

A more broader question this time around. But thankfully, Marco was able to figure out what to say. Due to the fact that he had heard these riddles as well as their answers before. Back at Aoikage. Each riddle as well as the respective answer was supposed to represent a different aspect of a typical student of the school. Before your eyes, but never seen, the murderous intent of a warrior. Each _bushi_ bound to their blade by a bond that could never be severed, no matter how much you try. And now, the fickle relationship between a warrior and mortality.

"Light and Dark. Sun and Moon." Marco uttered with a victorious smile plastered on his face.

However, unlike before, Jackie didn't reciprocate the smile at first. If anything her face held a slight tinge of... disappointment? Marco couldn't help but flinch a little as he felt as though he might've commited a very grave mistake.

But then Jackie's smile returned. Arguably more vibrant and mirthful than before.

"You forgot one more thing. You're about eighty percent right."

"Huh?" Marco stared dumbfounded. "But... that was the exact answer to the riddle."

"Well, yeah. But the answer was missing just ooone teeny tiny little thing. By the way, I'm not asking you to answer these riddles because of our school."

"Huh? Okay..." Marco was still confused. "So what am I missing?"

For a guy with a good head on his shoulders and an eye for battle, he sure can be dense sometimes. Still, she found his blissful ignorance too adorable to not chuckle at.

"Alright then. I'll give ya a hint. You see a lot of it at night but only one of it during the day."

Marco had to take a few moments with this one as he took a contemplative hand to his chin.

And then it hit him. Like a sucker punch to the face. His hand slowly fell back to his side and his mouth went agape.

"One more hint, just in case you still need help." A wily smile, one that was more reminiscent of Janna, was slashed across Jackie's face. "It's hiding behind that tree over there." Jackie spoke just a breath away from a whisper with a slight tilt of her head to the side.

"Uhh..." Marco's brown eyes nervously shifted to where Jackie was bringing attention to.

Jackie giggled again, amused by Marco's trouble with handling the current situation. "Dude, risk is one of the greatest spices of life. Just because I had one bad experience with something doesn't mean I should just give up on it entirely. I enjoyed it and wanted to keep doing it. I kept going with it just so I could learn to get better at it. To love it. Even as I was aware of all the risks of doing it, I never had them much in mind and just let the joy I felt carry me all the way through."

Marco barely felt Jackie taking both of his hands and he was taken off guard when she gave him a soft peck on the cheek.

"There's another risk ya gotta take. You've got nothin' in the way now."

With that Jackie released her gentle grip from Marco's hands and trodded off towards the forest, leaving behind a befuddled teen.

"Jackie, wait!"

The girl in question froze in her tracks, still holding onto that smile he left him with.

"Sup?"

Marco's eyes groped for the grassy ground beneath his feet as he searched for the right words. Though his heart ached just a little bit, he knew that if he just choked them out, he'd feel a hefty amount of relief if he at the very least confirmed what he was thinking before jumping to conclusions.

"Does... does this mean. You and I... We-"

"Yup." Jackie tersely confirmed, her once calm and serene tone alarmingly shifting to impartial. "I mean, that's why you brought me out here right?"

For some reason, Marco couldn't help but grit his teeth as the confirmation shakingly slipped between his lips. "Y-yeah, but..."

"But what?"

"I just-" Marco's gaze fell to the ground once again but then quickly returned to Jackie. "I just thought you'd be mad or sad or... something."

"Dude, it takes way more than a little break up to get to me. Trust me. If anything, I'm pretty happy, all things considered."

Marco's brain had to do some extensive mental gymnastics to parse what the heck Jackie just said. She just broke up with someone and she's... happy for it? It wasn't even a spiteful comment either and that's what put Marco's mind in a state of slight disarray.

"Uh, happy?"

Jackie nodded. "Mm-hm. For the both of you. Stay awesome, you two."

And with that Jackie continued walking off into the forest, her form eventually merging with the various green hues until it was no longer visible.

Meanwhile, Star was sitting behind the tree that was closest to the edge of the forest, her back adhered to its bark and her hands over her palm as Jackie had walked past her. The former princess hoped and prayed with all her heart that neither of them knew she was there the whole time watching and listening.

Star's heart skipped a beat when Jackie stopped dead in her tracks just a few yards away. Her back was still turned towards Star and she remained deathly silent. Star hoped to whatever dwelled beyond the mortal plane that Jackie did not just notice her right then and there.

"He's waiting for you, y'know." Star's heartbeat began beating chest-bursting speeds the moment she was addressed. Jackie's back was still facing her. "You gonna leave him hanging or should I just get back together with him?"

"Get back together with him?" Star nearly shouted, driven by confusion. "What are you-"

"Ah, ah, ah." Jackie said with a raise of her palm. "Best not keep him waiting. Never know when someone else'll snatch 'im up and you lose out on that chance again."

With that, Jackie continued walking into the forest, her footsteps gradually fading into silence after a few seconds.

Still somewhat shaken by Jackie's words, Star wobbled to her feet just a little bit. Her line of sight crept just a little past the tree she took refuge in to see Marco staring wistfully into the waterfall that crashed unending into the clear lake below. A few flowers spread throughout the grass gently rocked to and fro.

With a hard gulp and a heavy exhale, Star's legs, as hesitant to move forward as they were, carried her towards the edge of the cliff where her best friend was waiting. She could hear her heart pump against her chest with each step, overpowering the roaring waterfall that flowed ceaselessly nearby. She had trouble walking through the tension that filled the air as anticipation shrouded her entire being like a cloak.

The crunching of her boots against the grass ceased. Star was just within arm's length of Marco, whose back still faced stoically towards her.

With one final exhale through the nostrils, she mustered as much courage as she could and with a level of comfort that normally accompanied her tone of voice whenever the two spoke, she calmly uttered.

"Hey."

He didn't say anything. Nor did he move a single muscle. In fact it was as if the boy was entranced by the waterfall before him. Flowing endlessly into the lake below.

But of course, he couldn't just escape it now. Physically and mentally, there was no way out of facing the inevitable. Well, technically he could. Escape was just a leap away. One single step off the precipice he was standing on.

"Hey."

And one single step was all it took as he made the plunge of his life, the last thing he heard being the elongated call of his name growing quieter with each passing second.

-

 **Author's First Note of 2018:**

 **Shieet it has been quite a ride, hasn't it? I can't believe this thing has gone on for so long, it's continuing into the new year. I'm... not quite sure how to feel about it, honestly. Except driven to see it through to the end no matter what.**

 **I hope all of you are having a great start to the new year thus far. Hope you got all your resolutions planned out and everything. And I hope that list of resolutions will only continue to grow as you go through the new year. Because we all need to improve a little every day right?**

 **Happy New Years. Don't get locked up, knocked up, or knock anyone out.**


	64. Lovers of the Underworld

Sinking.

Deeper.

Further.

Aimlessly.

At the mercy of an endless void of deep, suffocating blue, Marco took the plunge into the peerless unknown. Ever so slowly plummeting towards the depths without so much as a single finger lifted towards the surface.

He didn't know why. He didn't know how. All he knew was that light and reality was swiftly fleeing him. Rising further and further away as time lapsed by. His vision blurred, his hearing dulled, and water was fast filling his lungs. And he did nary a thing to stop any of it.

For fourteen years, Marco had walked countless paths of least resistance. Straight, unobfuscated paths that bore no danger nor potential for injury. Afraid of tripping over treacherously slippery floors in the gym showers? Wore a helmet to mitigate the risks of concussion. Deathly adverse to rejection from a longtime crush? Stuck to nodding and smiling every morning since kindergarten. Some crazy blonde chick suddenly falling into your life and driving you crazy with her chaotic and destructive 'magic'? Ran away from home and sought refuge at the nearest convenient store. Finally having nothing to stand in the way between him and facing his own feelings for said girl? Jump right off the cliff and drown before having to delve further into unexplored territory.

It wasn't until that same girl took his hand in hers and completely changed everything.

Star and Marco broke surface, hacking and wheezing as their lungs ached for oxygen. Marco even more so as he took in a considerable amount of water and spewed forth as much as he consumed to whence they came.

They floated there, Marco's arm over Star's shoulder as the two ruminated over what had just happened. Neither felt any need to comment on it, however, as their minds were preoccupied over forcing their bodies to catch their fleeing breaths.

They floated there, Star's eye attempting to burn holes into Marco's, her face contorted into an amalgam of worry, fury, and sorrow. She wanted to blow up on him. She wanted to dunk his face into the lake out of spite. She wanted to tightly grasp him and cry ceaselessly about how much he scared her. For forcing her to relive an identical moment from what might as well have been eons ago. For making her mind wrack with pain and guilt over potentially losing him once again. And yet, she did none of the sort. Marco could only stare on with a sheepish smile as he too recalled the rather similar scenario from earlier.

Their gazes tore from one another as their eyes groped their surroundings for somewhere to dock. As luck would have it, there appeared to be a cave carved into the base of the land they fell from. Light barely reached its mouth and left a deep blackness that provided few implications of its innards, save for the abundance of moss nearly filling its floors, but an unknown shelter was better than none at all. With renewed vigor in their hearts and their bodies clung to one another, they drifted towards their newfound sanctuary.

The two practically threw themselves against the hard, grainy ledge as a few patches of dirt adhered themselves to their heavily dampened forms. As Star quickly rose to her feet, she helped a still-panting Marco to his. With a nod of affirmation following a nod of thanks, the two picked a wall as they plodded themselves upon the soft moss, but not before one leaving his sword atop the other's Wand. They sat across from each other and took the time to gather their wits, their energy, and their thoughts. A layer of freezing cold brought a shiver to Marco's body and a more dense layer of water brought forth a heaviness to his clothes that was irritating him to no end. Luckily for Star, she couldn't feel the blistering chill that should be sticking to her skin or anything else for that matter.

The moment their low breaths stopped echoing throughout the cave, they once again took to locking eyes with one another. Still hesitant to let a single breath slip about what transpired above and what transpired just moments ago.

A fickle thing really, the heart of an adolescent. The two had clear paths towards one another, both physically and metaphorically, yet at the moment they refused to take a single step forward. On occasions enumerable, the two have traveled the furthest reaches of the Multiverse. Going to places where no normal person would ever dream of going. Accomplishing feats that the strongest and most ambitious would never even hope to accomplish. Enduring the most horrific of ordeals that would shatter the most adamant of minds and bend the most stoic of resolves.

And yet, these two refused to breath a word to each other.

The silent sound of dripping water and the debilitating heaviness of her wet clothes yanked Star out of her thoughts and forced her to act, much to Marco's total embarrassment.

"S-Star!?" He finally said after such a painfully long period of silence. A warm red was painted across his face and he instinctively looked away. "What are you doing!?"

"Just..." She began, somewhat a blushing mess herself now that she realized the uncomfortable extent of her actions. Her hands ceased dragging her dress up any further and stopped just short at the peak of her midriff, baring her bandaged stomach for Marco to get flustered over. "... something you taught me when we went camping once."

"Yeah? What... was it?"

She let her dress fall back to her legs as she elaborated. "'Member when we went kayaking that one time and you told me how to deal with cases where someone ends up falling in the river?"

"Uhh... y-yeahh?" Once the implications set in, the redness on his face dipped a shade deeper.

"I mean, you didn't think much of it when you were explaining it to me, but I remember how super embarrassed I was feeling. Good thing you couldn't turn around and see my face at the time. It was kinda like how yours is right now."

Marco gulped. "Uh huh. Soo..." He nervously scratched his cheek. "You remembered the part about having to take off your clothes to prevent the cold setting in and givin' you hypothermia, right?"

Star nodded. "I mean, I can't feel the cold right now, but I still don't wanna get sick, y'know?"

"Right." Marco's woeful gaze drifted to his own feet. "And the next step after that is-"

"Sharing body heat." Star finished without a hint of hesitation or irony in her voice.

Despite how encumbered with water Marco's body was, his lips were left as dry as a desert. "And that involves me... taking off... my clothes, too."

Now it was Star's turn to avert her gaze in discomfort. "Y-yeah." Though Star wasn't showing it, she was internally exploding with anticipation. Her heart was celebrating at a million beats per second, all of her desires culminating into this low, fast-paced song that rung loudly beneath her chest. But of course, she had Marco's own well-being in mind and didn't want to put him through anything he might not be comfortable with.

"Um..." Marco ponderously rubbed his chin. Though he nearly remembered that particular part of his camping manual almost verbatim, his mind grasped at air to find some other way that wouldn't cause him to die from embarrassment. As much as his teenage mind would want nothing more than to rub bare bodies with someone he held a deep attraction for, he needed a moment's reprieve to take everything in. To keep from jumping into things so hastily like that.

And then he managed to pilfer a memory from the night he woke up after coming back from his astral journey. Right after attaining the power of the sun.

"Actually Star, I think I've got a better idea." He said with a smile on his face as he internally pat himself on the back. "We can skip taking off our clothes and just jump straight to sharing body heat."

"Uhh... how do we... do that?"

Without another word, Marco rose from his seat and crawled across the mossy ground towards the center of the cave. Then he stood on his knees and spread both arms wide open.

"Just c'mere," He vaguely said as he flashed a warm smile for reassurance.

Still apprehensive over walking through this door that Marco had left wide open, Star decided to push through her own inhibitions and carry on. Like Marco, she crawled across the mossy ground on all fours and met Marco halfway. Both of her arms rose, heavily quivering in their slow ascent.

It was just a hug. One simple, friendly hug. They've had plenty of them in the past. A hug was just one of the many activities the two shared together among countless others. As normal as living together, eating together, attending school together, adventuring together. It should be nothing right? A trivial little action that needs no thought nor effort. And this one was just out of a means for survival.

So why did her arms freeze in their tracks? And why couldn't she bring herself to look at Marco?

She didn't even process right away that Marco had already wrapped his arms around her back. That is, until the world that she was numb to completely vanished as she felt the warmth and dampness of Marco's body. His squishy hoodie. His moist, smooth cheeks. His strong, taut arms. In this world that she was completely numb to, only he could bring about any semblance of sensation to her skin.

And that's why her arms eventually wrapped around his back.

"So uh," Star smiled as the discomfort of their dampened clothes squashing against one another started setting in. A blush crept into her face. "what now?"

"I'm getting there, just hang on." Marco softly spoke.

A deep sharp inhale through the nostrils and mouth. The falling of tension from his muscles. The speed of his heartbeat slowed to a tranquil pace. His mind unclouded and completely free of strife. His blood flowing with heat and vigor. The physical and emotional distance between him and Star tenuous.

With as much strength and gusto that Marco could muster, he spewed forth his signature breathing. Shortly after, the both of them were incased in a serene warmth, stemming from a combination of Marco's Hamon and their emotions made manifest as their embrace deepened.

Every molecule of water was instantly wiped off of every part of their body as the two went from sopping wet from one second then dry as a bone in the next.

Neither of them didn't stop to marvel at how effective Marco's power was, nor did they notice the small patch of pink flowers that suddenly sprung to life below them. Once all was said and done, the two slightly parted with their arms and gazes still kept in a cursory, yet meaningful grasp.

That step. Just take that one step. Their minds screamed to themselves. Their own hearts pounded as one, bashing themselves against their chests and longing to meet their counterparts.

At some point, Marco's right hand found its way to Star's left. His fingers interlocked with hers, unphased by the cold, rough metal.

Inversely, a faint, yet calming heat surged into Star's metallic forearm, slithered through her upper arm and spread throughout the rest of her body. Whether it was the current situation or something that Marco passively did was unknown.

"Say, Marco?" Star finally said, breaking the dense wall of silence between them. Her voice barely reached over a whisper.

"Yeah?"

"I just... realized something." Her left hand gripped his tighter and rose just a little. As if to emphasize a point she was trying to make.

Marco gulped. "Uh-huh?"

"We're..." Star paused and closed her eye, seemingly preparing herself for the epiphany of a lifetime. Marco's entire body stiffened, bracing himself for whatever Star was about to unleash upon him.

"Severed arm twins!" Star loudly beamed as she raised their arms up to their faces. "See? Look! You lost an arm and got a new one and so did I!"

It was at that moment that Marco found his mind in complete disarray. Here he was thinking she was about to lay down insight that would've been completely mind-blowing or reality-shattering. But nope, she felt the need to point out something strange and inane.

Though he had to admit, the morbid silliness was somewhat refreshing and it elicited a chuckle out of him.

"Star, that's-" Marco began, his words interspersed within soft giggles. "that's kind of a messed up thing to have in common."

"Hee hee. Yeah I know, I know. Just thought I'd point it out."

Marco's soft laughter died down as his eyes trailed to where their hands were locked. His faint smile fell just a tad as his gaze lingered on.

"It's because of me, isn't it?" Marco quietly spoke, his voice laden with dismay. "You lost your arm. And your eye. You're always hurting yourself because of me. Why?"

Star's eye flitted to their locked hands, then back to Marco.

"I mean, do I really need a reason? Other than 'you're the most important thing in my life'?"

"Star... I-"

"You don't need to say anything," She firmly said. "And lemme tell you something, Marco. Whenever you look at this eye patch and this arm. Don't think about how much I've lost and how much I've been hurt. Think about how much you're worth to me. How many times have I risked my life for you? How about that one time I gave up my Wand just to save you?"

Marco opened his mouth, but a dense lump stuck in his throat and he couldn't formulate the rationale nor the words to properly respond with. In short, he was touched beyond words.

"And I know you'd do the same thing, Marco. This isn't a one-way street we're taking. If it was, then I'd be holding onto an arm that was yours."

Those really weren't their own arms, weren't they? Just a few casualties out of countless others in this harrowing campaign. Lives. Homes. Family. Innocence. Sanity. Body. Self. Indeed, there seemed to be more to lose then there was to gain and the losses will only pile up as they continue onwards.

But even if they lose so much more. Even if everything else they've ever valued were snatched away from them, Star and Marco were absolutely sure of one thing.

That as long as they stuck together. As long as they'll fight. As long as they'd give life and limb. As long as they live. As long as they breath.

One will never lose the other. Nothing will tear the two apart. Physical or mental. Tangible or otherwise. Not death, not gods, not drama, not separation, not their own flaws. Nothing.

Even though the two held one another with arms that weren't theirs, the unity tightly gripped between each palm definitely belonged to them.

That unity was sealed with the distance between their faces narrowing with each passing second.

The two ceased in their mutual advance however, their foreheads gently clashing. They were close. So very close.

They could feel each other's strands of hair grazing their foreheads. Noses lightly poked one another. They could taste each other's breath as low heat caressed their lips, stoking the embers of their shared passion. After everything that had happened thus far, they wanted this. Craved for this. Needed this.

And yet, they delayed. Lingering on in each other's presence, savoring the tenously close distance as they drank in one another's oxygen.

Were they still afraid to take that one step? To delve deeper into the uknown and explore territory that were but fleeting, lofty dreams that neither ever thought of making into reality?

Or maybe, they were already there. That mysterious world that each have reached out to, but was never able to grasp. It was within their reach the whole time, but both, for whatever reason or another, opted to stay blissfully ignorant and willingly blind to what laid before them all this time.

It's too soon, she thought. He had just broken up with a crush of almost a decade. Someone he sought after for so long. How could she just take advantage of their parting like that? Sure, Jackie practically handed him to her, but it still didn't feel right.

It's okay, he thought. Despite how heartbroken he should be, he actually wasn't. He was relieved if anything. Sure, he chased after her for as long as he could remember, and sure he finally got what he wanted. But was it really what he needed? Jackie was essentially everything he'd hope she would be and maybe even more. Heck, just recently, she essentially became a dream girl. Someone he could share a plethora of interests with.

And yet... who was it that even got him to that point in the first place?

Who was there standing by his side, pushing him to his limits and eventually surpassing them?

Who was the one who turned him from a cautious worrywart to a courageous adventurer?

Even though it had just happened, Marco felt that he had broken up with Jackie a long time ago.

Star softly nodded into his forehead. Understanding his thoughts and feelings in the matter. It was her, wasn't it? It was she that forced Marco to explore the unfathomable depth of his potential and eke out the true strength within. It was she that stood by him every step of the way, through better or worst, thick and thin.

And of course, along the way Star was forced to explore the most tenebrous recess of her emotions. To toss away her own happiness in favor of his.

And now she had the chance to foster his happiness. Her happiness. Their happiness.

Hearts have quickened. Eyes have shut. Breaths have been stolen away. Walls have shattered. The plunge was taken. Lips were pressed.

Arms have found their way around bodies as their feelings unfurled. A storm of passion and excitement raged between them as their lips pecked and tongues lashed with reckless abandon. Moans and groans slipped between their lips, fanning the flames of their fervor and invigorating their motions. Clumsy and inexperienced was their consummation, though they were driven solely by sensation as opposed to sense.

Star's hands idly made their way to the zipper of Marco's hoodie and, before either of them could realize or care, tossed it somewhere off to the side.

To make things somewhat even, Marco's hands shifted down Star's back and reached the hem of her dress.

As her dress slowly rose, Marco's hands hitched as his thumb grazed the soft, worn cloth that wrapped around her torso.

Noticing this subtle moment of hesitation, their lips parted with a quiet smack and a thin strand of saliva momentarily connected the two. Marco deeply peered at Star, wordlessly asking for permission to continue, with which the latter gazed with a look of worry.

"It's... it's okay," Star assured as she laid her hands on his wrists. "I mean, I kinda took your hoodie off already, sooo... it's only f-fair, right?"

Marco simply gave a single nod, understanding her words as he stopped to merely test her limits and see what was and wasn't okay. Now that he had the go-ahead, his hands continued upwards and off came Star's dress.

Marco could only stare on in a strange sense of awe as his eyes glided over every inch of Star's torso, wrapped in a layer of bandages, with only a few spots of her pale flesh peeking through. A testament to their struggle against their opposing forces. A result of her recklessness and frightening willingness to incur injury for the sake of others. For the sake of her beloved.

Without uttering a single word, Star pointed to something on her back with her thumb, diverting Marco's attention away from her injuries and back to the situation at hand. With another nod, Marco's hands went under Star's arms and made their way to a bow-tied knot at the center of her back. Ah yes, he remembered tying this knot right after that fight with that Zodd guy. Right after Star used the Berserker Armor for the first time.

"Need a little help there?" Star snarkily asked as she noticed Marco's difficulty with the knot.

"No no, I got it, I got it," He hurriedly assured as he fiddled with the knot. "I was the one who made the knot anyways."

"Oh, so you... saw everything already?" A wily smirk was slashed across Star's face.

"Hey, Janna and Mina were the ones who wrapped you first. They just needed me to cut the bandages and tie it all down. Y'know, so they wouldn't get loose."

"Mm-hmmm..."

"There!" Marco beamed as he finally undid the knot. With both ends of the bandaged promptly parted, the entire thing unraveled and fell off of Star, unveiling the pale flesh that lied beneath. Once again, Marco gazed on with a look of awe, now accompanied by a slight sorrow. Her sense of modesty, however small, brought Star's arms over her chest.

"Well. This is me. Sorry I'm not much to look at," Star sheepishly remarked as her gaze veered off to the side. "and I look even worse with all these scars, I bet."

A look of confusion stuck itself on Marco's face as he tilted his head to the side. His eyes began to travel every nook and cranny of Star's torso. All the little cuts and bumps. The tiny dotted puncture wounds. Marco was taught that a warrior's worth was measured by how many scars they had. How many times that death had attempted to claim them and failed. To see that many wounds on someone. To see the enduring extent of their strength. To Marco it was, to say the least, more enticing than anything. There lied an inherent beauty in her current form, more so in concept than in countenance. A nubile, princess-type figure whose skin beheld a flawlessness and frailty inherent in those of her status and upbringing. Now it was battered and emboldened by the harsh conditions of battle.

Rather than give saccharine words of love and assurance to assuage Star's insecurities, Marco brought his palms flat against her stomach, prompting a suppressed squeal to escape her lips.

His hands slowly circled around her belly, grazing every indent and bump in their aimless path. For someone whose routine consisted of combat, Star's skin was significantly more supple than he expected. Slightly coarse from the frequent fighting, but overall it was almost akin to velvet. Her body shuddered beneath his delicate touch, his gentle, methodical motions sending waves of electricity to course through her nerves. Her numbness only further accentuated the sensations.

His hands eventually reached the barricade formed by her arms. Marco once again laid eyes on Star, silently asking her to let him pass. With a resigned sigh, she relented, parting her arms and letting them fall to her side, revealing the small, pert breasts that she tried to concealing.

His hands continued to rise once more, stopping at her breasts. His palm made a very contained circular motion, toying with her nipple as it slowly hardened beneath his cursory touch. Star attempted to stifle even more squeaky moans, but to very little avail.

And to make matters more heated, Marco brought his lips just a hair's length above Star's breast, enflaming every fiber of her flesh, her nerves crying out in a resounding chorus of elation.

Marco's lips pecked as much skin as they could find, whether pristine or punctured. At some point, Marco added tongue to the equation, electrifying Star with each slow drag and raising her squeals to levels that would shatter glass.

Marco proceeded to grow more aggressive and push his body forward, forcing Star to bend backwards and lean into an awkward game of Limbo as she still stood on her knees.

Catching herself, she utilized her own strength and pushed back, turning the one-sided game of Limbo into a tied Tug-of-War.

Amidst the oral assault that Marco was loosing upon her chest, Star managed to scrounge enough of her jumbled senses to raise one leg to get on one knee, then slowly push off and gave her other leg enough room to follow suit. In a few moments, Star's back softly met with the mossy ground, dragging Marco along with her.

The sudden shift in position forced Marco's mouth to drop upon Star's nipple. As a result, her legs flew up and contricted his waist as her composure and senses became mush, leaving her a quivering, squealing mess. Though he didn't expect to reach that point so soon, Marco took the chance and ran with it as his lips firmly clamped onto her tit while his tongue licked and lashed every which way. Wanting to be fair, Marco parted from one nipple and gifted his attention to the other, carrying out the same motions as before. A shocking chill ran up and down Star's spine with each and every drag of his tongue, forcing her back to bend and her torso to reach out for the sky.

"M-Marcoo..." She cried out as her hands desperately sought something to hold onto. One of her hands found a handful of his hair and she lightly tugged upwards. Though he winced at the slight discomfort, his motions continued undeterred, with arguably more energy than before.

Star's hands began tugging at his shirt, forcing its hem to rise up and bare his stomach. Noticing the soft, moist feeling of moss against his belly, Marco's lips parted from Star's nipple with a quiet pop as he freed himself from her legs and rose to his knees.

He looked down on Star, taking in the sight of someone who was brought to the brink and pulled right back. A panting, stammering mess of sweat and hormones, eye glazed over and mouth agape in total bliss. That same eye found its way to a chest that had yet to share the same air as her own. This didn't go unnoticed.

"Right, I should probably..." Marco cut himself off as he began to lift his shirt up. Star only nodded in approval as his muscular, dusky skin unveiled itself to her.

Marco's gray shirt flew out of his hands and his hair was made unkempt by the sudden departure of his clothing. As soon as he adjusted his tussled hair, he was met with an eye that seemed to be groping every inch of him Star's mouth went from wide-open to slightly puckered as she drank in the tantalizing image that graced her eyesight.

Much like her, Marco too bore his share of healed wounds, though to a slightly lesser extent. She was then reminded of the first time she had met his thirty-year-old self. The curvatures of his muscles. The smooth, hardy texture of his battle-forged body. Like a sculpture meticulously and lovingly carved by a master artist.

And right here, right now, it was well on its way. Heck, one might even argue that it was no different than what she gushed over then.

"Uhh, you alright, Star?" Marco asked, displaying a bit of worry towards Star's silent stillness.

The words that bounced between the walls of the cave slapped the dumbstruck Star out of her stupor. Still lost in the well-developed contours of his torso, scarcely could she find another thought or decision to make. Except...

"C-c'mere," Star tersely said, almost too quietly for Marco to hear. Though both of her arms reaching out to him was all he needed to interpret her wants.

He did what was asked and promptly hung over her once again, staring into her face that still peered deeply into his chest. She brought her right hand just below his collarbone and dragged it down the entire length of his torso before letting her palm run wild and taking in every hardened curve and edge. Her fingers tingled beneath the smooth roughness of his chest and the warmth that came with it. It was an enthralling feeling that she could never tire of. Though Marco felt a tad ticklish, he didn't feel a tenth of what Star seemed to be feeling when he was committing the same act.

Her hand, as disappointed as they were to leave so soon, parted from his chest and landed upon his cheek. With the slightest of tug that was more of a signal than anything, she brought his face closer to hers and their lips reunited.

The rest of Marco's body followed suit, resting itself upon Star's. The skin-to-skin contact between their bare, glistening chests stoked the embers of their shared passion and ignited them into wildfire that spread throughout every cell in their bodies. Once again, Star threw her legs atop his lower back, trapping him in her web of lust, pulling him ever closer to where he wanted him. She could feel a distinct protrusion jutting from his jeans, grinding against her.

Inversely, Marco felt a damp warmth down low. At first he thought that maybe his little drying session from earlier wasn't thorough, but then his mind discovered the source in a more... far-off and lewd place. They realized that what they felt for each other, what they desired from one another, was made more apparent as they pushed themselves together. Closer and closer did they approach a turning point where neither could come back from.

And neither gave any thought to the consequences. One thing led to another and the two had begun clumsily discarding the rest of their clothing, intoxicated by one another's touch and taste. Far too consumed in their own primal urges to stop and think about how far and how quickly they were going. They wanted more. They needed more. To truly become immersed in each other's bodies and become one.

The implications hadn't reached them until they had made the tiniest bit of contact. Eyes that were once shut in total bliss shot open the moment they realized where they were and began to question if they should go any further. Worried, wide-eyes trailed down to where they were about to connect before meeting one another. Hesitation was made clear as day on their faces and the two made every effort to swallow the lumps in their throats to assure the other.

"Look," They began speaking in unison. A habit that hadn't reared its ugly head for a long time.

"We don't have to if you don't-"

"I mean I want to, but I don't wanna rush into things, y'know?"

"I care about you too much and I don't wanna do anything you're not comfortable with,"

"Especially since-"

Both opted to derail that train of thought before getting into an irreperable wreck. Their tightly grasped gazes bashfully tore away from each other as uncertainty loomed over them like an overcast sky. Marco's eyes was the first to turn to the object of his affections, filled with a burning determination that wordlessly gripped Star's attention as she turned towards him.

"Star." He began. His voice low and solemn. "Remember what I said earlier? About how warriors look nowhere but forward?"

Star nodded, recalling when Jackie first joined them right after challenging Marco for some reason or another. With a verbal test and a swordfight that ended in the blink of an eye.

"Do you think I'm going to let something horrible ruin something special I want to have with you? Have I ever given up on adventuring with you just because I almost died on several occasions? Do you think that, after I was kidnapped by Toffee, I felt as though I should have nothing to do with you? Whenever I failed to save someone or let a clone get away, did that stop me from eventually earning those dimensional scissors?"

"Marco..."

He continued, his tone intensifying with each word that glided off his tongue. "I can't let anything from before drag me down, Star. Drag us down. How could we move forward with our lives if we let that happen? How can we ever hope to see a bright future if we stay in the shadows of the past? The world we're living in now is gonna do everything it can to break us. Make us bleed. Drain our sanity. Take away the things we care about. Over and over until we give in. The question is, are we gonna fall to our knees or continue struggling on our feet?"

Star remained silent. Her heart quickened as Marco's words permeated her being more than any blade can. She felt herself touched by his resolve. Inspired by his will to continue fighting regardless of the insurmountable odds stacked against them.

"Look, I dunno what the future has in store for us." Star softly responded as she tried to match her partner's resolute tone, but came up relatively short. "But what I do know is that I wanna share it with you, Marco."

"Star?"

"Every step of the way. I wanna keep fighting and struggling. Fighting and struggling. By your side. Till the last breath of air and the last drop of blood. For all those that passed away. For all our friends and family still alive and kickin'. For everyone."

"Heh, I'm glad you agree." Marco smiled. "I noticed that... you've been feeling a bit... suicidal recently." He couldn't help but frown as he brought up the thought.

Star averted her gaze once more. "Y-yeah..."

"Y'know, we've been surrounded by death for so long, we come to realize that it's more painful to be alive than it is to die."

"I know that feel..."

"But," Marco perked up. "it doesn't have to be that way. Remember the other thing I said about Bushido? How we seek life in death?"

Star nodded.

"Well, how 'bout it? After wanting to die for so long? After facing nothing but death for the longest time and having nothing but death to look forward to, don't you want a moment where you truly feel alive? Our hearts beat for a reason, Star. We only need the will to follow it."

Rather than giving voice to her answer, Star gave action as she sprung from the ground in a startling swiftness and tackled Marco onto the patch of pink flowers that Marco had inadvertently made earlier. Now it was Star's turn to straddle him. To take the lead and bring them both towards a sensual journey neither will soon forget.

Slightly raising herself above him, Star tightly gripped the firmness that filled her hand. For a moment, she was shocked by what he bore and hesitated to continue, despite how eager she was prior. With a gulp, she lowered herself ever so gently, almost afraid to hurt him or herself despite what the two have already endured up to this point. Perhaps it was their mutual need to make such a pristine, fairy tale moment as perfect as possible. To ensure that their first time would be idealistically free of any issues whether physical or emotional.

So far only the tip managed to go through. A pained yelp escaped Star's trembling lips as her eye clenched tightly to brace herself for the rest.

"Are... are you okay?" Marco quietly asked with worry laced in his voice.

"Mm... mmhm..." Star mumbled, though her barely spoken words belied her wincing expression. As she held herself up, she fought back and forth with herself whether she should take it slow and inch her way down or merely take one single plunge.

She felt a couple hands on her hips. And then her eye peeled open to meet a loving smile that silently reassured her that everything will be okay and she should just go at her own pace.

Wordlessly, she nodded. And with a deep inhale followed by a deep exhale, she raised her hips just slightly before falling upon his pelvis, engulfing his entirety in one fell swoop.

One ear-piercing shriek later and Star completely folded over, falling upon Marco's chest and scaring him out of his wits. Not just because his ears were subject to a bone-chilling sound the likes of which he had never heard spew forth from her mouth, but because she suddenly slumped over like a rag doll.

"Star!" He cried out as he tried to shake her. Her body felt somewhat limp, which fueled his fears even further. "Star are you okay? Star!"

A wave of relief washed over him when her body quivered ever so gently. Her palms met with the mossy, flowery ground and she slowly propped herself up. Stability long departed, every part of her felt like jelly. Her arms shook profusely as they threatened to collapse beneath her. Seeing her struggle to keep herself up, Marco held her by the shoulders.

"M-Marco... we... we-" Star shakily spoke with starry eye and shortened breath. The initial pain was excruciating, but instant. The euphoria that followed was indescribable as every part of her tingled with an intense sensory overload that left her paralyzed with pleasure. Her mind hungrily yearned for this feeling. To ride it out as long as she could, hopefully forever. But her body could scarcely find the strength to continue even as her heart screeched at her limbs and muscles to move.

"Y-yeah. I know..." He spoke through grit teeth, becoming fully aware of how tightly she was enveloping him. How warm and soft she was within. How secure he felt. His heart quickened at the sensation. His nerves went aflame and he felt that, at any moment, his fuse would reach its end.

Star lowered herself one more time to meet Marco's lips. To savor more of his taste as love and lust collided with each thrust. A rhythmic symphony of wet slaps and blissful moans echoed throught the cave. A familiar warmth washed over the two as a fiery-yellow aura cloaked the tangled mess of flesh and hormones, illuminating their forms and turning them into the only source of light in an otherwise pitch black cave.

Both were running on pure emotion and adrenaline, overwriting sense and caution with every second. Neither gave any mind to the world around them, nor the world outside nor anyone else that existed. Not even the cave filled the smallest space in their minds. To Star and Marco, only they existed in this empty world of nothingness. Their problems meant nothing to them. The world they lived in meant nothing to them. Life and death meant nothing to them. They were completely in the moment, having only each other to explore, experience, and enjoy.

As Marco laid directly under Star, the latter decided to prop herself back up, regaining some of her composure. She wanted to lean back and relax as their love-making continued. To savor the moment and peer dreamily into the face of her partner.

Marco noticed the sudden lack of an embracing arm. Rifling through his jumbled mind, he scrounged enough sense to peel an eye open and he felt something within him shatter the moment he did. His pupils became pinpricks and whimpers slowly evolved into dismal sobs.

Eclipsa was straddling him, a sadistic smirk slashed across her face.


	65. This is True Love Makin'

Bliss. Pure, plain and simple.

Long had her body forsook the idea of sensation. Pain, texture, taste, temperature. All meant nothing to Star for the longest time. To be deprived of such a crucial sense. To have her physical tether to the world seemingly severed permanently, it was maddening. Enough to make someone do all they could to bring that back. To hurt themselves to see if they still felt.

But one thing still remained, for one reason or another. Something that Star had plenty of in the past but would never tire of. Something that made her numbness all the more worth it. That which she needed now more than ever.

Marco's touch.

His hands delicately running all over her body. Slow and methodical. Shaky and hesitant. Clumsy and nervous. Long had she abandoned all pretense of her own form being attractive or alluring in any way. Not only had disdained her lack of a figure of voluptous persuasion, but now it had been ridden with ugly scars and battered bruises. Blemishes that many in the world of beauty would look down upon. How horrifying, they would cry. No one would touch that body with a ten-foot pole, they would scoff.

Woe to those who know not the simple pleasures of your beloved lovingly licking and lapping at your body with such feverish fervor, despite such trivial imperfections. Woe to those who could never be loved and embraced by a partner who peers beyond flaws enumerable and tragic.

And woe to those who still bear their normal sense of touch, unable to truly feel every single fiber of their partner's being without extraneous textures and touches obscuring such an enchanting and addicting feeling.

Every little touch and tap, even the slightest, brought wave after wave of undiluted majesty throughout every cell in Star's body. Much so that words were too simple a concept to describe what exactly Star was feeling throughout every savory second. To even process what was going on proved to be impossible for her as her mind had long left the world she inhabited and she began feeling more like a mass of bare nerves. To say that her sense of touch towards Marco was more acute or even sensitive was a massive understatement.

And when his lips had accidentally clamped down on her nipple, it was as if lightning struck her entire body. She only felt an instant, yet sharp explosion in her loins, followed by a warm, steady flowing down her inner thighs. There was no doubt in her mind what exactly that stab in her nethers was nor any less that she craved for more.

Some minutes later and the two had reached the crossroads between innocence and the point of no return. They shakily held each other in their arms and limbs, debating with themselves whether or not they should travel onwards or stay where they were, despite how far they've already gone.

And then right after an awkward exchange of simultaneously spoken words, they traded heartfelt, inspiring nothings to one another. Cementing an unspoken pact they've held for a long time. That no matter what, they will always be fighting, struggling, and bleeding for each other till the last breath. Till the end of time.

And then, something within Star had cracked open. A shattering within that felt like multiple layers of chains unfurling at once. Before she knew it, she had ended up atop Marco as a result of a pounce that her body did without accordance to her thoughts.

Coming back to her senses, Star realized she was precariously looming over him, their sexual unity dangerously at hand. At that point it was made more clear that she might end up biting off more than she could chew.

With a quivering, sweaty hand, Star firmly gripped Marco, aiming him towards her as to make sure he hit his mark. Once more the two shared a look of hesitation, stil unsure whether either one was ready to make that jump so fast, so soon.

And then, with a deep, hearty hiss of breath, Star made her agonizingly slow descent, only managing to engulf the tip. Even the smallest fraction of Marco entering her was enough to send her teetering on the edge. Her legs wavered somewhat violently as a combination of fear and the overpowering sensation of falling held a deathly grasp over her body. She loathed to tarry and loathed just as much to plunge into the unknown.

A couple hands on her hips and a warm smile was enough to bend her heart. In one second. In on gloriously painful instant, she fell. Her heart ceased for but the briefest of moments and the entirety of her bare form slumped over.

The worried cries of her lover dulled in her ears as Star felt- no, experienced heaven for the most meager fraction of a second. She had legitimately felt as though she had died in the quickest, yet most satisfying way possible, but her bind to the mortal plane remained as taut as ever.

Despite that however, her body felt about as heavy and as limp as a corpse. The initial entry's effect on her body was so severe, so excruciating, that it rendered her body numb even to Marco for an instant. And once the sensation of him returned, she began to desire nothing more than to ride the ceaseless flow of euphoria that followed forever.

Once she managed to find what barely remained of her composure, she rose back to her straddling position, confirming with herself and with him if what had just happened actually happened.

She rose herself slightly, the feeling of him slowly dragging against her inner walls nearly reducing her legs to a gelatinous state, which invariably led her to fall back down with a resounding moist smack.

Despite the profusely shaking state her limbs were in, Star found enough of her strength to rise and thrust her hips against him. Over and over. As the seconds ticked by, Star's mind was once again lagging behind her body and all she could perceive was Marco's thrusts rhythmically pulsing along with hers and a passionate chorus of gasping cries that reverberated throughout the cave.

"M-Mrr- Maah...!" Star breathlessly cried out as she struggled to vocalize the only thing her mind could seek refuge in as it fought against a raging, murky current of pleasure. One after another, she had reached her peak with each and every thrust, every drag, every impact. Coating Marco's waist with a flood of evidence that crystal clearly conveyed her insatiable desire for his touch. The two were well past the point of acting out of love and comfort, instead driven solely by animalistic instinct and sordid intent.

Marco's hands idly found their way to Star's torso once again, aimlessly gliding all across her pallid, lithe body, occasionally grazing a nipple or two. It was getting far too overwhelming for Star, the endless sensual assault on her body. Gradually, she felt herself falling into more depraved depths and her squeals reached levels never heard before by mortal ears. It was too much. Too much. Too much. So much that her body found the successive climaxes far too great to process and gradually grew numb to the lewd act they were heatedly committing. It was way too much. Far too much.

Yet not enough at once. Even as she was repeatedly getting hers with each second, Star wanted nothing more than more and more. More. More. She didn't want this to end. She needed this to go on and on and on and on. Until neither could no longer move. Until the end of time.

Buried beneath boundless layers of ecstacy, Star failed to realize that her fingers were digging painfully deep into Marco's shoulders.

 _Heh. ''Bout time, huh?_

"Y- Ye... Yes! YES!" Star shouted to the cosmos, too lost in the splendor to realize what was going on within or around her.

 _Of course. This is exactly what you've been waiting for, craving for, haven't you?_

"Hah...hah... hmm...hm!"

 _Haha... glad to hear it. Ah, but don't let me bother you. After all, this is your special time. Your first time. It's no surprise you're enjoying yourself to the fullest. Can't say the same for him, though._

"Hah...a-ahnnn..."

 _I mean, you do realize how you're handling him right? It's fine though. He's damaged goods. Use him as you see fit. Go wild, Star. Milk him dry. Tear him apart. Just as Eclipsa did._

Star's eye peeled open. The dim, moss-laden cave that they once stood in was no longer. What replaced it was a squelching red interior made entirely of interwoven intestines periodically pulsating to the beat of some erratic rhythm.

But Star didn't care. Her mind reduced to no more sensible than a beast's, her fingers dug even further into Marco's bare flesh, cutting several gashes across his chest and down his torso. Marco's cries of agony and his subsequent shedding of blood and tears fell on deaf ears and blind eyes. Once again, the sensation of him grinding along her hungry, salivating folds only drove her lower and lower, to depths that clouded every bit of awareness in her body and mind.

"St- Star...!"

Reduced to the most base of instincts, Star sunk her teeth into Marco's neck, the force of her bite enough to draw blood and tear off a considerable amount of flesh.

Star rose to her seated height, her thrusts continuing unabated. A gnarled piece of Marco's skin was clasped between her teeth and his blood was spattered all over her lips. Absentmindedly, Star chewed the taste of Marco and the feel of him running down her lips intoxicating her to no end and rolling her eye to the back of her head.

Marco was no longer breathing nor moving. His eyes rolled back as blood began pooling beneath his head. It spread throughout the fleshy instestinal floor like wildfire, almost filling the claustrophobic cave in its entirety.

And then Star saw it. Something in the reflection of that pool of blood peering back at her. A window giving way to what she will become after surrendering herself to that which dug their claws into her psyche.

Returning the most contemptuous gaze and flashing the vilest of smiles, was none other than the accursed countenance of Eclipsa herself. Straddling Marco and silently giving Star her approval by way of a sadistic smirk that stretched from spade to spade.

"Just like her," The reflection spoke, speaking in that horribly distorted amalgamation of Toffee and Star's voice that inherent to the Serpent. Now with an added layer of a third voice that only made the creature's appearance and overall existence all the more maddening.

Star gazed down at her own arms in unprecedented horror when they became that which she had unfortunately recognized. That which she had hoped she would never see again. A piece of what dwelled and slowly consumed her from within. She shakily brought her hands to her face, beyond abhorred at what they became.

A pair of white claws jutting out of a limb molded out of black, corrupted slime.

Star snapped out of her lust-filled stupor with a violent jolt, ceasing every and all movements as she sat atop Marco. Every sense came flooding back to her and Marco's pained cries slithered into her ears, growing from dull and muffled to loud and clear.

"St... Starr..." Marco wheezed through choking gasps as Star's hands had a powerful grasp around his neck, unbeknownst to her.

Realizing what she had done, Star jumped back far enough to send herself roughly hitting the wall behind her. The fresh memory of everything she had just seen, including what she had witnessed herself doing, reduced her to a blubbering, whimpering mess. She fell to her hands and knees before the wall, her line of sight kept as far away from Marco as possible. Her head rested against the wall as hands that shook violently with remorse held her face. Words of sorrow and self-loathing escaped her lips as she made every attempt to suppress the horrific thoughts that swam throughout her mind.

Meanwhile, Marco rose on all fours, attempting to gasp all the air back into his lungs. Dried tears coated his face as he tried hard to recover from what had transpired.

Though it was awful. Though it was like a torrent of misery beating down on him. Though it seared his very being to momentarily return to such a mind-destroying event, Marco breathed in and out for several seconds before shortly rendering his nerves, heart, and mind to a tranquil standstill. He wiped his face clean with the back of his hand before shifting his focus back to his partner, who seemed to have been worse off than he was.

"I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry!" Star frantically made her apology, unsure who it should be directed to. "I didn't mean to... I didn't mean to!"

"Star?"

"I'm awful... I'm a monster..." She whispered through sqeaky gasps. Tears began flowing down her cheek and falling to the ground below.

"Star."

"All I do is ruin everything... everything. I never should've gotten the Wand in the first place. I wish I'd have never been born... Mom would still be here... Everything would've been fine! Perfect!"

Marco didn't stay anything more. Star could barely hear the low rustling behind her growing closer over her own tear-laden, self-deprecating speech.

"Mom... Mom... I'm sorry, Mom! I'm sorry I'm the worst princess in the history of princesses! I'm sorry I've been nothing but a disappointment since the day I was born! I've made life a living Hell for you... and now you're gone..."

Her loathsome train of thought was instantly derailed by a caring hand gently resting on her shoulder. She knew exactly who it belonged to, but she was adverse to meet eyes with him.

"You too, Marco..." Star softly said, still without turning around. "Never should've come to Earth. You'd still be there... away from all this. Away from me. You deserve better. I've made life worse for you, too... since the very beginning."

Silence still remained on the other side. The hand that landed upon her shoulder barely moved an inch nor did the person it belonged to.

"You should just go." Star said with great finality. "Back to Earth. With Jackie and Janna. I'll just... try to take care of this whole thing on my own. This should be my fight, not yours."

The hand tensed just slightly. The fingers grasped tighter, but gently so.

"Heh. Heheheh..." Star chuckled quietly to herself. "Who am I kidding? I can't do this alone... I probably won't even get anywhere. I'm better off rotting down here like Solaria did. Or drowning in that lake. Heh... anything's better than living through this Hell."

Star's entire body faintly convulsed for an instant before stiffening immensely when Marco wrapped both arms around her. His chin replaced his hand resting on her shoulder.

Though Star's body stiffened immensely, the warm, tingling sensation that usually accompanied Marco's touch washed over her and her muscles relaxed. She melted into the embrace, and her hands made their way to her partner's.

"You don't have to go through it alone, Star." Marco assured, his voice just slightly above a whisper. "And I don't mind living through Hell with you."

Star couldn't bring herself to reply right away. She felt far too wrought with grief and guilt to formulate a proper response.

Marco too opted not to say anything more, finding serenity in simply holding his lover, despite what had just happened. The silence, tangible and lingering, provided a comfort that allowed the two to stop thinking for a time and divert their focus to each other's presence.

"I-I saw it, Marco..." Star softly spoke, her voice wavering. "I s-saw her... then m-myself... hurt you... Y-you- you were... she ... I thought I-""

Marco said nothing, his tightening embrace speaking louder than anything he could have ever said. He felt Star shivering severely beneath his grasp and her voice began to break down as her scratchy words dragged along.

"A-am I gonna be like her, Marco?" His body tensed rather subtly upon hearing that vague reference.

"I won't lie, I ended up seeing her, too," Marco's tone took a sullen turn. He heaved a stress-laden sigh before continuing. "But no matter what, I know you will _never_ in a million years become anything like that. You didn't mean it. I know you didn't."

Star didn't feel convinced as she shook her head in denial of Marco's assurance. Hiccups escaped her tightened, trembling lips, which gave way to a soft series of sobs as sorrow began overflowing like a burst dam. The fact that she had brought injury to her beloved as well as seeing that illusion that she had killed him was far beyond any pain that she had endured. The fact that Marco was so readily forgiving towards her was like salt in the wound.

"... Run away from me..." The words were a gasping whisper that could scarcely be heard.

"Huh?"

"I said get away from me!" Star shouted. "Like the first time we met! Stay as far away from me as you can!"

Marco did nothing but hug even tighter. Star proceeded to lash out in an attempt to free herself but, despite her superior strength she could barely squeeze out of his reach. No matter how much she shook and shouted, Marco's arms showed no signs of unfolding, much less loosening.

"Please, Marco!" Star pleaded through tear-filled screams as she violently swayed herself back and forth. "I don't wanna hurt you again. I don't wanna-"

Whatever self-deprecating nothing that would've been made heard died upon Star's lips as they were being sealed by Marco's. Taken completely off guard at first, Star's eye shot open and she was half-tempted to toss him out of the cave. Steadily, any and all strife that weighed on her shoulders quickly eroded into nothing as Star immersed herself into the kiss. Long gone was her will to resist Marco's constricting, yet loving embrace.

When Marco was on the verge of pulling away, Star's lips briefly clamped on his bottom lip, silently begging him not to leave so soon. Instead, the two returned to lingering on in dead silence, with nothing but their low breaths and the waterfall outside being heard.

"I don't deserve you." Star finally said, with a startling sternness that shook Marco. "Now that I think about it, I dunno how you put up with me. Why you still hang around me even after everything I put you through. Even all this..."

"You wanna know something, Star?"

The girl in question felt her heart skip a bit. "Uh, y-yeah?"

"Since you started living in my house, every night before I go to sleep, I stay up later than usual, getting goosebumps over wondering what crazy thing we'd get into the next day. Every day was like a new mountain to climb. Another challenge to overcome. Another opporutunity to get better and braver."

"Wait, really?"

"Mm-hm. And even if some previous adventure or shenanigan ended up nearly getting us injured, almost killed or whatever, I still did it. Every night before I went to bed. Even after Monster Arm. Even after getting kidnapped by Toffee. I'd always lie awake thinking about all the possibilities. Infinity's hard to count, y'know."

Star couldn't help but giggle at that last sentence. "Man, you're weird."

Marco laughed back. "Heh, I blame you. But yeah, there wasn't anything that ever made me excited for the next day. Though, as I stand here now... while we're both completely naked..."

Star's face went beet red the moment Marco reminded her of that fact.

"... I wonder if it was because of the adventures or because I got to spend time with you. The one who made those adventures possible in the first place."

Star couldn't contain her smile when she felt her heart as well as her body thoroughly touched.

"Lemme tell you somethin' else," Marco continued, his tone shifting deeper towards solemnity. "that day we first met was the scariest day of my life. It still is, believe it or not."

"I don't blame ya," Star's lightened tone belied subtle self-deprecation. "I mean, some random chick from another dimension falling into your life, literally making life at the wave of a hand and lighting rainbows on fire? Yeah, I'd probably wet myself, too."

"No, it wasn't that," Marco's pupils shifted upwards as he thought for a moment. "Okay, maybe just a little, but that's not the point. The point is that seeing you do all this crazy stuff with your wand. It was... well, beyond any level of normalcy I'd been used to. It was too much to take in. And then when I found out you were gonna start living in my house..."

"You ran away and tried to move into that convenient store," Star recalled with a grin.

"Yup. But you wanna know why I was so bent on staying as far away from you as possible?"

"I mean, it's pretty obvious, but something tells me it's way more than what I'm thinkin'."

Marco nodded. "It's because that somewhere in my gut, I knew that my life was gonna change if I didn't keep my distance. I didn't know if it would've been for better or worse, but I was too afraid of breaking my own status quo to think about anything beyond. And after we fought Ludo and his goons for the first time... it was then that I realized that maybe that's exactly what I needed. To see what lied beyond the bubble of Marco Ubaldo Diaz. And I have you to thank for it."

"I dunno if I should say, 'you're welcome'. Lotta bad things seem to happen to you because you're involved with me." Star's tone fell to sullen depths as a guilty gaze sunk to the ground. "And you still want us to be... together?"

"Don't you?"

"Yeah of course!" Star blurted out louder than she anticipated, momentarily startling herself. Her voice lowered as she continued. "But... I mean, I just... don't want you to get hurt. By me or anything else because of me... again."

"Doesn't that mean you're worth it?"

"Huhwha?" Star's face rose drastically in temperature.

Marco's arms slid off of her, much to her disappointment.

"Turn around, Star." She heard him say sternly. She emitted an audible gulp, once again reminded of the fact that the two were still naked. With a deep breath, she turned around and was met with a look of determination that seared her to her core.

A pair of strong, loving hands cupped her heart-drawn cheeks as pair of solid brown eyes glimmered towards hers. Her breathing and heartbeat quickened in anticipation.

"Out of all the risks I've run into in life," Marco began, each spoken word like a punch to the gut as she felt the emotional impact behind every one. "you're the one I'm more than willing to take."

"Marco..."

"I mean it, Star. I wanna keep going. To see where we could go. Like you, I dunno what the future has for us, but I wanna see how far it could take us. I wanna have this adventure with you, Star. How 'bout you?"

Star's mouth opened, but words refused to come out. The mind that was responsible for them was too overwhelmed by the barrage of love and sweetness Marco was unleashing upon her.

"Y-yeah... Yeah!" Star shouted, her entire being filled with vigor and clarity. "Of course I do! We're besties, duh!"

"We're also Mess Up Twins."

"And Blood Moon Buddies!"

"'Course, can't forget Trauma Twins, either!"

"Ooh, I feel like upgrading Besties to Branded Besties."

"Haha! Why not? And you just gave us Severed Arm Twins, too."

The two shared a hearty chuckle that gradually died down into silence. The brief mirth they shared felt reminiscent of times where joy and laughter was never in any short supply. Where the two could have fun together without any concern for anything beyond their interests, experiences, and understanding. Indeed they were once spoiled by blissful ignorance and childish decadence, unaware of the dark, depraved depths that awaited them. Something that the two wished they could have avoided entirely and stayed within their little world of sunshine, rainbows, and nachos.

And yet, it was also what they needed was it not? To endure and survive such horrifically tragic events in order to bolster their resolves for the challenge ahead. To overcome mountainous odds that seemingly stretched to infinity. To face the incomprehensible dangers that dwelled beneath and accumulate the strength to conquer them.

And most important of all, to experience adversity and existence going hand in hand, so that the two could unite in the same way.

Star's smile and tone fell to more serious depths. "And now we're-"

Her hands eventually found their way to hiss cheeks and a single eye, like peering into a sapphire cosmos, held within them a longing that drew in Marco ever so closer.

"Lovers of Hell," Their words spewed forth in unison.

Before either of them realized it, they were pulled into each other's lips once more. Mouths gave way for their tongues to meet as they coyly and clumsily lapped at each other. What they lacked in experience, they made up for in enthusiasm. For a period of time neither bothered to measure, the two were lost in the heat of each other's breaths and the taste of each other's mouths.

Eventually, Star fell onto her back, with Marco looming over her as they continued savoring one another's touch and taste. Hands that once lovingly cupped the cheeks of their lover found their way towards one another. Their fingers weaved into one another in a gentle embrace that thinly veiled an ardent refusal to let go.

The two made contact below once again and like before, there was a shaky hesitation on both sides.

However, rather than breath in the air of awkwardness and apprehension, the two shared stoic stares of determination and a firm nod before holding their breaths and diving right in.

"Hngh..." Marco grit his teeth as he slumped over, his limbs losing all stability in one fell swoop. The sensation in his loins reached an intensity that briefly left him paralyzed from the waist down before he regained feeling in his legs, though they felt considerably weaker.

At the same time, Star emitted a high pitched wail that would definitely bear enough strength to shatter glass. Though her limbs were more or less still functioning, they trembled profusely as the remainder of her composure seeped out of her body.

"Hah... hah... Marco, are you...?" Finding enough of her wits, Star nearly failed to catch her partner as he looked to be nearing the edge of unconsciousness.

"Y-yeah, I'm..." Marco had looked as though he ran several marathons as sweat and fatigue took over his entire body. "W-why was it so... intense that time?"

"I-I dunno, but I think... I felt it, too. Like... more than usual."

"Do... do you think," Marco's speech struggled to keep steady between breaths. "Maybe because we-"

"Just went through a lotta pain?"

Marco weakly shrugged. "Maybe? Or we could be feeling each other's-"

"P-pleasure?" Star meekly said as she bashfully averted her red-faced gaze.

"I... guess?"

"Hmm..." Marco pondered as he propped himself up on his arms. His eyes glided over every inch of Star's exposed form, eliciting a rather flustered look from the girl.

"Heh, ya l-like what ya see?" Star sheepishly quipped, trying to compensate the awkwardness with humor.

"Yeah, but I'm just thinking right now."

"About what?"

Without another word, Marco brought a finger to Star's nipple and gave it the slightest press. Right as Star moaned in response, he felt a sharp tingling on his as well, which evoked a rather startled yelp.

"H-huh," Star remarked soon after she recovered. "Lemme try."

Without warning, Star shot up and wrapped her lips around Marco's nipple which caused him to recoil with a soft groan. At the same time, Star tried to suppress another moan as she felt, presumably, the same sensation that Marco had just felt.

"Whoa," Star beamed with a broadened eye. "I _am_ feeling what you're feeling."

"And I'm feeling what you're feeling,"

The two looked at each other with eyes that held a curiosity that belied excitement. While the idea may seemed tempting, uncertainty was dense in the air and exhaustion and weakness had taken hold of their bodies for the moment.

"We should probably, um," Marco said as he averted his gaze. "call it a day,"

"Y-yeah," Though Star wanted nothing more than to continue, she wanted to respect her lover's wishes even more.

As Marco began to remove himself as gently and as carefully as he could, though that proved to be a mistake as the slow drag against Star's inner walls proved intense for the both of them. Every bit of movement sent waves that shook every cell and raised every hair on end. The sensation nearly brought the two on the verge of continuing, but they went with their better judgement.

Tuckered out, Marco laid himself right beside Star on her left, who immediately followed up by resting her head on his hardened chest and laying a palm on his stomach. Though drowsiness slowly settled upon both, they took some time to catch their breaths and gather their thoughts. While Star was already somewhat ahead of Marco as she allowed slumber to slowly take her away, Marco's plain gaze idly adhered itself to the ceiling above as he ruminated over the day's events.

Then for an instant, his eyes looked to be on the verge of bugging out of his head. He felt the approach of hyperventilation, but quickly shot it down as his mind attempted to parse the realization that slapped him across the face.

"Uh, Star?" He called out calmly.

"Mm-hm?" The girl dreamily answered as she nodded against Marco's chest.

"Did... did we just..."

Star couldn't help but smile devilishly as she began to realize exactly what Marco asked and his subsequent feelings on the matter.

"Yup."

"Huh." Marco laid there in silence once again idly running his fingers along the petals of the pink flowers that surrounded the two.

"Wait, flowers?" Marco said puzzled as he swore that the whole cave was covered in moss when they got there. Though he wondered where they came from and how they managed to sprout unbeknownst to them, he quickly dropped the subject as his mind shifted towards something else that may or may not fall under the subject of spontaneously sprouting.

"Star?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think... Mewmans and Humans are... biologically compatible?"

The corners of Star's mouth lifted ever so slightly. "Whaddya mean?" She replied with a playfulness that Marco was keenly aware of and became flustered over.

"Eh-" While curiosity and embarrassment gnawed at Marco's mind, he'd much rather get a vague answer than come to terms with an inevitability that tortured the Safe Kid within him. "N-nevermind. I'm... gonna get some shut-eye. G'night, Star."

Star briefly chuckled before snuggling into Marco's chest and grasping his arm. "G'night."

Star couldn't help but muse over Marco's words. She wasn't sure why, but the idea filled her with a shaky anticipation that kept her awake. Then again, even she wasn't able to answer his question, so she may never find out until some time in the near future. Until then, the two have loads of work to do and countless challenges to overcome. And a score to settle. Let this be another moment of peace and bliss before death comes knocking once again.

"I hope it's a girl," Star faintly whispered.

"W-wha?" Marco's head shot up and he groggily responded.

"Nothing,"

And then came a soft splash of water from outside the cave.


	66. Departure

Glossaryck and Janna stood before the Bonfire, once alive with flames that rose and danced, now barely sprinkled with embers.

"You ready for this?" Glossaryck asked, his blue face Stern and solid.

"Dude, I'm still not even sure what this is." Janna said as she took a knee before the Bonfire, as vaguely instructed. Her little cloth bag full of tiny skulls sat beside her. "Like, what's gonna happen once I go through with... Whatever this is?"

"We're gonna give your life-givin' powers a bit of a boost." Glossaryck explained. "Not only will you have mastery over spooky scary skeletons, but you're also gonna have mastery over souls. And it'll be way easier since Lekmet's sorta alive and inside ya now."

"I'd rather have Spook Knight or Marco inside me, but I guess a Baphomet-lookin' dude'll hafta do for now. No offense, Lekmet."

The goat in question bleated from within, voicing his forgiveness as well as his disgust.

"Oy vey, this kid..." Glossaryck rolled his eyes. "Anything else before we go on with this life-changing and possibly life-threatening venture?"

"Yeah. Any side effects I should know about?"

"You might incur permanent blindness later in life and have vague visions of the end of all life and existence as we know it.." Glossaryck said matter-of-factly."Oh and maybe a bit of skin irritation and bodily pains every now and then. Which may grow increasingly intense the more dark energy you absorb."

"Wait I'm gonna start absorbing a lot of that stuff once I go through with this?" Second thoughts began wriggling their way into Janna's mind and her decision began to waver.

Glossaryck nodded. "It won't be so bad though. It's more like you're drawing and capturing it. You won't get corrupted and you'll keep it from getting to everyone else. Except Star."

Janna couldn't contain her woeful expression. "Is she like, beyond saving?"

Glossaryck averted his gaze as his fingers began grazing the back of his neck. "I wouldn't say thaaaat... More like... Well, we'll just have to see what happens going forward. So you good to go now?"

Janna shrugged. "Good as I'll ever be, I guess."

Glossaryck clapped his hands as a toothy grin graced his blue, bearded face. As if he'd been waiting to do this for the longest time. "Okay! So, present your hand and repeat after me."

"Repeat after me," A smug smirk slashed across Janna's face.

The floating sprite raised an eyebrow. "No, not right now."

"No, not right now." She mockingly spoke with the same tone and intonation her smile unabated.

Glossaryck huffed, seemingly having it up to here. He began to speak the intended words nonetheless. "I am."

"I am."

"A Hugh."

"A Hugh."

"Jeff a get."

"Jeff a ge-" Wide-eyed realization slapped itself upon Janna's face as she wore the look of someone who just played herself. "Hey, fuck you, man."

Glossaryck slyly chuckled."Don't try to out-shitpost the Bantzmaster himself." He proudly pointed a thumb to himself and drank in the flustered scowled that was aimed at him. "But forreal tho, let's get this show on the road."

"Alright, alright." Janna grumbled. Lekmet chuckle-bleated as he revelled in thoughts full of teenage rage and racial slurs that may or may not have been made up specifically for Glossaryck.

"Okay then. Now again. Repeat after me. As I kneel before this flame."

With a resigned sigh, she reiterated as her open palm reached out to the Bonfire. "As I kneel before this flame."

"I pledge my soul and my name."

"I pledge my soul and my name."

"To the lasting of the Age of Fire."

"To the lasting of the Age of Fire.

"So that this world shan't ever expire."

"So that this world shan't ever expire."

"And as I go on to bear this mark."

"And as I go on to bear this mark."

"May we all find solace, away from the dark."

"May we all find solace, away from the dark."

FWOOM

The Bonfire, once thought to have been bereft of life, with scarcely a spark to speak of, exploded in a mass of blinding orange flames. From the base of the coiled poker, a spiky, spiraling white energy rose forth and snaked its way towards Janna's heart. The moment she was struck, Janna pushed into her rear, upon the ash-ridden floor and every detail in her eyes were momentarily replaced with almost completely black pools of emptiness. Save for the tiniest of orange pinpricks that laid at the center of each darkened eyeball.

A series of clashing sensations overwhelm Janna's body as her vision becomes filled with images that accompany said feelings.

A blazing heat, conveyed through an endless expanse of fire.

Then a freezing cold, conveyed through an endless expanse of pitch black darkness.

Then more blazing heat and fire.

Then more freezing cold and darkness.

Heat. Fire.

Cold. Dark.

It seers the flesh.

Chills to the bone.

The images eventually begin to go by so quickly that they all blur to the point of being unrecognizable. The sensations also come and go at such swift succession that Janna became numb to what she was supposed to be feeling.

And then everything ceased. The images eventually shifted to something singular and the sensations replaced with something new.

Janna once again gazes upon the infinite void of darkness, only this time, she could scantly make out something in the distance.

A thin orange line slashed across the horizon. Ribbons of similar color licked, lashed, and lunged towards the blackened sky. Tiny little sprites rose from said ribbons, disappearing just shortly after their brief flight.

Janna could feel nary a thing except...

A faint, emerging warmth pulsed beneath her chest. The temperature remained as it was and the rhythm was steady. Consistent. Serene.

Then.

Back to the Shrine. Back to the Bonfire. And Glossaryck whose smile and expectant gaze fell upon Janna.

She rapidly blinked upon her return. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened upon her abrupt return from such an... Experience. As though Janna was experiencing some endless cycle for years or even eons within such a short period of time.

"Whoa." Was all her addled mind could find so say.

"Yeah, whoa." Glossaryck crossed his arms as he wore a look of pride for the teen. "Congrats Janna. You are now a Fire Keeper."

"Wait," Janna began weighing the implications and their importance in her head. She pointed at the now completely lit bonfire, it's ethereal flames slowly swaying with renewed vigor and vitality. "Does that mean I'm bound to this thing now?"

"And vice versa. Ah, but we aren't done quite yet." He pointed by Janna's feet. "Now close your eyes and present your little bag to Bonfire-chan."

"Only if you never call it that again." Janna mumbled as she did as was instructed.

"Alright kid, now stay as still as ya can."

"'Kay."

With a crack of his knuckles, his neck, every like, his toes, and even his tongue Glossaryck stretched a pair of open, six-fingered palms towards Janna and the Bonfire. He shut his eyes and took a single, lengthy drag of breath.

His eyes, now filled with the boundless cosmos, shot open, and the book patron began rapidly chanting in an unnamable, incomprehensible language in a deep, guttural tone. Janna could hear Lekmet from within chanting in a similar matter and was creeped out by the fact he uttered words that weren't just Baa-aas.

The air became thick and wild. Janna felt as though she was amidst a raging sandstorm.

The ethereal flames that looked as though they longed for the sky were now stretched towards Janna's bag looking as though they were being sucked into it.

Glossaryck's chanting ceased upon the resounding uttering of a single syllable before a consuming cloud of hot ash exploded between Janna and the Bonfire, obscuring all vision for a time.

Once all was clear and Janna was sure she had coughed up a dirty chimney's worth of sooth and not a speck of it touched her eyes, she let them open slowly. A gasp echoed through the silent, empty darkness.

The Bonfire nor Glossaryck was anywhere to be found.

In their place was something else.

A prodigious being looming over her, smothering her comparatively diminutive form in its shadow. Normal people would've shrunken in fear or immediately ran for the hills upon laying eyes upon such a being.

But Janna isn't normal people. Instead she gawked in reverant awe. Her eyes lit up like stars in the sky and her smile widened to exaggerated proportions as she peered into the abyss that lied beyond those hollow sunken eye sockets. As she knelt before this undead God unflinchingly. One simple thought managed to escape her lips.

"Real fuckin' neat-o..."

The being that wordlessly stood before her was a colossal culmination of skulls composing a massive torso, with one skull, presumably its head, high above the rest. A black, torn cloak enveloped its entire body lending more volume to it's already intimidating size.

This ancient, nameless being reached out to Janna, its bony finger tapping the cloth bag she held.

A spiral plume of smoke rose from its "feet" proceeded to consume the skeleton made out of a million other skeletons, obscuring its entire form.

A smaller plume of smoke stretched from the giant skeleton's body and down its arm, soon enveloping Janna's bag.

Seconds pass before another smoky explosion blew forth, blinding Janna and filling her lungs with ash once again.

After a long series of hacking and wheezing, the would-be Occultist peeled her eyes open to find herself back at the Shrine.

While Glossaryck floated there, with an expectant look the Bonfire that he was behind was not in sight.

Because it, along with Janna's bag-o-skulls, had shifted into the form of a regular-sized white skull with a long, spiraling candle lit upon it.

"Now then," Glossaryck cleared his throat as he returned to normal speaking pattern. "I think you'll find your summons to be much different. Stronger. Also congrats once again for not only becoming a Fire Keeper but also the Keeper of the Multiverse's fist Mobile Bonfire."

"Yo can I summon that huge skeleton dude I saw?" Janna got up all in Glossaryck's grill as she excitedly spoke.

The floating man pondered with a few scratches of his eyeball. "I mean, you could try, but I think you'll end up killin' yourself if you do. His soul's kinda a part of you now."

"Really? Awesome!" Janna cheered with a fist pump. "Who was he anyways?"

"Eh, Lekmet's more acquainted with him than I am. Go ask him." Glossaryck floated towards the entrance. He gestured for Janna to follow. "C'mon, let's get back to the others. He can tell you the whole vague story on the way back."

Janna shrugged. With her new Skull/Bonfire thing firmly in hand, she followed Glossaryck back to where everyone was.

-

Once morning hit and everyone rose from their shut-eye, Star and Marco rode on Nachos through the indoor forest, with barely a word nor any sound stirring between them. Though both shared blushed smiles as Star had her arms wrapped around the driver's torso while she rested her head and nuzzled her cheek against his back.

Nachos, on the other hand, seemed to be relishing in her passengers' shared silent embarrassment. Every now and then she'd giggle softly and sneak sly, furtive looks at her master, who would manage to avert his gaze every time and blush profusely.

Nachos turned her head and growled a question at Marco, her smile unwavering.

"Oh stop it, we don't even know if that's possible," The boy snapped back. "Unless there's a pharmacy in this cave, I don't think we can check. And I dunno if I wanna find out.

Nachos wheezed a laugh through her teeth, then directed her attention to Star. She growled a more terse question towards the girl.

"No, I am not translating that," Marco sternly refused, keeping his eyes glued to the path in front of them.

"Why? What'd she say?" Star piped up, slightly raising her head.

"Nothing. Let's just focus on getting back to the others."

"Aw c'mon Marco, it can't be thaaat bad,"

"It isn't, but I'd rather not bring it up,"

"Pleeease?" Star mustered up her best puppy dog look, complete with trembly lips, a childish voice, and big, sorrowful eyes that shimmered with an innocence that all would be compelled to protect.

"Nnnope."

Star rested her head back against Marco's back in a puffy cheeked huff. She could simply let it go and continue to ride in silence. But curiosity gnawed at her psyche and Star was itching to find out what Nachos was saying. If there was one thing she wished she could've inherited from her ancestors is the ability to speak dragonese.

And then a devious idea slithered its way into Star's mind as she flashed a predatory smile.

"Pretty please, Marco...?" She pleaded once more, this time with a low and breathy voice that caressed Marco's ear with hot air and a sensuality that would drive boys to melt. Her right hand dug beneath his shirt, finding his bare flesh.

"Uh, S-Star? What're yo-wha-"

"Oh Marco. I'm just curious is all." Her soft, seductive tone as well as her advances were slowly but surely making cracks in Marco's resolve. Her hand trailed higher and higher up his torso, savoring every nook and cranny of his muscles. Her hand stopped just short of his chest before gradually moving to his side.

"C-c'mon, Star!" Marco writhed beneath her gentle, yet electrifying touch, his willpower wanting beneath her delicate fingers. "C'mon we just... Not while we're on Nachos!"

"Oh, so you wanna leave Nachos somewhere and do it again like, right now?" Crooked and cartoonishly wide doesn't even begin to describe Star's smile at that moment.

"What!? N-no, I mean- I just-"Marco was beginning to lose grasp of the English language as Star's assault continued.

Star giggled, finding more amusement in her lover's frustration than caressing his body. "Oh I don't mind, Marco. I'd love to just get it on again. It would just TICKLE my fancy!"

"Wha-pff...pffpfffpfft..." Marco did his best to stifle his laughter and maintain his composure as he felt Star's fingers dig into his armpit and run wild with the intent to send him keeling over in a laughing mass.

"Star-heheh... C-c-c'mon, you-you're gonn-nana make me f-f-ffaalll over. Ah-aahhh I'm trying to drive here!"

"Not gonna stop till you tell me what Nachos said," Star refuted resolutely."And besides, she could navigate herself."

Soon, Marco could endure it no longer and the boy blew up in an uncontrollable fit of laughter. He tried desperately to resist and keep balance, but it proved to be a monumental challenge to do so. Protests for Star to stop were spread thin between bouts of laughter.

Eventually Marco did what he warned Star about and fell off the side of Nachos, though not without taking someone else with him.

The two ended up a mass of writhing limbs, one pair trying to hold down and tickle while the other tried to push the aggressor away. Soon, Star was afflicted by Marco's contagious laughter and she found herself giggling just as strongly and loudly, if not more.

"Ahem,"

The clearing of someone's throat froze the two in their tracks as they realize they have reached the rest of their friends who stopped what they were doing to gawk at the couple.

Before either Star and Marco knew it, Nachos had already rolled beside Jackie and began whispering in her ear. The girl seemed to be in the middle of some sort of arts and crafts project involving some black ink, white sheets of paper, and some small pieces of wood. Two completed versions of whatever she was making stood by her side. They resembled rectangular lanterns of a sort.

But her crafting ceased when Nachos moved from her ear and left her wide eyes and slack-jawed.

"No way!" Jackie exclaimed in disbelief. "You found 'em doing what!?"

Nachos could only nod and make gurgling laughs in response. Jackie soon joined in, dropping her supplies as her sides were lost to the cosmos.

Rather than chide the dragon or make any attempt to explain himself, Marco dragged his hood over his scarlet face. Star could only sit by and comfort him by rubbing a shoulder as he stewed in his shame.

"What? Whas goin' on?" Janna perked up, lowering the throwing knives she was prepared to throw at an innocent tree. She practically ran to Nachos and Jackie, drawn by the prospect of juicy gossip.

A few whispers later and Janna emitted a gasp so intense that he had accidentally breathed in her saliva, resulting in her choking and coughing. Jackie rose to smack her in the back to help.

All eyes lingered on the couple, causing Marco to retreat even deeper into his hoodie and Star to wave and laugh sheepishly.

"Where mah money at, Jack!?" Janna suddenly yelled, sounding not unlike a pimp chastising an underperforming hooker.

"Dude, what're you on about?"

"The bet!" Janna answered as she held out her hand. "Remember that bet we made after we found out Star was staying at Marco's house?"

"Bet?" Star and Marco questioned in unison. Starco ending confi- oh, wait.

"C'mon Jan, I thought we were waaay past it by now."

"Well that was when we all thought you won the Marcobowl and figured there was no way they did it then. There's no doubt now. Pay up, girl."

"You can't just retroactively turn a bet around like that. That's not how it works."

"Can and will. Now pay up."

"Ugghh," Jackie rolled her eyes. Rather than simply argue any further, Jackie reached for her gun and extended it to Janna.

"Oh I see. Tryna shoot the debt collector instead of paying what you owe, huh? Nice try, but I'm gonna haunt you for the rest of your life till I get that sick-fiddy!"

"What? No dude, just..." With her finger in the trigger guard, Jackie deftly flipped the gun so the handle was directed at Janna. "Here, just take this for now. I'm sure it's worth way more than $6.50."

"Whoa," Janna marvelled, gazing into her own stretched face reflected across the glossy silver barrel of the pistol. "you're givin' me your gun?"

"Why not?" Jackie shrugged as she continued her crafting project. "I'm more of a hack n' slash outta nowhere girl myself. Figured since you can't physically keep up with me, Star, or Marco, it'd suit your more uh... Sideline playstyle."

"Oh Jackie," Janna facetiously wiped a tear from her eye as she was touched by the nice, yet back-handed gesture. "I could just kiss you right now,"

"Yeah, despite what the internet thinks, I don't swing that way, bro."

"Whoa Jackie, is it the Bon Festival already?" Marco remarked as he walked up to Jackie, Star following closely behind. "Why're you makin' paper lanterns?"

"It's not, but I just happen to find some supplies in that Japanese exhibit. Nostalgia crept up on me and I just felt like makin' 'em."

"Oh man," Marco gazed wistfully to the cavern ceiling as he immersed in fond reminiscence. "I remember when Dai-sensei taught us how to make 'em. Every year, whenever we send ours across the river, there's never a dry eye in sight."

Jackie paused for a moment before she continued. "Mmhm. Thought it'd be a cool send off thing to do before we leave, y'know? Considering what's been goin' on."

"So what's the whole paper lanterns thing all about, anyways?" Star asked.

"Nagashi-Toro." Marco answered. "At the end of a certain annual festival, we make these paper lanterns, write the name of someone who died on them, and send them down the river in remembrance of them."

"It's said to help souls of the long gone find their way to their afterlife." Jackie added.

"Huh." Star remarked as she pensively stared at the two blank lanterns. "Sounds kinda sad. But pretty sweet."

"Yup," Marco began approaching the remaining pile of lantern parts. "Here, I'll help ya out with the rest"

For a about an hour or so, the gang spent the time relaxing and generally doing their own thing. Jackie and Marco chatted as they created the remaining two paper lanterns.

Janna continued practicing with her throwing knives and then eventually moved on to test-shoot her newly acquired gun. She couldn't aim to save her life nor could she shoot without the recoil sending her two steps back. At some point, Jackie had to step in and help her out. Every now and then, Janna would look Star's way and prod about what she did with Marco the previous night, to which the girl adamantly ignores with cold shoulders and icy glares.

Star practiced with her new Greatsword that was left behind by her late great grandmother Solaria. Though its cumbersome weight proved no issue to handle, it really did feel like swinging a chunk of heavy metal instead of an actual sword even if it was crafted with the care that it was. Star felt as though she could topple buildings or even castles with it as each slash of air emitted a deep and meaty whoosh. She never figured out how to bring forth the lightning enchantment and when she attempted to cast one of Solaria's spells upon it, there bore no effect. Not even her All-cutting spell could touch it.

Speaking of things Solaria left behind.

"Hey Marco, you still got those rings from before?" Star asked after she ceased her swings.

"Huh?" Marco abruptly ceased his Hamon breathing exercise as he was called out. He then dug in his pocket and fished said rings out. "Oh yeah. Gotta ask Glossaryck about these."

"He's probably still in Janna's hat," Star deduced. "Say Jackie, you see where Janna bo banna went?"

"Think she went to go check on that nest to see what that bird dropped." Jackie answered as she organized her throwing weapons.

"Bird?" Marco asked quizzically.

"Yeah some crow's nest that we found with a bird outta sight that caws on about Cute and Perfect or something. Apparently you could trade stuff with it."

"What'd she trade with it?"

"One of your hoodies."

Marco sighed with resignation as he rolled his eyes. "Why am I not surprised that she has one?"

"We each do, really." Jackie spoke without a hint of irony in her tone.

"Star, you too?"

"Guilty as chaaarged." Star said in a sing-song manner as she slowly raised a palm.

Marco sighed once again. "At least those things are pretty chea-mmf!"

Marco's face was suddenly hugged by a long, red scarf. A similar shade to the hoodie that was exchanged for it.

"Ugh, lame! Ten hours for a dumb scarf? Totally not worth it!" Janna shouted as she strolled into view. She removed her hat and dipped her face in to file a complaint. "Yo Gloss, this pawn crow suuuucks!"

Like an alert prairie dog, Glossaryck sprung from the hammerspace beanie. "Well, you haven't even tried every possible item yet."

"Yeah and I'm not gonna waste my time getting trading for stuff that may or may not be useless. I mean, c'mon, a scarf? That's like a complete downgrade from a hoodie!"

"It's super soft though. And warm." Marco remarked as he ran his fingers and rubbed his face upon the scarf. As if it was handwoven from the softest, smoothest silk by the heavens. There was also a faint heat surging throughout its fibers. For some reason, Marco felt in tune with it, for lack of a better term. As he would it around his neck, he began feeling as though he was embraced by his own mother. "Mmm, I think I'll keep this."

"Tch, whatever," Janna scoffed, she then extended the back if her hand, showing off a couple rings. "Least I got a ring that could make me do SICK NINJA FLIPS, BIAAATCH!"

She proceeded to do just that, backflipping and cartwheeling all over the place. Even doing some light parkour off the trees.

"I mean, Jackie and I are already able to do that," Marco rebutted. "And Star could sorta fly."

"Buzz buzz," Star squeaked as she flapped her palms to emphasize.

"Ah, but that's not all! Check this out!"

Janna proceeded to backflip several meters into a wide open path until her form faded out of view.

"Can you guys see meeee?!" Janna shouted in the distance.

"Noooo! But I'm still not impressed!" Marco yelled back.

"Fuuuck youuu, Marcooo!"

"Already beat ya to it, Janna Banana!" Star smugly shouted back. She then shared a low five with Marco to commend that sick burn.

"Say Glossaryck," Marco called out, bringing out the rings he had kept. "Whaddya suppose these two do?"

The little blue guy's eyes lit up the moment he laid them upon the gold ring. "Oh hey, there's the Fap ring!"

"Yeeaahhh, can we not call it that?" Star piped up. "Hope it doesn't do what I think it does."

"Despite the name, it has no lewd properties to speak of. What it does is give you higher stamina, helps you take more beatings, increases your endurance and... Oh dear it does sound like it could have some dirty connotations, doesn't it?"

"Oh geez, okay..." If Marco were to roll his eyes any more, then they'd end up popping out of his sockets. "What about this sinister looking black one?"

"Uhh..." Glossaryck hesitated for a moment as he gazed upon the singular orange eye that peered from beneath its dark, metallic nest. "You're better off tossing that somewhere. Preferably down a volcano."

"Uh and why would you suggest that?"

"Well, unless you want your journey to be even more painful than it already is, I don't advise letting that anywhere near your finger."

"Sooo increased sexual potency aaand bad times ahead." Star concluded as her eye darted to each ring."

"You're right on the latter, but the former's way more than that. It's pretty much a must have for any adventure really. Who would turn down more health, stamina, and carry weight? Only downside is that the ring'll break if you remove it."

"Y'know the way she fights nowadays, I think Star should have it." Marco suggested. He then took Star's right hand in his and placed the Ring of Favor and Protection upon her ring finger.

"I do," Star softly spoke, absentmindedly.

"Huh?"

"Uh, I-I said fondue," Star frantically said as her eye darted rapidly to and fro. "Sorry. Thinkin' of cheese."

"Two rings at a time, kids," Glossaryck informed. "Effects from extras won't apply unless you take another off first. Janna has the rest of 'em."

"Right. We should catch up, take our picks and be on our way."

"Don't forget the lanterns." Jackie reminded as she carried three of them. The forth one she left behind since Janna hadn't written a name in it yet.

Jackie, Star, and Marco silently stood by the gently flowing river, peering pensively into the names written with care onto each of their lanterns.

"Wish I could write more names on this thing." Star said.

"Same," Jackie replied as she cast her sorrowful seafoam eyes upon the name, "Melody".

"One soul at a time, guys," Marco said as his eyes slowly glided across the name "Yang," for the nth time. "Remember the motto. 'Swallow your tears...'"

"...And send our hearts adrift," Jackie finished.

The two former Aoikage-ryu students gently placed their lanterns upon the placid river, and the lanterns were soon taken by the gentle current. Their names as well as their souls following a clear path towards peace in their afterlife. Nachos, sensing the sorrow between the two, purred and nuzzled against each of their sides.

Star hadn't placed hers yet. Instead her one good eye lingered a little longer. The name she wrote sent a tingling through her nerves as her face hardened.

"I'll make things right again," Star said as her heart beat rapidly with determination and conviction. All the suffering she endured. The loss she incurred. She won't let any of it happen again. To anyone else. "I promise,"

With a heavy exhale, Star allowed the river to take her lantern away, "Moon Butterfly" soon joining the rest of the departed souls to find peace.

Though, as meaningful as the ritual was, Star didn't believe anyone who was lost in that whole disaster would find peace until justice was dealt to those deserving of it. Swift, vengeful justice. With her new Greatsword in one hand, her Wand in the other and her friends right beside her, she knew that nothing could stand in their way.

All eyes were drawn on a fourth lantern casually drifting into view. As if it wasn't obvious enough that it was hers, her name was foolishly scrawled across the paper.

"Uh Jan, y'know you're supposed to put the name of someone who passed away, right?" Jackie, though better late than never, began to question her friend's intelligence at that moment.

Janna shrugged nonchalantly. "Eh. Just plannin' for the future, is all."

-

With all of their gear and supplies accounted for, a new base of operations secured, and fulfillment and vigor in their hearts, the five gave their last wink and nod to Solaria's Armory as they climbed from it's steps, baring themselves to the sun-kissed Forest of Certain Death. Ready to take on Rhombulus's prison.

Jackie was on the verge of tearing a portal open with her tanto when a surrounding presence gripped her attention and the multiple pulling of bolts caught her ear.

"What the-"

The four teens and the dragon suddenly found themselves with their feet frozen in their tracks and weapons drawn. Rifle barrels belonging to fully armored mewmans and monsters in every cardinal direction ached to let loose lead the moment someone felt foolish to attack.

"By order of the Queen, drop your weapons and come quietly!" Loudly barked a deep, feminine voice that demanded attention and seeped with ironclad authority. "Don't be an idiot and you won't hafta spend your eternal afterlife pickin' lead outta yer ass!"

The source of the voice blasted from a knight who sauntered into the scene, presumably the leader of this would-be firing squad. An imposing figure whose bulky, blue-silver armor looked to have seen its fair share of skirmishes. Though it still shone beneath morning sun. The knight bore a fearsome helm resembling a piranha bearing a single red ponytail that stuck out of the top.

"Wait a minute..." The leader spoke once more, subtley dropping the authoritative aura she exuded. She then removed her helm, revealing the hardened, yet shocked countenance of a blue-skinned, yellow eyed woman. Like Star, an eye patch covered her left eye.

"Jackie?" The woman said as she bore sharp, white teeth.

"Uh, sup 'Dyne?" Jackie sheepishly greeted, overwhelmed by the feeling of her pants being filled with pasta.

-

 **Author's 1st Will and Testament:**

 **Apologies for the long time between updates. Computer's on the fritz and now I'm driven to write on my phone. Is this how artists feel when they draw with a mouse?**

 **Anyways, Prison Arc coming riight up! Hope you guys are ready for a penitentiary experience that'll make Superjail and JoJo part 6 look like time-out in comparison!**

 **Well don't, because you won't find it here.**

 **Bless**


	67. Stone Ocean

"The heck are you doing here, Jacks?" The piscine woman asked, eyeing the girl in question suspiciously. The blue and red fins on each side of her head flapped as she spoke. "Thought you quit and went home."

"Uhh, I uh..." Jackie's eyes darted all over the place as her mind grasped for a way out of this. She then realized she still held out her tanto, preparing to rip a portal open.

"I uhh, was just about to bring these two to Eclipsa! Yeah, that's it!"

"Wha-" Star directed a searing gaze towards Jackie upon witnessing such a sudden heel turn. "Jackie, what're you-"

Star's sentence was cut short as Marco bumped her with his elbow and flashed an assuring wink. The mewman girl soundlessly uttered "ohh" in realization.

"Uh-huh," The knight leader plainly spoke. "So you decided to just retry bringing those two in after quitting for failing to do so in the first place?"

Jackie managed to muster up enough of her cool to retort with more confidence. "Yup. Figured it wouldn't be right to chicken outta unfinished business. Ain't that right, Undyne?"

"I guess," Undyne scratched her smooth, scaly face. "Well, our Intel stated princess over there was excessively violent and prone to fits of frenzy resulting from a Berserk spell. I'm a bit surprised she, along with her buddy there, agreed to go with you, all things considered. And while they're still armed."

"I wanted to be cool about this and not have to treat 'em like prisoners. And besides, they're my friends." Jackie replied.

"Friends or not, they're both still wanted by the King and Queen. And there's been a change of plans. They hafta be taken to St. Olga's Gulag instead of the King and Queen directly."

"St. O's?" Star piped up. "But I thought that place was wrecked like, forever ago!"

"Well, Heinous got a new place now and it sure as hell holds way worse than naughty princesses. Especially scumbags like you who murder innocents and speak when they should keep their pie-holes shut instead."

"Scumbag?" Star repeated as her fingers twitched with violent intent. She took one hard stomp forward, drawing all the nearby soldier's barrels. "Oh I'll show you who's a scumbag!"

"Starrr, cool it..." Janna quietly hissed through her teeth. "We got guns on our grill..."

The fish woman grinned with delight towards the teen's bold challenge. "Good luck, I've got an entire rifle platoon behind me just waitin' to pull the trigger. You're lucky you're needed alive. Otherwise I would jump at the chance to off a psycho like you right here and now."

"I'm the psycho!?" Star shouted, her fury laid bare to all in attendance as she raised her Greatsword. "You have no idea what you're talking about you-"

"Star." Marco calmly, yet firmly called, instantly bringing his partner's rage to a halt.

The blonde gave her lover a look as though she was ready to protest, but a stern shake of his head immediately quashed any such notion. She simply sighed and nodded in resignation.

"Heh, I was told you were the smarter one." Undyne remarked at Marco. "Dunno why you're still besties with her, dude."

"Maybe there's a good reason for it," Marco replied passive-aggressively.

"Whatever it is, it couldn't be worth it." Undyne pursed her lips as her eye squinted towards Marco. "Reminds me of a kid I know. Always quick to forgive 'cause they saw the best in everyone. Though I'm sure even a little saint like them won't forgive a demon like her." She pointed at Star. "Anyways, didn't I tell you guys to drop your weapons? Put 'em on the ground and get yer hands behind yer backs."

Star and Marco complied, placing their swords gently on the ground and bringing their arms behind them.

"You think you're slick?" Undyne barked, noticing that Star only dropped her sword. "The Wand, too! Keep in mind that pulling a trigger is faster than casting a spell."

Star brought her Wand out, tightly grasping it in both hands. Her memories, her duties, and her livelihood were tied to this Wand and it ached her to part with it.

"You rather have it shot outta yer hand, 'princess'?"

Star's eye attempted to burn holes into Undyne's face before she gently placed her Wand upon the ground, like releasing a beloved pet into the wild.

Soon after, four soldiers approached the couple, two of them holding a pair of handcuffs carved out of crystal. The moment Star and Marco were cuffed, their restraints shimmered shortly before half of their forearms became encased in blocks of crystal. Other soldiers approached to scoop the weapons and the Wand from the ground.

"Take a note that I plan on pickin' those up later." Undyne informed the soldiers as they carried the weapons away.

Janna was about to drop her skull candle when Undyne called out to her.

"Not you. You got nothing to do with this."

"I'll take her home with me." Jackie spoke up. "Least let us see 'em off before you lock 'em up."

Undyne raised an eyebrow before conceding. "Okay fine. But only because the guy's your boyfriend."

"Not anymore." Jackie uttered plainly.

"Oh." Undyne sheepishly rubbed behind her head. "Sorry to hear that. But either way,"

The knight brandished a pair of dimensional scissors, then proceeded to snip a rift in space, giving way to an outer area of the aforementioned Gulag.

"Half the team return with me and the prisoners to the Gulag," Undyne barked, addressing her armed Entourage. "Other half, investigate and secure the hole they just came out of!"

With that, Star and Marco's feet were driven forward by a pair of rifle barrels prodding their backs. Jackie walked beside her arrested friends.

"Hang in there, you two." She vaguely said before catching up with Undyne.

Star and Marco instinctively tried to grab one another's hand but were stopped and reminded of their situationby the clinking of their blocky restraints.

As everyone stepped through the portal, they were greeted to a massive, yet opulent fortress, standing tall within an outer square wall that boasts around several dozen feet, walked upon by a garrison of rifle-equipped troops on each side.

A tall set of stairs climb up to the front entrance, which comprised of a pair of towering double doors that are left wide open for staff to come and go for work and convicts to come and stay for their sentences.

The group were led into a wide main room, another square with more tall double doors on each side. In the very center of the room was a gigantic, donut-shaped desk with about a dozen receptionists within either answering mirror phones or speaking to staff.

Undyne went ahead and spoke with the nearest receptionist very briefly before before gesturing to her tagalongs to follow. Everyone went around the massive desk and headed towards the door across the entrance. Said door led to a long, winding corridor, passing by pathways and doors as they traveled straight ahead.

"So uh," Jackie began as she walked beside Undyne. "How long're they gonna be stayin' here?"

Undyne shrugged. "Dunno. That's up to the Wardens to decide. I was just tasked with bringin' 'em here."

"Uh-huh. So how's Alph been these days? Haven't seen you guys in ahwile."

"Busy with science-y stuff like always. Oh hey, that reminds me!" Undyne suddenly lit up."Y'know, me and her are plannin' another anime marathon next weekend. You up for it?"

"Mmm, what shows?"

"Two of 'em. Don't 'member the names, but they both gotta do with pool sports. I just know one of 'em got booty-bumpin' between buxom beauts and I'm all about that. Her choice since I picked last time. I think the other one has dudes that rarely wear shirts. Might be more your speed. Want in?"

"I'll think about it."

"Aight. We invited you thinkin' you were still steady with that dude. Was hopin' we'd make it a double date after we get everything situated. Y'know, after they get his magic arm thing."

"Mmhm."

"If ya don't mind me askin'," Undyne's yellow gaze veered off to the side before returning to Jackie. "What happened anyways?"

Jackie shrugged, her gaze going over her shoulder towards Star. "He made his choice."

"Wait." Undyne looked back at the would-be prisoners, who walked beside each other with their arms rubbing. "Don't tell me he left you for... her?"

Jackie said nothing, keeping her thousand-yard stare dead ahead.

"Oh geez, now I'm starting to doubt that dude being the smart one."

Again, Jackie gave no reply.

"Hey it's fine, girl." Undyne assured, her hand gently landing upon Jackie's shoulder. "Plenty o' fish in the sea. 'Cept me, 'cause I'm already spoken for, but you get the idea. If he'd rather go for psychopaths like her, then you're better off."

Eventually, everyone reached a T-junction. Before them stood two signs that read "Female Cells" on the right and "Male Cells" on the left, with arrows beneath that pointed to their respective directions.

"We'll see you guys at visiting hours. Later this noon." Jackie said to the two.

"And we'll be sure to bring 'gifts'." Janna said. "Maybe a couple 'toothbrushes'. Can't forget about your hygiene, know what I mean?"

"Alrighty then," Undyne about faced to address the crowd. "Some of you come with me to escort 'princess' to her cell and the rest-a ya escort the dude to his."

"I am not going anywhere without him," Star shook off the guards that tried to drag her away and stomped her way next to Marco.

"How sweet, but that's not how it works 'round here, princess." Undyne chided as she walked up to Star. The knight leered down at her in an attempt to sway her with a single, piercing eye. Her voice lowered to threatening volumes as she spoke. "You're gettin' split whether you like it or not."

Undyne strongly jerked Star by the arm, to which the former princess quickly responded with a high kick to her face.

Only for the knight to stop it with a grip on her ankle.

"Assaulting an officer of the law, huh?"

Effortlessly, Undyne pulled Star by her feet, hanging her upside down. And with one, quick motion, tossed her over head and slammed her face-down onto the hard, crystalline floor. A loud crack echoed through the halls.

"Star!" Marco cried out. His attempt to run to her aid was stopped by a pair of rifles.

"'Dyne, what the hell!?" Jackie yelled as she ran to the knight.

"You saw it, Jackie. She struck first." The fish woman plainly said as she knelt before the prisoner's body. She dragged her back up to her feet and brought the girl's bruised, battered face to hers.

Star's chest heaved. Growling breaths slip through her shut, cut-open lips. Her mouth was like a bleeding scar as crimson dripped off the corner of her lips.

"Wanna try somethin' else, little girl?"

The taste of iron coated her tongue.

A few loose teeth were being juggled between her cheeks

All sense and caution were tossed to the wind as Star spat a mouthful of blood and teeth into her captor's face. A rebel princess even in the face of imminent incarceration.

"Whoa, Star..." Janna muttered beneath her breath as she watched the whole debacle unfold. "You're hardcore..."

Undyne, after wiping the red off her face, sent her metal-wrapped fist into Star's stomach, driving the wind out her lungs and the stability off her feet.

Undyne lifted Star's face to peer up at hers once more.

"You done now?" Undyne seethed as she bore her sharpened teeth. "Got it all outta your syste-"

A flying kick struck the piscine enforcer square behind the skull, forcing her to stumble and drop her prisoner to the floor. She kept steady and turned around to meet her other rebel.

A scorn-ridden Marco stood there. A pair of knocked out guards leaned against the walls behind him.

His teeth bared. Short, seething breaths escaped him.

Piercing green gleamed from each eye.

Much to the raven-haired girl's protest, Jackie had already had rushed Janna and herself away from the premises.

As Undyne gazed into the face of a vengeful lover, she bore a look not of fear not anger.

But intrigue.

The two guards that stood beside her shivered as they leveled their wavering rifles at the boy. Though their minds screamed to pull the trigger, an unseen force froze their shaky fingers in place.

"C-captain Undyne?" One of the soldiers called out. "W-we should call for reinforcements."

"Y-yeah, we should," The other one affirmed. "Sssituation's gah-got outta hand."

"No."

"What!?" The two shouted in unison.

"Stand fast," Undyne spoke, her tone eerily calm and her face as hard as the plate armor she wore. She slowly lowered her cohorts' rifles and walked forward. No weapons. No fear.

Marco didn't budge an inch even as his foe approached. He stood his ground, his legs bent low.

The teenage heart, a fickle thing ,really. A domineering thing.

It makes people crazy.

It makes people forget.

It makes people determined.

When the one they love is tortured by the world.

Marco threw another foot Undyne's way.

Who stopped it with a single palm.

The boy immediately followed with several successive kicks as he hovered above Undyne, kept aloft by the sheer speed of his barrage.

The knight was pushed back as she tried to defend herself. Her gauntlets took the brunt of the attack, though it wasn't enough to prevent shoeprints from embedding themselves into her face.

Marco landed back on his feet the moment his strikes ceased and was prepared to unleash another kick.

That is, until a sizzling surge of electricity wrapped itself all over his body. His body folded over as he tumbled to the hard floor a smoking mass of burnt flesh.

A few guards, different from Undyne's company, stood behind Marco. They were more reminiscent of Heinous's robot guards, only more advanced. Though they still bore their beige uniforms, they were layered from head to toe in Kevlar-esque armor. Gas masks covered their faces. Semi-auto pistols, various grenades and other riot-control gear rested at their hips. They held long staffs with electricity crackling at the tips.

"I had it under control, y'know," Undyne remarked as she crossed her arms. "'Sides, we got anti-magic fields keepin' his powers muzzled. Wouldn't have pulled anything even if he wanted to."

"Security and subjugation is prime, Ms. Undyne," One of them garbled, his deep voice slightly distorted by radio. He hefted the now-unconscious Marco over his shoulder, gave a quick salute to Undyne and made their way down the corridor to the men's section of the prison.

After wiping her face and readjusting her jaw, Undyne turned back to Star, who laid there in stunned silence after witnessing what had just unfolded.

The Captain dragged Star onto her knees, the latter's face brought tenously close to the former's. Her hot, fishy breath uncomfortably hit Star's face as Undyne spoke.

"You wanna try somethin', too?" She seethed.

Star did nothing this time. Though behind her unaltered scowl, lied dark and violent thoughts on how to bring this shark bait's end in the most brutal way possible.

"Hmph. Good." Undyne jerked Star back to her feet. And roughly shoved her down the hall toward the Women's section of the prison.

Star peered over her shoulder, her sorrowful gaze meeting Marco's limp, swaying form as the two were drifting from one another.

Though they were in the same hallway.

In the same building.

The pain in Star's heart grew as the distance broadened.

They might as well be a planet apart.

So much has been taken away from her.

The home in which she found love and sanctuary.

The people she was supposed to lead and protect.

The mother that brought her into this world and fostered her growth and stability.

Her left arm.

Her left eye.

Just moments ago it was the Wand that her Ancestors have passed down. A weapon of unprecedented power. A symbol of status. A duty to fulfill.

And now they were taking away another part of her life too crucial to lose. Too precious to keep apart. Right after they had cemented a relationship that she had yearned for.

It hadn't even registered to Star that she had suddenly released herself by tossing her captor into the wall. She wasn't aware of the fact that she's frantically barreling down the hall running as fast as her legs could go. She couldn't even feel her own lungs cracking beneath the repetitious shrieking of his name as the image of him slowly grew larger as the distance between them grew smaller.

Star had completely forgotten that being here was part of the plan.

Star was deaf to the soldiers shouting at one another and opening fire.

She was numb to what felt like a handful of spears piercing her back.

She wasn't slowed down by the rifle rounds that tore into her muscles and lodged into her bones.

Her toppling to the floor did nothing to prevent her from slithering her way towards him.

A screaming, broken mess worming her way down the hall, staining the crystal floors with a lengthy trail of blood.

She can feel it. Bubbling from within. Clawing at the inner walls if her psyche. Pounding against her chest as she growled and roared like a raving beast.

Desperation lined every fiber of her being as she bent every effort to wear her hatred and anger around her body to act out her desires.

And yet, there was nothing.

Not a single spark nor a single drop.

The Beast has been caged.

Silenced.

She called out to it. As loud as possible with as much fury she could muster to arouse it.

Marco was nothing but a dot at the end of the long hallway. Before his entire form disappeared behind a set of doors.

It was the last thing Star's eye managed to catch before taking a hard blow to the back of her skull followed by darkness filling her vision.

-

Here she was again.

Hello darkness, her old friend.

Floating in the vast emptiness of pitch black space.

Not a sound nor a sight to behold.

It's been a while. Three weeks specifically.

Wonder what piece of Eclipsa's memory she'll listen to this time?

If that'll even be the case.

Or was she actually dead this time?

Nah, couldn't have been.

She's taken hard blows to the head before.

Since Dad dropped her on her head once when she was an infant.

Geez.

Guess that explains a lot, doesn't it?

Star took a hand to her temple as she wondered just how much smarter she'd be if she hadn't gotten knocked in the head so much.

Probably wouldn't have gotten herself and Marco brutalized by the guards.

If only he was here. Holding her. Telling her they were gonna get through this.

Star clutched her chest as her heart ached.

Wait.

Hand?

Temple?

Chest?

She had a body this time!

Not only that but the parts that were missing are present.

Which begged the question.

Where in the Astral Realm is she then?

And how did she manage to catch a glimpse of Eclipsa's memories?

Ow.

Star's head throbbed.

She wasn't sure if it was because of the head trauma or all the mysteries piling up.

Star's attention was suddenly taken by a dot of light that shined in the far distance.

A way out?

A glimmer of hope?

She had no idea, but anything was better than being stuck in the darkness.

She went forth, swimming through endless space. Towards her new, clear goal.

By the second, it getting closer. Larger. Brighter.

Almost as if it was moving towards her as well.

As the light closed the distance, it was becoming much more clear as its identity.

Star gasped as she recognized it.

That child of light.

Its short, luminous tendrils of hair trailing behind it as it floated towards Star.

She tried to speak to it. Inquire things of it. But alas, she couldn't utter a single sound.

The child drew closer, extending a hand as she did so.

Remembering their last interaction, Star thought to do the same.

However, when their hands were about to touch, the Child's hand veered low.

And then its palm connected with Star's abdomen.

Though she was confused, Star did nothing to resist. The last time they had met, the child bore nothing but benevolence, helping her and Marco out of a jam.

Perhaps it was trying to help again. In its own weird way.

A high pitched whining that shattered the silence, starting Star out of her with.

As Star looked down she saw that a ribbon-like energy, colored in deep red and bright gold, wrapped itself around the child's arm, connecting from her abdomen to the child's ethereal form.

It reminded her of how her mom described her exchange with Eclipsa.

How she passed down her spell to her.

Once the ribbon of energy dissipated, a pair of stars gleamed white on the Child's cheeks.

Before Star could question anything further, she was blinded by flash of light that grew from the Child's core at an exponential rate until the darkness was completely engulfed.

A voice rung out amidst the infinity of light.

 _Happy Birthday._

-

Star awoke with a shocked gasp, her body buried beneath a sheet of white linen as she gazed into an unfamiliar ceiling.

Well, sorta unfamiliar. She recognized that she was still in the prison.

Didn't take long to deduce she was in some sort of infirmary. A curtain of white sheets flanked her at both sides as well as in front. Loud groans and the steady beeps of heart rate monitors joined one another in agonized harmony. Star's arm was connected to an IV Fluid bag via transparent tube.

"Well, well, well, look who finally decided to rise and dim," In walked a middle aged portly mewman woman in a doctor's coat and a medical clipboard in hand. Auburn hair ran down her shoulder and her voice sounded like she breathed tobacco, gravel, and razor blades. "Why ain't I surprised that the Blonde Devil 'erself got herself fucked seven ways to Sunday before even findin' her cell? Hell, even gettin' 'er designation numbah?"

When Star attempted to prop herself up on her arms, she immediately collapsed back onto the bed. Her arms were feeling like cracked twigs that might snap with the slightest of pressure.

"Ya got any idea how much lead I had to pick outta ya's?" The doctor sat at the foot of Star's bed as her soft green eyes glided across the clipboard. "And how long it took? And don't get me started on the stitches. Oh lawdy, the stitches."

"How... " Star's throat felt as dry as a desert. She wheezed hard before she spoke."... Long?"

"Eh," The doctor peered at her watch. "Couple-a hours."

Star sighed. "A new record."

"You'll be up n' at it, give 'er take a few more hours. By the way, m'name's Audrey. You'll be seein' me a lot from 'ere on out."

"Why do y'say that?"

"Well," Audrey paused for a moment, peering at the solid blue ceiling. "Word spreads like the plague 'round here. Lotta folks'd love ta take a shot at the Blonde Devil. A lot ain't happy with what'd ya did. A lot jus' want the glory of beatin' yer face in."

"I'm... Innocent." Star spoke weakly.

"Yeah and I got guys linin' up waitin' to court me." She peered at her clipboard tapping it with a pen. "Enjoy yer time in this here bed while it lasts, lil' girl. It'll be the safest you'll ever feel till you're tossed out ta tha wolves later on. Lest' you can prove to be the baddest outta all o' them."

Audrey rose from her seat as she made for the curtains. As she parted them, she flashed a crooked, gold-toothed smile at her patient.

"Welcome to St. Olga's Maximum Security Gulag for Malicious Miscreants."


	68. Marco's Rock-a-Bye

The California sun was shining.

The park was abuzz.

Fists flew into faces.

Blood was drawn.

Unheard cries of pain and sorrow squeaked through swollen lips.

"H-hey..."

Too quiet.

Existence barely acknowledged.

The beatdown continued.

"Hey!"

"Wha...?"

"L-leave Alf and Ferg alone..."

"Heh. Well, if it isn't the little sissy. Yer lucky we ain't targetin' you today, Diaz. Unless you wanna get in on this ass-kickin' too, I suggest you run back home to yer mommy. Now, if you'll excuse us..."

The beatdown continued.

He couldn't stand for this.

He couldn't watch as his friends got pummeled while he now has the ability to put a stop to it.

"Wait!"

All eyes were on him now. Time seems to have halted as hostility was prevalent in the air.

"St-stop it. Right now."

"Tch. As if. These two chuckleheads stole my Mackie Hand action figure. The one with Kung-fu grip, too! Y'know how much 'earned' lunch money I had to save up to get that?"

The beatdown continued.

"Why are you still hurting them? You got it back already!"

"These guys're just payin' back what they owe. With interest!"

The beatdown continued.

"B-but... It wasn't their fault!"

"What?"

The hostility grew thicker. His stomach caved and his chest heaved, but his breathing was clear and his heart felt right.

"It was... It was me... It was my idea. I told them to steal it. For me."

...

...

"You little fuck..."

Four on one. Odds clearly stacked against him.

It had been a few weeks since he began training with Sensei. He'd built enough skill and physique. He was fast. He remembered the basics. The techniques. Sensei said he was growing quickly. He could take 'em.

If only.

For several minutes, everything became a blur of white nothingness as he could feel nothing but agony screaming out of every cell in his body. He didn't cry. He didn't moan. He simply laid there. Bruised, bloodied, and battered.

"Tch. Idiots. C'mon guys, let's get outta here."

He could barely see them all leave through the blades of grass in his blurry, swollen view.

His shaky limbs could barely bring him to his feet. All he could think of was home.

Another day. Another ruined shirt.

"Y-ya didn't hafta cover for us, Marco."

"Sorry you got beaten up again..."

He said nothing. He flashed a weak smile their way before making a brisk path towards home.

The heat didn't help with his throbbing head. The pavement burned his feet through his shoes.

He tried hard to keep the blood from flooding out of his nose.

At least there was a small breeze. Couldn't fight off the nagging heat, but it was something.

He just wanted to go home.

He caught a few looks from some passersby, though they did nothing to offer any help or any word.

Who cares. He just wanted to go home.

"Oh, Marco." Said a balding, middle aged man sitting upon a lawn chair in his yard. He took a puff of a cigarette as he cast a pitiful gaze in his direction. "When will you learn, boy?"

That was Mr. Ordonia. He was almost home. He barely noticed he reached his neighborhood.

"Honestly, I don't know what she sees in him. Girls will be girls, I suppose."

As he walked down the path towards his front door, he passed by a middle-aged couple who seemed to be on their way out of his lawn. He didn't pay them any mind whatsoever. Their clothes were pretty fancy for the neighborhood though.

"I'm sorry, my dear. Better luck next time, I suppose."

"But Glossaryck said-"

"Yes, I'm fully aware, but they can't take any more children right now. And besides, I don't blame them. Our little Star is quite the handful. Several handfuls, I might even say!"

"I just hope the delay won't have any adverse affects on her."

"I'm sure it'll be fine. Besides, our trusty Royal Guard captain has everything under control!"

"Well, there's always St. Olga's if things don't work out."

"Now now, let's not be too hasty, dear. The little man told us that that... Place should be a last resort."

The door was unlocked. It gave way to the living room, where his mother was lounging on the couch watching TV.

He stood at the door for a few moments before his mother looked away from the screen to notice her son at the door. It took her another glance to notice the scrapes and cuts shrouding him like a blanket.

She wasn't surprised anymore. Instead, she shook her head and immediately made for the kitchen.

"I'll get the steak..." She said with resignation. "Your father should be on his way with more first aid supplies."

He was immediately sat at the countertop as his mom handed him the usual frozen steak to rest on his swollen eye as she wiped his wounds with paper towels wet with what little rubbing alcohol remained. Didn't hurt like it used to. He was used to it.

"You can't keep doing this, hon," She said as she stuck the last of many Band-Aids upon the last scrape. "getting yourself beaten up like this. It's not good for a growing boy."

"But mom!" He winced as his sudden jerk reminded his body of his fresh injuries.

"No, Marco," Mom was looking stern, crossing her arms as she took on a "last straw" stance. "No more of this 'protecting the weak' mumbo-jumbo. I can't stand to see my little man getting battle-scarred on a semi-regular basis!"

He said nothing this time. He opted to gaze into the tiled floors in shame and sorrow for making his mother worried.

"Look, I'm not gonna pull you out of Mr. Brantley's classes, but please." She held him close for dear life. "Just because you could pull off this fancy moves doesn't mean you should just throw yourself into danger like that. Just... No more fights..."

"Then what am I supposed to do? To protect my friends? To fight the bullies?"

"How bout telling a teacher? Or their parents? Y'know, like any sensible person would."

"That doesn't do anything... We tried, remember? It just made things worse..."

"Well... Just..." She was at a loss. She held on tighter, but not to the point of hurting him. "Keep yourself safe. Stop fighting battles you aren't meant to fight."

He could only pout as he strongly disagreed with his mother.

But at the same time, he didn't want to put her through any more worry. Seeing her sad hurt more than all of his prior pummelings. He loved her too much and he knew how much he meant to her.

"Please?" Her eyes reflected a boundless concern for his well-being.

With a deep breath, he begrudgingly accepted. He'll try to stay safe. For Mom.

The front door swung open as Dad's heavy footsteps rung through the living room. The loud rustling of grocery bags hitting the floor followed suit.

"Honey, I'm hooome!" Beamed Dad as his broad frame came into view. "Has Marco come home ye-"

He was stopped in his tracks when he saw his wife holding onto his son who was wearing a new set of Band-Aids and bruises today.

"Oh. Are we having face-steak for dinner again?"

* * *

"Prisoner SO25266!" Shouted a robotic, distorted voice as his baton loudly banged against the crystalline bars of Marco's cell. "Awaken and arise. Report to the Visitor's Area immediately."

Marco groaned in protest towards the prospect of waking up. After rubbing the remainder of his prior slumber off his eyes, he propped himself up on his elbow upon the crystal bed he lied upon.

Marco realized how much pain he was in as he sat up. His back was killing him and he felt faintly burning sores and bandages all over his body .

He had also noticed that his red hoodie had been replaced with a black jacket. Scrawled across the back in bold white lettering was a set of characters that comprised his designation. And of course, the right sleeve was ripped clean off, baring his Right Hand.

As his eyes ran all over his surroundings, his breath hitched as reality finally caught up to him.

He was in jail.

But not just any jail. The jail.

And he had no plan whatsoever.

What's worse was that Star was nowhere in sight.

Okay, okay. Be cool, he thought to himself. He realize that it isn't too much of a problem to be imprisoned without a plan. He knows next to nothing about the facility, so it's impossible to formulate anything with a lack of information.

For now, Marco thought to just behave and go along with whatever he needs to go along with.

"Prisoner SO25266!" The robot guard loudly called out again, his fury growing with the volume of his mechanical voice. "If you do not approach the bars within T minus ten seconds, I am authorized to use Level 1 Non-Lethal Force to coax you into complying."

"Alright, alright," Marco said as he rose to his feet. The cell doors slid open with a screeching creak as he made his way out.

* * *

"So did you two do it in the missionary position while she leg-locked you for the sole purpose of procreation?"

Marco did nothing but lay his face upon his palm in annoyance as he was tempted to hang up the phone and walk away from the window. He felt as though he was better off being knocked out in his cell than being subjected to this torture.

But this was his only ten minutes of outside contact for the day and though he did not know the length of his and Star's sentence, he'd need all the help he could get before he could make a plan.

He just wish his first visit didn't have to be from... Janna.

"C'mon Marco, I'm starvin' for the deets. And I know you are, too. You stroke me, I stroke you, heh heh. So how long did you guys go at it? Did ya stick it in the pooper at some point? Did you two..."

Janna's shady gaze shifted in every direction, fearful for any prying ears to catch the degenerate words she wished to say with an ardent desire for discretion.

The wily girl brought her lips a hair's width from the mouthpiece of the phone as she blocked her mouth with a palm to keep the whisper from reaching any sane ear in the vicinity.

"... Hold hands?"

Marco groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Janna, please can you just... Tell me what you found out?"

"Not till you tell me. C'mon man, you were ignoring me while we were at Solaria's place. Now you have to answer my questions. We got like, six minutes left."

"Ughh..." Marco had no other choice. Time was of the essence and Janna wouldn't let up until he gave in to her whims.

With a sigh, he relented. "Yes, I dunno, no, yes."

A smile latched itself on the pervert's face as she chuckled at her convicted friend's frustration. "See, was that so hard? Though next visit, I'm gonna ask you how exactly your first time went. No yes or no questions. I want every single, sexy detail. Kay?"

"Oh my gosh, can you please just get on with it?"

"Okay, okay." Janna lowered her voice to a whisper and brought her face closer to the window.

"First off, security's tight. Like, tighter than yer butthole should be while yer in here, y'know?" Janna began.

"That's pretty much a given. But how tight are we talkin'?"

"Well, besides all the cameras, guards, and sharpshooters posted up high, the whole place is covered in anti-magic and anti-dimensional travel fields. Spells and scissors are a no go."

"Kinda figured that."

"Ah, but I found out a way to get around that. Apparently there's these passes that some of the non-robot guards have that let 'em bypass those fields."

"Really?"

Janna nodded. "Uh huh. Long as you can nab 'em and keep 'em on your person, you and Star can use yer powers. But right now, you actually still have access to some of yours."

"Wait, seriously?" He whispered. "How?"

"Well, y'know that sun energy thing you do?"

"Hamon? What about it?"

"According to Glossaryck, that stuff draws from a different source of energy than what magic uses in Mewni. Said it was Ki-based instead of Mana-based or somethin' like that. Since the anti-magic fields only affect magic that draws from that particular source, you can make like a Sunny-D commercial and unleash the power of the sun all you want."

"Huh." Marco felt a tension eroding upon hearing that.

"And that scarf you got?" Janna pointed at the cloth in question still wrapped around Marco's neck. "Apparently it can conduct that sun energy super well cause it's made outta the silk of some beetle whose name has more syllables than I care to remember. Just know you could do some crazy stuff with that scarf if ya want, though I'd keep it low-key if I were you."

Marco idly rubbed his thumb along the silken surface of his scarf. He was glad that they hadn't confiscated it. Looks like prison would end up being easier than he'd expected.

"Any big names or cliques I should know about?" Marco asked, his extensive prison knowledge coming into the fray.

"Hmm." Tapped her chin as she thought about it. "Didn't really hear much about any cliques, but there's one name I hear whispered among inmates." The black haired teen cracked a smile.

"Didja ever hear someone mention..." Janna could barely stifle a giggle. "'Master Tater'?"

Marco didn't seem to fond of her humor at the moment. "Janna, I'm serious."

"So am I, dude. Just ask any of your fellow inmates about the... 'Master Tater'."

"Assuming you're not just messing with me right now." Marco rolled his eyes. "Whaddya know about this, ugh... Master Tater?"

Janna shrugged. "Not much other than he seems important if people are being hush-hush about 'im."

"Prisoner SO25266!" Barked a nearby robot guard as he approached Marco. "You have expended the time of your visitation. Please resume your sentence. Reminder that dinner will be served at 1800 hours. Current time is 1500 hours."

"Welp, that's a wrap." Janna said as she got up from her seat. "Hopefully we'll seeya tomorrow, Diaz. Keep a tight grip on that soap!"

With that, Marco was escorted out of the Visitor's room with plenty of time on his hands.

* * *

For a prison that was presumably owned by Ms. Heinous, its convicted denizens possessed plenty more privileges than its predecessor.

For starters, inmates could travel throughout the facility at their leisure, provided they remain in the designated areas and return to their cells during curfew, which was at 2200 hours.

Those who are looking to kill time until lights out will find activities in no short supply. The Gulag offers a myriad, which include a gym rife with fitness machines and equipment, an extensive library for the nerds, a computer lab with pretty decent WiFi and Steam installed in every machine, a TV room with a plethora of video games and consoles, and a music room for those whose dreams haven't been abandoned in the face of incarceration.

In addition to these creature comforts, inmates could also attempt to make some dosh during their sentence and shop for items from the prison store, such as snacks, cell decorations or miscellaneous wares that may or may not have been confiscated by convicts.

There is a small metalworks factory where workers operate machinery in order to smelt, mold, and refine scrap metal in order to remake them into weapons for guards and soldiers. And then there's the less profitable but more lax job of working at the cafeteria, whether it be serving food or cooking it. And lastly, there lied a nearby mine for workers to harvest various ores and gems, with the reward of course being worth the risk.

But of course, such a wealth of privilege does not dissuade the potential for cruelty. Though there aren't many rules other than what is usually expected of inmates, failure to comply with said rules is met with physical and often brutal repercussions. In addition, the guards, robotic and organic alike, follow a "demand only once" policy. Should they find themselves being defied or having to repeat a demand once more, they are not only allowed, but encouraged to make the prisoner understand by any means they see fit. Such a loose definition of discipline is put in place so that convicts would know theirs.

But of course, every now and then, a transgression or two would slip through the cracks, and the staff would be none the wiser.

This is one of them.

About several minutes passed since Marco had left the Visitor's room. He had remembered that his and his friends' discovery of this prison came from trying to find Buff Frog aka, Yvgeny. Right as he commenced his search, a fearful, familiar voice rung out from a nearby cell.

"I-I tellink you!" Assured a certain slavic voice. "I j-just find it lying around and I take it!"

When Marco followed the source of the voice, he was almost ecstatic to see that his search came to a quick and convenient end. However, he also lamented the fact that he had to find Yvgeny cornered by a pair of large monsters who loomed over him with ill-tempered.

"C'mon Buff Frog, ya gotta let us in on it. Where'd ya get the corn?" Asked a scratchy and raspy voice.

"Uh huh huh huh, yeah, frog boy! Where?" Guffawed a deep, dopy voice.

Marco's heart sunk and his body froze when his ears recognized those distinct voices. His memory of their voices soon gave way to a clear image of who they belonged to and he felt that this was a long time coming.

The lanky goat demon held Yvgeny against the wall by the neck with his rather dense forearm.

"Don't make this harder than it gotta be, man," Spoke the goat demon. "Just tell us where you got the corn and we'll leave ya alone."

"I t-told you!" Yvgeny retorted as his shaky voice took in a pleading tone. "I found it on floor. Guard probably dropped it!"

"Nuh uh!" Denied the burly bull demon. "You said dat last time we asked. Didn't he, Kas?"

"Most definitely, Troh." Kas affirmed as he pinched the tip of one of his small horn. "They don't even serve corn here. Sure, maybe ya got lucky once and some guard dropped his lunch at some point. But I don't believe lightning strikes twice in the same place. Y'know what, I think he's lyin' to us. What say we make him... Cough it up?"

"Uh huh huh...yeah! Make 'em spill the uh... Uhh... Corn!"

Upon that declarative uttering of the word "corn" the bull demon drove his massive fist into Yvgeny's gut, causing him to fold over towards the floor and into a severe coughing fit.

"HEY! Let him go!" Screamed a voice from the cell door, cracking slightly beneath the sheer volume.

The moment the two brutes turned around, their faces fell in pleasant surprise. Or at least the goat dude's did. The bull guy's face scrunched as he took a bit of time to process the boy standing before them.

"Well, well, well..." Snidely spoke Kas as a smug smile lined his face. "If it isn't that kid who made us lose all that loot. And now he has what we were lookin' for. After we got thrown in the clink."

"Uh. Uhh. Huh! Yeah I 'member 'im!" Troh excitedly remarked as he pointed a meaty finger and hopped in place. "His arm tasted like squid!"

"What... Are you two doing here?" Marco seethed as his teeth and his fists clenched. The pain and the fear he felt from what felt like ages ago surged back into him as he menacingly stared the two demons down.

"Turned out THIS," Kas smacked his bovine bud in the back of the head as he spoke. "IDIOT got addicted to right arms and kept takin' and eatin' em even after we were ordered to stop!"

"Sorry..." Troh sheepishly apologized as he tapped the tips of his thick fingers together. "My tummy kept makin' the rumblies."

"Yeah and your stupid 'tummy' was what got us locked in here in the first place. Ugh, I knew I should just let ya get tossed on yer own instead of gettin' jailed by association."

"Huh huh huh, whaddya think the God Hand taste like, Kas?" The bull asked as he hungrily eyed Marco's arm.

"Who cares, we don't even need to deal with that crap anymore." Kas turned back towards the still-cornered Buff Frog. "'Sides, we got more pressin' matters to attend to. Anyways, why dontcha run along, kid? Sure you got better things to do before the higher ups need ya."

"Aww but I wanna try it!"

The goat demon shrugged. "Go ahead if ya want. I'm sure Prince Tom would love to rip and tear it outta ya."

The bull thought for a moment, with great difficulty. "Uhh... Nevermind."

He turned back to Buff Frog, whose bulbous eyes silently implored Marco to assist.

"He ain't coughing' it up, Troh. Maybe we aren't being," Kas brandishes a jagged piece of metal from his prisoner's jacket. Its sharpened point gleamed as it was brought precariously close to Yvgeny's neck. "Persuasive enough."

"Uh haw haw haw! Yeah, Kas! Give 'em the shank!" Troh cheered.

"Heh, with pleasure,"

What sounded like the crack of a whip to thundered through the cell and drew every eye in sight as Marco's scarf wrapped itself around the goat demon's entire forearm.

"Kohhhh..." The scarf was shrouded in a fiery golden energy as Marco breathed Hamon through every fiber, extending the length of the cloth.

"What the-" He remarked as the hand that held the shiv was being pulled away from Yvgeny. "L-let go!"

Marco shook his head as his breathing went on unabated. He began focusing harder, conveying his anger through his scarf. As he did so, the scarf's hold on Kas tightened and the solar energy intensified, constricting and burning his forearm until the shiv dropped with a loud clang.

"Let 'im go!" Troh shouted as he charged Marco.

With an unmatched speed and dexterity, Marco instantly released the hold on the goat's arm. Before the bull could get within arm's length, Marco focused his Hamon once more, retracted his scarf and took a swing at the lunging bull.

Within mere moments, Marco increased the density of his scarf, making its edges as sharp as steel and slicing both of the bull's horns clean off.

That stopped the dopey bovine right in his tracks and as he brought his hands to his now stubby horns.

"M-m-muh-muh... My-" He babbled as his eye twitched and his lips trembled. He looked like he was about fall on his rear to cry like a toddler denied of its favorite toy.

"Kid, you screwed up big time." Kas ominously said as he rubbed his injured arm.

And then a palpable tension made itself known as bloodshot and bugged eyes directed themselves at Marco who now realized that he may have made a grave error.

"MY. FUCKING. HORNS!" Troh boomed as his voice no longer held its deep, childlike naivete, but now of a peerless rage that made Tom's tantrums pale in comparison.

If the whole prison was made of glass, it would've shattered beneath the tremendous breadth and volume of Troh's deafening roar.

Marco didn't even wait to use his Secret Diaz technique and skedaddle on outta there. He had no idea where he was going, but he sure as hell wanted to be as far from the raging bull as possible.

Of course, that was way easier said than done when Marco began hearing thundering steps, heaving breaths and absurdly graphic profanity gradually closing in. Troh was just a few meters behind, running on all fours.

"I'M GONNA FUCK YOU IN YOUR EYE SOCKETS AND IMPREGNATE YOUR SKULL!"

Marco took every twist and turn he could to get away, dipping and dodging staff and inmates alike. Meanwhile, a trail of chaos and destruction was left in the bull demon's wake. Many unlucky inmates who found themselves made every attempt to flee the ceaseless locomotive of fury, though most ended up either trampled underhoof or sent flying in one direction or another. Guards that have taken notice failed their attempts to halt the lava-blooded bovine and end up getting themselves crushed or launched as well.

"I'LL GRIND YOUR BONES INTO DUST AND SNORT THEM OFF A SUCCUBUS'S TITS!"

Though his feet felt no need to stop anytime soon, Marco realized he hadn't found any way out of the seemingly labyrinthine Cell Block. In fact he didn't have much of a plan to deal with his pursuer. He wasn't sure how long the bull would keep going nor how long would he but he knew it can't be forever.

"YOUR SCREAMS WILL ECHO THROUGHOUT THE MULTIVERSE AND A FEW A.M. RADIO STATIONS!"

Able to widen the gap, Marco eventually rounded corners and into a hallway that funneled into one singular exit that seemed to have led out of the cell block and into a different section of the prison. He mentally celebrated as he seemed to have finally found a way out. What was even better was that Troh hadn't reached the hallway yet. Indeed it would seem that Marco would be, relatively, home free.

That is, until a blockade of heavily armed and armored guards eclipsed the exit. A wall of metal tower shields and what appeared to be handheld cannons in between said shields.

"Stop right there, prisoner scum!" Shouted an officer holding a megaphone.

Marco skid to a halt on his heels the moment he was being threatened.

It was then that the bull managed to catch up and rounded the corner his savage sprint showing no hint of slowing down.

"I WILL SHIT INSIDE YOU!"

"OPEN FIRE!"

With a yelp, Marco immediately hit the deck as the boom of about a dozen cannons shot at once. Payloads whistled over his head, trailing smoke in their brief flight.

And then several earthquaking explosions went off down the hall where the bull was. Marco's ears rung as he could barely save them from the thunderous booms.

A dense cloud of smoke billowed down the hall and an even more dense silence followed suit. No stomping steps. No incoherent, rage-filled gibberish. Indeed it would seem that the threat has been neutralized.

Wasting no time, Marco staggered to his feet and walked towards the safety of the wall of guards, peering over his shoulder to make sure he was no longer in danger.

"Halt, prisoner." One of the armored guards raised a deterring palm as Marco walked their way. "We need to bring you in for questioni-"

A roar of unimaginable proportions blasted across the land shattering every eardrum in the facility.

Marco turned around to see that Troh had emerged from the smoke, reduced to a mass of torn, falling, dripping meat on legs. Half of his skull was exposed and heaving breaths and blood fell from his skinned lips.

"I'LL FLAY YOU ALIVE AND DUMP YOU IN SALT AND LEMON JUICE!"

With a moist, guttural growl, the Taurus demon resumed its feral pursuit of its spiteful prey.

"G-get behind us," A guard said to Marco, who obliged immediately as the wall of shields split briefly before closing again.

The boy didn't waste any time continuing to run to Glossaryck knows where. He ran down the corridor, catching some curious glances here or there though no one bothered to find out why.

That is, until the entire wall of guards were made a strike out of the unstoppable stubby-horned bowling ball.

"ATTENTION PRISON INHABITANTS!" Boomed a voice through an omnipresent speaker systems followed by an ear-piercing klaxon alarm and flashing red lights all throughout the facility. "We are now on Level 2 Lockdown. All inmates please proceed to your cell or the nearest room and remain until Lockdown is lifted. All staff proceed with standard Level 2 Lockdown protocol until threat is neutralized. This is not a drill. Repeat. This is not a drill."

"I'LL HANG YOU WITH YOUR OWN INTESTINES AND CHARGE PEOPLE SIX FIFTY TO BEAT CANDY OUTTA YA!

Troh's roar upon spotting Marco drowned out the alarms as he was closing in. Somehow he seemed to be moving faster than before, as if losing chunks of his body made him lighter.

As the chase continued, Marco ran past several guards who were taking positions as they directed rifles, shotguns, and other manner of heavy weaponry down where he came from.

Of course those guards failed miserably sd their arms failed to slow the raging bull even the slightest and the wielders of said arms were bulldozed as a result.

Eventually, Marco, in his blind desire for self preservation, found himself slamming through a pair of double doors that led to the cafeteria, a large square room with a ceiling that boasted several meters high, long rectangular tables that almost formed a maze of the place and two exits that are right across from one another.

"ATTENTION GULAG INHABITANTS!" spoke that all-encompassing voice once again. "Lockdown Level has been raised to Level 3. All exits and doorways will be blocked off until Lockdown is lifted."

Right as Marco ran towards the other set of double doors he was immediately denied entry as a magical force field closed off the only other exit.

And as Lady Luck cast its darkest frown upon Marco, it closed off the other exist right as Troh entered the room, leaving those two trapped and alone in the cafeteria.

Was it just him or did the Bull crack a sadistic smile through those torn, bone-exposed lips?

"They're gonna hafta pick what's left of ya outta my teeth and ass crack."

With his head to heavens as he burst with another roar, Troh shot forth once again, sending several tables flying in various directions as he made a made his mad dash towards his currently most hated foe.

Brought to the brink of desperation, Marco gave a quick glance at his Right Hand. Though he was sure it wouldn't work he thought it would be worth a try. It'd be better than running infinite laps trying to stay out of range of the bull's ire.

His mind raced frantically before the menu came up as he tried to come up with whatever move he remembered that would work best for this particular dilemma.

Marco raised his Hand and bent it back.

Nothing.


	69. Now They Tryna Resurface

"Where the heck's my arm!?" Star shouted in shock as she realized her left limb was but a bandaged stump once again.

"Huh? Oh yeah, kinda sawed it off." Audrey said rather casually. "Prisoners aren't allowed to wander the place with metal objects. Even prosthetics. Yours was pretty weird though. It was like, attached to you all organically and the metal wasn't anything anyone's ever seen before, but we still took it to get smelted."

"Smelted?"

"Yeah, at the metal workshop. It'll probably end up being someone's gun or sword or towel rack. I dunno."

Star could say nothing but wiggle and gaze at her amputated limb pensively.

"Dr. Audrey," A robot guard's radio distorted voice called from behind the white curtain. The doc turned around and briefly departed.

"Yeah?"

"Is the prisoner awake yet?"

"Yup. Just did."

The robot guard parted the curtains. "Star Butterfly. You are to be escorted to Prisoner Processing to receive your designation number and prison uniform. Afterwards, you are to be escorted to the Visitor's Center."

"Now?"

"Yes." The guard closed the curtains as he awaited Star to get ready.

With a resigned sigh, Star got out of bed. As her bare feet touched ground she stumbled slightly as her limbs felt like noodles for half a second. As soon as she composed herself, she picked her clothes off a nearby nightstand and promptly slipped out of her scrubs to change.

The moment she and the guard began traversing the halls, Star could feel menacing glares shadowing her every step. She was feeling heavy doses of what Jackie called, " _Sakki_ ".

* * *

"Yoyoyoyoyo! Time-out guy! Time-out guy! Check this out!" Undyne waved Rhombulus over. Both were in the midst of an hour-long break in the one of the survellance rooms. Undyne was slurping on a cup o' noodles as she kept her eye glued to a TV screen, showing live camera footage of a couple mewmans in the Female Ward getting in each other's faces.

"Uh, yeah? What's goin' on?"

Undyne smiled as she pointed at the screen. "Yer about to see a textbook example of a mewgga moment. They just bumped shoulders and now they're at each other's throats."

"A what now?" The gem-head asked in confusion.

"You don't know what a mewgga moment is?" Right Snake hand piped up.

"Geez, you been livin' under a rock or somethin'?" Left Snake added.

"Well, 'member why we exist in the first place, Lefty."

"Oh yeah! You right, you right."

"I know I am!"

"Guys, what the heck is a mewgga moment?"

"Give 'im a quick rundown." Undyne said, her wide eye still adhered to the screen. "Oh snap! They bitin'! They bitin'!"

"Basically, big guy," Right Snake began. "A mewgga moment is when two people from Mewni of any gender, age, or species, are overtaken by ignorance and pettiness then feel the need to unreasonably instigate and start a fight."

"I think it's sort of a peasant kinda thing." Left Snake added. "Not alotta nobles or royals get into that kinda stuff. Except maybe the Johansen clan. And the demons of the Underworld."

"I hear that kinda phenomenon happens in other dimensions as well. With different names."

"Yeah. Guess violence over stupid reasons transcends dimensions."

"Maybe even realities, too."

"Word."

"Uh, shouldn't we call the guards and get them to break it up?" Rhombulus suggested as he pointed to the screen. A lot of hair was being brutally shed and fists flying.

"No way!" Undyne said with mouth full of noodles and tiny veggies before swallowing. "At least till we see a winner first. There's a reason why I make sure guard numbers aren't as big in the Women's section. So I can put up all this art on the internet and drown in views, likes, and you's. But if it goes on for too long or goes too far, then yeah, I'll call a guard. Gotta let 'em settle it the way our ancestors intended, y'know?"

"But what about Heinous? Wouldn't she be mad about this?"

The fish knight waved dismissively." Ah, she's too busy to keep tabs on everything that happens here. Either too caught up with paperwork and diplomat stuff or getting dicked by Rasticore.

"Eww," Rhombulus remarked in disgust as his snake hands stuck out their tongues.

"Kay, maybe not that last part, but we're all thinkin' it." Undyne turned back to the TV. "Aw dang. Looks like they decided to drop it. Ah well, I'ma report this anyways."

Undyne made a call through her cell phone and gave out designation numbers and locations to the guards. After ending her call, she proceeded to flip through various channels, seeing if she could find any juicy goings-on for the remainder of her break. She lingered on the channel that showed the women's showers far longer than she should've, then remembered that she wasn't alone in the room. She quickly resumed her channel surfing.

"Oh? What's goin' in in this thread?" She asked as she witnessed a rather sizeable gathering out at the prison yard. With a quick zoom and enhance, she saw that Star Buttterfly was smack dab in the middle of a dense ring of inmates.

"Looks like Blonde Devil's gettin' her due." Undyne casually said before she inhaled another mouthful of noodles.

"Uhh, Cap'n Undyne?" Rhombulus said nervously. "My gut tells me we should probably step in for this one.

"Dude, don't worry. I already know Queen Eclipsa wants her alive. If it makes ya feel better, I'll keep some guards on standby till things get ugly. They'll just break it up and keep the crowd from tearin' her apart."

"Uh, I'm not worried about her, I'm worried about them!"

* * *

Star was on her way to find word of someone called the "Master Tater" after her brief rendevous with Jackie. As she traversed the Cell Block on the way, she noticed she was catching more than passing leers as footsteps began trailing her own, multiplying and growing ever louder every several paces. She tried her best to ignore it as she was well beyond seeking trouble in her current situation.

But of course, even in a correctional facility, trouble manages to find its way to her like ants to a picnic. Once she took a few steps into the hot pavement of the prison yard, people were literally dropping what they were doing to storm their way towards her.

In a matter of moments, Star was surrounded by a dense ring of prisoners, barely able to see past the various shapes and sizes of mewmans and monsters alike.

Ironic. Star had plans to unite mewmans and monsters, but it would seem as though their uneasy union is stemming from a common desire to enact justice for crimes of the past, both true and false.

"You did this! You're the reason why we're locked up with these... Things!"

"My family is dead, you bitch! I came back to our Kingdom and was met with nothing but treason and imprisonment!"

"My home... My crops! Burned to the ground years ago when you and your soldiers raided my village! Barely anyone survived the coming winter!"

Star was at a loss, her mind failing to grasp any way out of this that didn't involve having to fight her way out.

She wanted to shout. Cry for help. Curl up into a ball and cover her ears. But in the piercing din of the angry mob that was slowly engulfing her, she stood her ground. Some of their words rang true, some didn't, but either way, they weren't giving her any wiggle room, figuratively speaking. Either way, she had to prepare herself for a fight.

"Look out!"

Something flew through the air in a wide arc. Something large and metallic that momentarily glimmered in the afternoon sun and cast an ominous shadow over all.

A steel folding chair fell smack dab in the middle of the crowd, every eye frozen upon it as it seemingly brought everything to a dead silence as the resounding clang echoed across Mewni.

The clang eventually faded into silence as it left any and everyone in sight agape in awe at what just transpired. You could hear the droplets of sweat fall to the hot stone floor as an impermeable fog of tension settled in the immediate area.

"I AM MIFFED!"

Chaos erupted as fists fly in every direction, with no specific target other than anything with a face. Swinging and shouting bodies were heaped onto one another as the entire prison yard is ablaze with screaming frenzy. Mewmans on monsters, mewmans on mewmans, monsters on monsters, there is no prejudice when it comes to the boundless desire of inflicting injury on anything that moves.

"Star! Over here!" Yelled a refreshingly familiar voice.

"Getcho skinny tush in gear, girrrl!" Yelled a slightly more obnoxious familiar voice.

"Kelly? Ponyhead?" Star spotted the two at the end of a long opening in the savage mob. They beckoned her to follow with frantic waves of their hands.

Star immediately made a break for them, dodging and shoving away any and all that tried to impede her.

A monster attempted to tackle Star to the ground, but she was agile enough to hurdle over them and send them crashing into someone else.

A mewmans tried throwing a punch Star's wat, but she was quick enough on the draw to channel Marco's karate moves and flipped her one-handed, over the shoulder and onto the pavement.

Star finally managed to catch up to the two girls and they all spared the greetings and simply ran like hell towards the building, jumping over fallen bodies and evading inmates who have yet to find someone to pummel. They had already reached halfway to the entrance.

"Halt!" Shouted one of the many Riot Control officers nestled among a wall of tower shields and brandishing long wooden clubs in front of the door. They were advancing on the three girls their sheer numbers and tight formation preventing any way past them. "No one in this yard is allowed entry without being disciplined accordingly!"

A cacophony of savage screams rung out from behind as an offensive line of prisoners were barreling towards the wall of riot shields, with Star, Kelly, and Ponyhead right in between. They too provided no room to escape from.

"Uhh, either ya'll got a plan to not get turned into mewman sandwiches?" Ponyhead asked as her eyes darted between both obstacles. "I ain't wanna die like this, gurl! Nuh-uh! My corpse won't look pretty!"

"Kelly?" Star simply said, at a loss for actions herself.

The tree-haired girl's pupils rubbed along the ground as she pondered. The barbaric yells and heavy footsteps grew louder as seconds ticked by.

"Anybody? Anybodyyy!?" Ponyhead shouted frantically.

Star began to concentrate hard as she poured her soul into Dipping Down and hopefully casting something to get the three out of their impending crush. Her muscles strained, her body perspired and her eye clenched extremely tight.

However, she couldn't even conjure a single spark. Her access to the magical source was too densely blocked to get through.

"Come quietly or we will escalate the severity of your punishment! You won't leave the Infirmary for weeks!"

"B-Fly, I never told you this before, but..." Ponyhead gazed at her bestie, her eyes shimmering with sadness and resignation. "I love you, girl! You're the best bestie I eva had. And I'm sorry for messin' with Earth Turd so much! I find 'im tolerable at best!"

"We're not gonna die, Ponyhead, chill!" Star shouted back.

As if a lightbulb shined above Kelly's head she quickly dipped her hands in her bushy hair and dug out a can of Corn n' Beans.

"Don't lose hope, yet." Kelly beamed as the can's metal lid gleamed beneath the sun.

"That gon' be your last meal, Kelly?" Ponyhead asked as she eyed the can. "Y'know you're gonna get mad toots before you die, right? Least I'ma go to Ponyhead Heaven laughin' mah butt off."

"Oh I'm not the one eatin' em." Kelly flashed a smile as she eyed Ponyhead deviously. "Nor am I gonna be the one with mad toots."

"Kelly," Star's jaw dropped as she caught on. "You're not thinking-"

"Aw, heeyyyul naw!" Ponyhead angrily exclaimed. "I'd rather die by getting crushed than die of embarrassment."

"And have us go with you?" Star sharply said.

"Well... I, uh."

"Oh, just shut up and take it!" Star said as she wrapped an arm around Ponyhead's neck. Kelly but into the tab with her teeth and peeled of the metal lid in a split-second. She wasted no time going bottoms up dumping the entirety of its contents down Ponyhead's gullet.

"Ggackkhha... Gurrhhhlggjhh..." Ponyhead gagged as a mouthful of uncooked beans and corn quickly slithered down her throat. A few pieces here or there slid off the corner of her equine mouth as she tried in vain to voice her protests.

Once the entire can was empty, Kelly tossed it away and she, along with Star, directed Ponyhead's hollow rear diagonally downwards towards the charging wall of inmates, who were within a few meters.

"Ohh...oh gosh..." Ponyhead groaned. A loud, guttural growl hit their ears. "My neck-stomach's rumblin' like cra-"

 _BRRRAAAAAP_

In a massive, bomb-like explosion of pink and gold sparkling dust, the three girls rocketed towards the main building, leaving the wall of foolish prisoners to eat facefuls of metal. Spiraling pink and gold smoke, followed by tiny sprites of similar color blasted out of Ponyhead's hollow rear trailing behind them as they made their flight back to the building.

"See?" Star's hope-filled eyes and shimmering smile was directed at Ponyhead. "Toldja we weren't gonna die!"

"Think Ima neck myself when we land."

"Oh don't be like that," Kelly huffed, displeased at Ponyhead's unreasonably dismal attitude. "Not like it's the first time we did this."

"Only difference is, it was just us three and no one el- oh gosh, I think they mighta caught that on camera, too! Oh I am most def gonna neck myself."

Star raised an eyebrow. "Ponyhead, you can't even- how are you gonna-"

They were then sent face first into the hard crystal wall their bodies flat against the shining blue surface just a few meters above the door.

Like a band-aid off of skin, the girls were peeled off the wall and dropped to the pavement with a dull, hard thud.

Groaning, the girls quickly pulled themselves off the ground and immediately booked it down the Cell Blocks, making sure to slip into a nearby empty cell whenever any guards came their way. They became at ease once they've run far enough from the debacle that no oncoming guard would suspect them of being part of it. They eventually reached the cell that Kelly and Ponyhead apparently shared and all three sat upon one of the two crystal beds that jut from the wall.

"So, Steel Chair Trick, huh?" Star asked as she panted laboriously.

"Uh-huh." Kelly replied with a grin of pride. "Kinda meant to use that waayy later but I didn't know how else to getcha outta there."

"M-word moments, right?" Star sheepishly chuckled. "Dunno why throwing steel chairs makes people so angry."

"S'cool B, we sistahs. You can say it." Ponyhead assured as she flipped her hair. "Cuz deez mewggas do be trippin'."

Star raised a palm in polite refusal. "I'm good, thanks."

"So uh... Star?" Kelly scratched the back of her head as she found difficulty forming the words. Suddenly the air became thick with awkwardness. "What... Er, what's up with-"

"Where yo arm at, girl!?" Ponyhead blurted out.

"Ponyhead, what the heck!?" Kelly chided as she threw her arms up in annoyance.

"What? Dontchu be tellin' me you weren't thinkin' it, too!" She turned to Star, a look of worry perched on her face. "B-Fly, why you look like a train collided with an orphanage?"

"Dude c'mon, that's not cool!"

"Kel, y'know I cain't keep quiet when it's super obvious our girl here has been through all kinds-a hell. I'm just askin'."

"Well, maybe she doesn't wanna talk about it? Ya ever though o' that?" Kelly defended, wanting to spare Star's feelings.

"No no, it's-" Star heaved a heavy breath before continuing. "I'm fine. I'm cool. I think it's... You guys have to know."

And so, Star regaled the two girls with the entire harrowing tale which occurred on that fateful day, leaving not a single crumb of information out. Right down the most vividly gruesome detail. When Star reached some of the more horrific parts, Ponyhead and Kelly couldn't stop themselves from weeping and holding Star close.

She then went on to discuss everything that happened to this point, though there were some parts that were left unsaid. Specifically, the relationship parts.

At the end of it, Ponyhead and Kelly were left laying flat on the ground, gazing into their dismal expressions reflected on the ceiling as they processed all of what Star had laid bare to them.

"Damn..." Was all Ponyhead thought to say. She looked rather deflated, to say the least. "For once, I got nothin' to say."

Kelly was on the verge of taking a bite on a candy bar, but ended up putting it back in her hair as she quickly lost her appetite. She sniffled as she rid herself any straggling tears.

Funny. Even though it happened to Star and the wounds have barely healed, she had an easier time retelling the story. Her eye was remained dry and her voice hadn't broke once during the reminiscence.

"Well, one thing's for sure." Kelly sat up in her seat. "'Least we know all of that stuff about you massacring your own kingdom was bunk."

"Not like we even bought it in the first place." Ponyhead added.

"I mean..." Kelly's view trailed off to the side. "Her Wand was actin' weird..."

"Kel!" Ponyhead chastised, feeling offended for Star. "The heck you sayin' girl?"

"Well, we dunno how much that could affect her. Plus, we can't forget what Star and her dad used to do to Monsters every now and then."

"Hey, I grew past that since then," Star calmly, yet sharply said. "I'm not. Like... That anymore." She could swear she heard a faint snickering.

"Exactly." Ponyhead agreed. "B-Fly here matured since then." She narrowed her eyes at Star. "Or maybe she's got a few years shaved off her life so she seems older." She shook her head. "Doesn't matter. Point is, our lil' Star's been growin' into a fiiine young woman goin' through all dat struggle, so cut her some slack, Kel."

"You're right, you're right." Kelly nodded in agreement. "Sorry I even doubted you for a second." Kelly presented a fist. "We still cool?"

Star grasped it with her hand and smiled. "We still cool."

"Uh Star, y-"

"Yeah, I know."

"Oh snap, that reminds me!" Ponyhead suddenly blurted out. She floated out of the cell, her gaze shifting to and fro to make sure there were no one drawing near. She peeked into every nearby cell to make sure they were devoid of any eavesdroppers. There was one cell that had a woman who seemed to be unconscious.

Ponyhead reentered the cell and drifted her muzzle within whispering distance of both girls.

"We gotta take B-Fly to Mastah Tater."

"Oh yeah! Almost forgot."

"Jackie was tellin' me to look for him. Who is he exactly?"

"Jackie? Y'mean the chick datin' Earth Turd? And also workin' for 'clipsa?"

"Not anymore to both of those." Star corrected.

"Wait what?" Ponyhead replied in surprise. "Wha happened?"

"Nevermind that!" Star rapidly waved her hands to get back on track. "What can ya tell me about Master Tater?"

"Ooh, girl you ain't gonna believe this. He's-"

Ponyhead was cut off by a distant, blood-curdling roar. It sounded like it came from the other side of the prison.

"The heck was that?" Kelly asked as she was visibly unnerved.

"ATTENTION PRISON INHABITANTS!" Boomed a voice through an omnipresent speaker systems followed by an ear-piercing klaxon alarm and red lights that shifted the entire prison from a shining blue to a deep crimson. "We are now on Level 2 Lockdown. All inmates please proceed to your cell or the nearest room and remain until Lockdown is lifted. All staff proceed with standard Level 2 Lockdown protocol until threat is neutralized. This is not a drill. Repeat. This is not a drill."

"Aw yeah!" Ponyhead cheered, much to Star's bafflement. "Perfect timing!"

"Uh, what?"

"No time to explain, Star," Kelly said as she shifted to the cell door. "We gotta get to the nearest janitor's closet pronto."

Feeling no need to question anything further, Star trailed behind her two gal pals as they led her to who knows where to meet this Master Tater.

The three came up on to a janitor's room like Kelly said. A room that was unkempt with cleaning supplies strewn about haphazardly.

Kelly slid a rather large and heavy box aside, revealing an air duct that led into the vents.

"Good thing there's a lockdown goin' on." Ponyhead commented as everyone, with Kelly leading the way, crawled through the vents like rats in a maze. The obnoxiously loud siren was thankfully muffled. "Usually we gotta be sneaky to get to Mastah Tater. All the guards and cameras be too focused on whatever we're lockin' down for to notice us goin' through here."

"Let's see, which duct, which duct," Kelly pondered as she passed by a view ducts she crawled upon. "Ah, here we go!"

The bush-headed girl pushed the correct duct down as it swung open with little resistance. She fell down it, followed by Star, then Ponyhead. The two traveled on with Kelly once again leading the way.

The three appeared to have landed in some sort of underground maintenance tunnel, as they were surrounded by steam pipes adhered to cement walls. Flashing red lights cast a crimson tint down there as well, though the sirens were barely heard.

"Gettin' real tired of seein' the color red to be honest with you guys." Star dryly said.

"What about Earth Turd's hoodies? Dontchu still uh... Use? One-a those?"

Kelly couldn't contain a snicker upon catching that implication.

"Uh, yeah? Kinda? Though I might make him start wearing different colors later on."

"So why'd he break it off with skater chick anyways?"

Star made a non-committal shrug. "Maybe you could ask 'im yourself."

"Well, dontchu two like, always talk about everything? And weren't you the one who pretty much set those two up in the first place? Y'knowinspiteofyourownlatentfeelingsforhimthatyoudidn'trealizetillitwastoolatesoyoudecidedtotellhimrightaftertheygotsteadyandwhenyouwereforcedtocomebackherecuzofthatwholemesswithToffeesoyouprobablylefthimallscaredandconfusedwhichmostlikelyledtothembreakinup?"

Star said nothing nor bothered to turn around.

"I mean, 'least he's available, riiight? You have the chance to jump his bones now, girl! Hurry up before someone else takes the chance." Ponyhead gasped as she had a juicy thought. "Or maybe you already did!"

Star kept her gaze forward and out of her bestie's sight. She was glad the heavy red tint of the tunnels was able to hide her blushing face well enough.

"Hey B-Fly, no need to feel awkward or nothin'." Ponyhead assured, sincerity heavy in her tone. "I know I got my problems with the guy, but if he makes you happy, then shoo', I'ma be happy, too. For mah number one bestie."

A smile graced Star's face as she was touched by Ponyhead's words.

"...thanks, Ponyhead." Star replied, genuinely heartwarmed. "Means a lot to me. Really."

"Anytime. I know how bad you got it, gurl."

There was a distant roar followed by a light quake in the tunnels. Small clouds of dust fell from the ceiling.

"Geez, whatever that is must be reeaally ticked." Kelly remarked. "We're almost there at least."

Soon the trio came upon a metal door with one of those slender sliding windows for those super secret clubs where you only see someone's eyes through them.

Kelly cleared her throat and took her knuckles to the door.

Tap-tap. Tap-tap. Tap-BANG! As Kelly made the last knock with the bottom of her fist.

The little window slid open, revealing a pair of brown eyes surrounded by wrinkles.

"Well, he ain't my boy." Spoke a high pitched male British accent.

"But the brotha is heavy." Spoke Kelly and Ponyhead in unison. Not even gonna attempt that name combo.

"Welcome back you tw- 'ang on," The man on the other side of the door raised an eyebrow. "Ooh's she?"

"One of the ones he's lookin' for, Patches." Kelly answered plainly. Just let us in, will ya?"

"'Old on, now," Patches narrowed his eyes at Star who gazed back with indifference. "Idn't that th'Blonde Devil? Das who Mastah's askin' for? Aw bother, I 'unno 'bout this, loves."

"After what he's done for us, you're seriously doubting him now?" Kelly chided as her hands fell on her hips.

"Maybe you should steal yoself a tiny leash, 'cuz you bein' a little bitch right now, Patchy." Ponyhead spat.

"Look loves, I-I-I'm just sayin' I- huh?" Patches turned around. "Wha? You _are_ actually lookin' for 'er? Oh. Okay. Understood. Yessir Master, sir."

About a few minutes of unlatching and undoing several locks later, the door swung open, allowing the three girls entry without any further debates. Though Patches was still wary about Star as his eyes narrowed in her direction.

The room was spacious yet most of its space was taken up by large burlap sacks of corn and corn byproducts. The room was also very dimly lit, its only sources of light were lava lamps of various vibrant colors strewn about on the floor and a few dim light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. Overbearingly sweet incense was heavy in the air though, like a combination of cinnamon and lime soda. Monsters and mewmans alike were chilling down there, either having their fill of corn and corn-based food products or... Meditating?

At the end of the room across the entrance was a large circular pillow surrounded by lit candles and familiar giant rats busying themselves with whatever, though a couple of them stood guard in front of the pillow holding spears.

And levitating just a few inches above that pillow was the diminutive form of that former avarius royalty. His large eyes were closed as he floated in a Lotus position.

"Hello, Star Butterfly." Ludo greeted warmly, his eyes kept shut. "I've been waiting for you."


	70. 667 Kill Chop Deluxe

"Thank you again for lending Miss Undyne's services. I'm sure her peerless sense of justice will be at home with what we have in store for her." Eclipsa was on the verge of closing a conversation on the mirror. "And, again I cannot apologize enough for that whole underground debacle. Until next time, Asgore."

Right as the mirror blinked into black, a few soft knocks rang into the Dark Queen's room.

"Uh. Lady Eclipsa?" Spoke the muffled voice of Tom.

"Yes? You may come in, dear."

The door gave way to the teen demon sheepishly rubbing his arm and glancing off to the side as he approached Eclipsa.

"Something on your mind, young Prince? How are you faring after Jackie's untimely departure?"

"Kinda sucks, to be honest. Things have gotten a bit..." Tom woefully sighed."...more boring, but it's whatever. I've been busy, so it's not like I had much time to hang out with her anyways."

"Yes, she has left behind quite a void, hasn't she?" Eclipsa stated with a knowing smile.

Tom scoffed. "I mean, it's not like she was the only real friend I ever had in like... Forever. Not like she was the only one who listened to all my problems and never judged me for 'em. Or treated me like an actual person. Nope. I got plenty of people like that. So what if Jackie's gone off to do her own thing? I'm happy for her."

"Whatever you say, dear." Eclipsa managed to stifle a giggle.

"But uh," The demon Prince scratched his cheek as he realized what we was doing and dialed it back a bit. "I had a question, though."

"And I have answers. What's on your mind, Thomas?"

"Well, any word on where Star and Marco are at?"

"Hmm," Eclipsa tapped her chin. "Haven't really checked on them in a while, but I supposed we could see what they're up to currently. Provided there's no interference, that is."

With a wave of her hand and without a word, Eclipsa brought forth the purple-flamed All-Seeing Eye.

At first there was a bit of static, though it soon dissipated and gave way to a considerably clearer image. It depicted the interior of a cave lit by a light source from outside. The floor was a large bed of dark green moss and pink flowers.

And laying upon those pink flowers, lovingly huddled against one another was none other than Star and Marco.

Who weren't wearing any clothes.

"Oh. Oh dear," Eclipsa held a gloved hand to her mouth as a blush crept its way into her pallid face. "Is that the sight of post-coitus cuddling I see? Goodness, of all instances you decide to spy on them..."

Tom didn't say anything. All three eyes were transfixed upon the display as the face that held them were as plain as can be. Not single part of his body made the slightest twitch. Not a single breath escaped his tightly shut lips.

"Thomas I will absolutely not hold it against you if you decide to erupt right this moment. I'm dreadfully sorry you had to witness something so... Scandalous."

"Where are they?" Tom asked, his voice void of any discernable emotion.

Eclipsa narrowed her eyes at her Eye. "Judging from where the spell is located, I could sense that they are somewhere in the Forest of Certain Death." She chortled. "Eh. I've made love in stranger places."

Tom remained silent.

"Well, in any case I should send out a search and capture party immediately. Take them to Miss Heinous's Gulag."

"I thought we were gonna take 'em directly to us."

"Yes, but I have plans for that facility. And I think it would be in our best interests that the two would be there when it all unfolds."

"Uh-huh."

"Well then. Was that all you needed, dear?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. What are you going to do now?"

Tom didn't answer. Instead he walked towards the door without a single word.

But not before throwing a fist imbued with all the flames and fury of the Underworld at the All-Seeing Eye, shattering it into burning pieces as if it was a glass window.

Again, without a word.

Eclipsa couldn't help but smile at the surprisingly subdued expression of rage.

"Ah, the adolescent heart. Is there anything more complex and entertaining?"

* * *

Funny.

When Marco was but a wee lad, he once saw on TV a live viewing of a "Running of the Bulls" event in Spain with his parents. He remembered the thrill of watching all those people fleeing the relentless beasts, anticipating when any of them would get bowled over or trampled. At the same time, Marco thought it too dangerous to partake in.

He held the same sentiment for the Bull fights those same steers subsequently end up being a part of after the Running ended with their containment. Too high of a chance for severe injury or worse, though he was at least interested enough in the subject to do a thoroughly researched report on it. It earned him an A+ and a gold star as a bonus.

Indeed, he knew they would be nothing more than spectacles to marvel at rather than anything he'd liked to get involved in.

Boy was he wrong.

Not only had Marco become the runner in the Running of the Bull, but he had been subsequently trapped with said bull, forced to become its matador. If he had been a few seconds faster, the chase would've come to its logical, stereotypical conclusion, but it would seem that Marco had unwittingly and unwilling signed on for two events.

He had only hoped his ancestors would be proud. He also wondered how well he remembers that research and how much it applies to Bull Demons from the Underworld.

Rather than stand there with his arm raised like an idiot and get run over, Marco dodge rolled in the nick of time as Troh got within grabbing distance. The beast nearly ran into the barrier-protected exit as his arms merely caught air.

With a huff of hot smoke from his nostrils, the bull turned towards Marco then quickly lunged forward with another grab attempt, which Marco deftly evaded once more.

"Toro, toro!" Marco mockingly remarked as he waved his scarf like a cape.

"THAT'S! RACIST!" The bull shouted to the cosmos before falling to all fours, dragging his large hand against the ground and charging with his stubbed horns held forward.

"Ole!" Marco cried out as he spun his body out of the way with a stylish flourish.

The bull growled upon narrowly missing his quarry. Rather than charge while on all fours again, the beast stood to his hind hooves then took to the skies with a powerful leap aiming to pounce upon his prey and crush him beneath his fists.

"Ole!" Marco triumphantly cried out once more as he jumped backwards out of his foe's landing.

The demon wasted no time charging Marco once again almost immediately after impact, his bestial roar carried off in his wake.

And the cycle continued. Marco waved his scarf in a provocative manner, goading his enemy into attacking over and over, charging head-first, jumping and diving. Heck, the bull even swung some punches here or there. But no matter what, every blow that Troh threw showed no sign of slowing nor decreasing in number nor weakening in power, despite how long the swinging and missing went on and how the Bull was gored beyond recovery.

As time went on, Troh's screeching remarks of rage trickled down from simply crass to creatively absurd and nonsensical to little more than incoherent, slobbering gibberish.

Contrary to what an onlooker might think, the boy had no intention of wearing down the relentless ram. He was just invoking the first stage of Traditional Spanish Bullfighting, which involved goading the Bull into attacking to get a feel for its patterns and behavior.

Energy and rage was by no means in any short supply for the raging bull, and his strikes were rather swift for how large he was. However, there was little to no precision or finesse in his fighting style.

At the last evasion, Marco kept a moderate distance between himself and the beast and he took what scarce time he had before the next attack to give slack to his scarf and wind it in a wide, single loop all while quickly breathing Hamon into its fibers.

Troh charged once more.

Rather than dodge the way he did before, Marco jumped over the bull, the scarf hanging in Troh's path.

As a result, the Bull ran forward with the scarf wound around his neck as Marco twisted in the air and landed on the beast's back, turning the Bullfight into a rodeo.

"RAAAWRGH! GET OFF-A ME!" Screeched Troh as he twisted and jerked his body every which way to throw the would-be Matador off his back. When he tried to reach around his back to grab him Marco, his hands only groped at air as Marco swayed out of the way. He even went so far as to return to all fours and bucked the way his Earthborn counterparts did, in spite of his earlier statement.

Driven even further towards blood pressure erupting anger, the Bull ran wailing and babbling throughout the cafeteria grounds, destroying tables and running into the walls in an attempt to get rid of his forced rider.

Small plumes of smoke emerged from the Bull's beefy neck as the Hamon that coursed through the scarf as it seared and dug into the Bull's flesh.

"ARGGHHH! THIS HOLY ENERGY! IT BURRRNSS!" Troh instinctively tried to grab the scarf that would around his neck, though he ended up burning his fingers in the process. Desperation and pain intensified his movements and left a little bit of room for control on Marco's end.

Marco, using his scarf as reigns, aimed to influence the Demon's path, though to some noticeable effect as he forced the beast to ram his head into the wall, over and over. Though, it would appear that Troh's skull proved for too thick to even incur the faintest scratch.

As Troh thrashed and crashed all around, his bloodshot eyes briefly glanced the cafeteria's kitchen through a long open window behind the food counters. A small spark of an idea gleamed in the near emptiness beneath that sturdy skull of his, momentarily overpowering the rage that populated his mind. Though he immediately writhed and bucked, his body had already received the fleeting message.

Marco was gradually losing control when Troh began to resist more and more, his strength overwhelming Marco's as seconds lapsed by.

The Bull proceeded to barrel towards the kitchen full speed ahead in spite of the slow, painful melting of his neck and Marco's own strength.

Right as he reached just a few meters from the food counter, Troh stopped dead in his tracks on a dime, the momentum sending Marco flying into the kitchen, crashing through various kitchen appliances and numerous utensils, sharp and otherwise, along the way to his impact against the far wall. His body fell hard atop a stove before dropping on his side to the ground, surrounded in kitchenware.

Marco groaned as his mind was catching up with the rest of reality. He could barely fathom how quickly the tide turned. One moment he had control, though shaky, over the situation, and in the next he found himself in the floor of a prison cafeteria kitchen.

When he tried to move, his body's only response was to suppress his attempts to rise with ringing screams of agony. As he leaned back a little to recover He felt something propping up his lower back and a warm trickling coming from that same spot. When he reached out to it, his eyes widened as his fingers grazed the wooden handle of a kitchen knife.

He could hear the slow, heavy steps closing in and a low, rumbling of that distinct laughter. Once it was the indicator of a beast who held little intellect, now dripping with ominously ill intent as it grew louder by the second.

His teeth grit, his breathing frantic, Marco grasped the wooden handle as tightly as he could. It wasn't the first knife that stuck to his body, nor the second, nor the third, but no matter what, it was always an ordeal to remove.

"Gah!" As quickly as he could, he yanked the knife from his back, pain flaring throughout his body for a mere instant before fading just as quickly, followed by a burning sensation that pulsed from his wound as blood fell down his back.

"Huh huh huh..." Troh stomped into view, a smile scarred into his halved face which accompanied a particular hunger.

With as much strength as he could muster, Marco sprung from the floor, aiming for his enemy's eye with bloody knife in hand, though his wrist was caught in a vice as Troh coaxed the knife into falling out of Marco's grip.

He then tossed Marco back to the floor, guffawing maniacally as the boy feebly attempted to crawl away, kitchenware clanging in his wake. In desperation, Marco threw everything he could, resulting in the demon shrugging everything off with a vexing grin.

Marco attempted to stagger to his feet before a pair of large hands gripped his ankles and sent him back to the floor on his stomach. Troh began straddling the boy's legs, keeping him in place as he held his wrists down. Marco's heart fell and his breath hitched as it began to sink in.

This loss of control.

This overwhelming oppression.

This humiliating subjugation.

Something dense and long rested itself upon his back, stretching up to his shoulder blade. Marco's pupils became pinpricks as realization set in.

Marco began to screamed, writhed and thrashed all about, do something everything, anything to get out of this harrowing situation. Desperation and the adrenaline that accompanied it provided Marco as much strength as it could, but no matter what, his body was kept flat in its stomach, at the mercy of the mad cow's sordid intent.

"Hur, huh, haahhh..." Troh laughed through his sharpened teeth. He inched his mouth close enough that his burning breath hit Marco's ear. "Just let it happen, lil' boy. It'll stop hurting... After I'm done..."

The density began prodding the rear of Marco's pants.

The moment it all the horrors and suffering of the past came crushing down on Marco, everything went blank. Reality seemed to have slipped from the grasp of his awareness. For a time, Marco's vision filled with a blank white as he could neither see nor hear anything.

Though, moments prior to Marco's senses suddenly shutting down, an excruciating pain surged throughout his left arm as he felt it bend and twist in ways that couldn't possibly be done by normal human limbs.

And then the world suddenly blinked back into view as Marco found himself back to his feet. He "awakened" with a gasp as if he had emerged from a bad dream.

Only to see that had awakened to one.

The Bull Demon that had once pinned him to the ground was now nothing more than a gnashed, spattered corpse. Chewed up organs and intestines spilled out of his chest cavity. Other than a thorough disembowelment, Troh seemed to have undergone a rather brutal castration as well.

And the look on the dead beast's face beheld that of one who has witnessed a horror that his condemned soul will no doubt remember in the afterlife.

Marco stood there wondering who it was that swooped in and saved him from a potentially traumatizing torture and subsequent death while also leaving behind such disturbing devastation. He had it coming, Marco was sure of, but that didn't make it any less grotesque.

Suddenly a putrid, acrid taste filled Marco's tongue as he became acutely aware that his mouth as well as the rest of his own body was spattered with his foe's blood.

Marco peered into his trembling, blood-stained hands.

Then back to the pile of shredded flesh.

Then back to his hands.

Then back to the corpse.

Then his hands clutched his stomach and his knees fell to the floor as he retched and fought back the urge to vomit. He clenched his eyes and grit his teeth, hoping that the need would quickly subside.

 _Mmm, them's good eatins._ Spoke a voice that came from within.

The boy's heart threatened to erupt from his chest when he recognized that voice and immediately pinpointed the entity it belonged to.

"Y-you..." Marco softly spoke in disbelief as wide eyes glanced at his right arm.

 _No you idiot, the other one._ Monster Arm chided.

"B-but..." Marco's grief-strickened gaze darted to his currently normal left arm as he attempted to rationalize the situation. "Star got rid of you!"

 _Didn't ya hear my last words before you 'got rid of me'? You can treat the symptoms but you can never cure the disease?_

"How!?" Marco nearly shouted. "How are you back again!?"

 _Have you been listening? I never left at all, you fool! I was but a few left over cells gestating within till I was suddenly rebirthed and I became anew._

"Look I don't care how you came back," Marco pointed at his left arm. "I am going to find a way get rid of you ASAP."

Monster Arm laughed maniacally. _You think your girlfriend's the only one bearing unprecedented rage and murderous intent within her? You're just lucky I can't come out at will and no part of me can touch your Right Hand. Imagine what I could do if I took over that?"_

Marco scoffed. "Well, at least I can keep you under control till I can find a way to get rid of you for good."

 _Heh, good luck with that. I may be caged now, but soon, you're gonna get desperate again and you'll have no choice but to call out to me. I guarantee it._

"Freeze!" Shouted a guard as Marco's attention was grasped by the dozens of gun barrels, swords, and electric staves leveled in his direction. Marco instinctively held his hands up. It was then that he realized that the sirens and flashing lights have long shut down.

 _Like, right now._


	71. Star the Painful

_Imagination._

 _The very seed from which every spell springs forth. Growing into blessings that pave the way for our advancement. Or tangible omens of turmoil and regression. The seed cannot sprout without ambition and boldness, however. Pertinent it is to test the limits of the ensuing plant to bear the desired fruit. And the logical progression would be to attempt to surpass those limits to no end._

 _The lengths and miles one traverses beyond the established lines could mean the difference between creation and destruction._

 _Though, such distinctions are superficial at best._

* * *

Within the depths of the dust-ridden, long-abandoned, labyrinthine maintenance tunnels, just below St. Olga's Gulag, lied a sanctuary of outcasts, unbeknownst to the officials above. Incense and other aromatic oddities filled the dim, lethargic atmosphere of the broad, rectangular room. As wide as it was, its space was occupied by fat piles of corn-based foodstuffs and still, dullard minds that were uncertain of their place in the physical plane. Though one thing for certain was that they all seemed to be enlightened and fed by none other than Ludo Avarius,

"I have sooo many questions right now..." Star stated as she gawked at her former rival in awe, her mind in a jumble as every second spent up to this moment have been nothing but baffling.

"I'm sure you do." The avian spoke as he brought forth a small piece of paper in one hand and dug the other into a nearby sack. With a couple fingers, he dug out a pinch of some blackish green grassy substance, placed it into the paper and wrapped it and twisted the combination into a slender, stick shape.

"Kelly." Ludo calmly called out as he pointed the paper wrapping in her direction. The bush-headed girl nodded as she brandished a lighter his way and lit the end of the paper. Ludo took a long drag of the makeshift cigarette before puffing a wide circular puff of smoke.

He pointed the unlit end in Ponyhead's direction, who took a brief inhale from it before her nostrils flare to spew forth a small cloud.

"Yea-heh-haaa..." Ponyhead giggled as her eyelids dropped slightly. "Good stuff as always."

Ludo passed the makeshift cigarette to Kelly, who spared no time taking a smoke herself before offering it to Star.

"Uhh, no thanks," Star politely refused with a deterring palm. "Marco always told me to stay away from those kids hanging by the school dumpster who uhh, sucked on that same stuff."

"C'mon B, a lil' Mewni Jane ain't ever hurt nobody no how." Ponyhead assured.

"I mean, the worst that could happen is ya get the major munchies and empty yer entire fridge." Kelly said after taking another drag before passing it back to Ludo.

"Speaking of Karate Boy," The floating bird peered past Star, as if expecting another arrival. "What the heck is taking Buff Frog so long? He should've been here with him by now."

"Prolly got somethin' to do with that lockdown goin' on upstairs." Ponyhead guessed.

"And that huuuge roar." Kelly added.

Star gasped when a grim thought tensed her body and raised her heart rate. She suddenly became more aware of the faint klaxon alarm of the prison.

"Oh no... what if Marco's in serious danger right now? He could get seriously hurt or-"

She cut herself off as her eyes became plates. Horrid hypotheticals speedily ran laps within her mind, dragging her towards the deeper depths of paranoia.

Without another word, Star began making her way back to whence she came from, despite the many obstacles that would hinder her attempt to rescue Marco from a possible danger, like finding her way out of the maintenance tunnels or getting past armed security.

The mewman girl stopped in mid-step as an unseen force kept her firmly in place.

That same unseen force then forced her into a 180, facing Ludo once again. He was holding an open palm towards Star.

When Ludo drew his hand back, Star returned to where her friends and the avian sat and, with a downward wave of his hand, she was forcefully, yet gently sat upon the ground with her legs crossed.

When she attempted to rise once more, she felt as though her body was glued to the floor. She struggled in vain attempts to shake free from whatever spell Ludo put her under.

"Ludo..." She panted between words. "I gotta... let me go!"

"Nope. No can do, 'princess'." The avian snidely refused. "And it's 'Master Tater', to you."

"Look, you don't get it! I gotta... get to Marco right now! H-he needs me! He-"

"Star." Ludo calmly but firmly uttered, exuding a rather powerful aura of authority that immediately jerked the girl's attention his way and halting her incessant fidgeting.

"Girl, chiiill." Ponyhead demanded. "Yer kinda harshin' our vibe."

"'Besides. There was a reason we brought you here in the first place." Kelly added. "You can't just leave already."

"Well I mean, we do need Earth Turd here too, Ke- Ay, quit hoggin' the joint, pass it over, girl!"

"Wha- I haven't taken a hit yet, chillax."

"Oh here we go," Ponyhead rolled her eyes. If she had hands, she'd be smacking them together in ghetto fury. "Girl. Why. Do you always. Be pullin' this bull wit me? Just cuz I don't got hands doesn't mean I don't notice you bein' selfish wit dat dope!"

"Dude, I was holdin' it the whole time. Quit bein' such a junkie and wait!"

"Oh _I'm_ bein' a junkie? Okay then, lil miss I-sucked-thirty-seven-goblin-dogs-in-a-row-but-none-of-em-were-Tad's."

"You wanna go, guillotine victim?" Kelly stomped up to Ponyhead, getting her face all up in her grill as the latter pushed back with her broad snout.

"Swing first, mewgga, swing first!"

Before anyone could pull or talk any more shit, both girls were brought to the floor, their faces flat against the cold, hard surface.

Ludo could only shake his head and tut as he gazed pitifully at his cohorts as they acted half their age. He looked to Star. "See what I have to deal with? The high can't kick in fast enough."

Muffled protests squirmed out of Kelly and Ponyhead as they were forced to french kiss the floor by Ludo's magical hand.

Eventually, the yelling and squirming stopped.

"You two done?" Ludo asked.

"Mm-hmm." They both uttered simultaneously.

"Alright, then." Ludo presumably released his grip on them as Ponyhead and Kelly roused from their positions, the irrational desire to start a mewgga moment long drained out of them.

Though the two girls were released, Star found herself still stuck sitting in place as she made another attempt to vacate the premises, though to absolutely no avail.

"How are you so good at magic?" Star asked. She tried to budge an inch upward but felt herself still strongly held down. "And how are you even able to cast it? And without a wand?"

Ludo rubbed his long gray beard, which was wound around his face. "It's a long and painful process, Star. But before I can explain everything, I need Marco here, too. Guess that lockdown just made things a lot more inconvenient than I thought."

"Well, he could be in danger, _right now_. Sitting here isn't gonna get him here any faster!"

"You really need a little more faith in your boyfriend." Ludo said with a knowing smile.

"Wha-" Star was dumbfounded. "How did you-"

"A little blue birdie told me." Ludo's smile kicked up a notch. "It was about time, too. I used to make bets with my former goons on whether you'd two get together or not. Some of them owe me a lot of money, now." Ludo shrugged. "But whatever. Doesn't matter anymore."

"Little blue bir-" Star raised an eyebrow upon putting two and two together. "Glossaryck?"

The bird nodded. "We've been talking. For awhile already."

"Huh." Star's eye groped for the floor as she parsed all the information thus far. Her face widened immensely and her usual paleness erupted into a deep crimson when realization hit her like a sucker punch.

"W-wait, so Glossaryck told you about how we-" Star smacked her mouth shut before running it towards embarrassing and private areas.

"Told me about how you what?" Ludo asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"N-nothing! Forget it." Star frantically waved a dismissive hand.

"Ooohhh," Ponyhead bore a powerfully curious look as she sensed that something juicy was nearby. "How you gon' tease me with potential gossip like that. Out with the deets, girl!"

"C'mon Ponyhead, don't be like that." Kelly chided. "What those two do together in private isn't any of our business."

"But mah bestie always tells me _everything._ So yeah, it _is_ my business." Ponyhead flashed a smile at Star. "Ain't that right, B?"

"Well, I uh-" Star vigorously shook her head, dragging her focus back to the situation at hand. "Look, could you just let me go so I can go get Marco? You said you needed him too, right?"

"Star," Ludo bore a stoic expression as he firmly called out to her once again. "You care about him, don't you?"

Star looked absolutely offended at the question. "What the heck kinda question is that? Of course I do! He's like, my everything."

Ludo nodded as he smiled warmly at the response. "And you trust him too, right?"

"With my life." Star said solemnly, doubtless and resolute in her convictions.

"Then you should trust him with his own."

Star raised a finger to retort, but immediately dropped it. She rested her hand on her lap and her gaze lowered once again. Unsure of what to do, she merely drew circles on the cold floor with her finger.

Kelly and Ponyhead offered more assurance, with the former gently laying a hand on Star's shoulder and the latter offering another sheepish, yet sincere smile.

"So. Are we just gonna sit here and wait for him?"

"Or till curfew." Ludo replied plainly. "Whichever comes first. Liberation can wait."

"Okayyy..." Star begrudgingly relented to staying. "So, what're you guys in for?"

"Well-" Ludo was abruptly interrupted by a rat drawing near and chittering quietly in his ear. The avian raised an eyebrow and hummed in response to whatever news his messenger bore.

"Hm. Looks like they're looking for you upstairs, Star." Ludo informed. "The lockdown's been lifted. You should get going before they get suspicious. No one knows we're here, so you better hope you don't get discovered on your way out."

Star felt the resistance that clamped her to the ground give way as she wasted no time hopping to her feet. She was about to start rocketing back to the entrance when Kelly stopped her with a grip on her wrist.

"Uh, maybe you should let me show you the way." The bush-headed girl suggested. "Don't wanna get lost on yer way up there, do you?"

"Eh heh heh, right." Star sheepishly scratched the back of her head. "Um. Lead the way, Kell."

Kelly and Star took their leave, bumping into bags of corn and lethargic lumps of flesh alike on the way out.

"Pffft. Man, I know she got it bad, but this is a whole 'notha level." Ponyhead commented as her eyes followed the two girls on their way out.

"Lovers on the road to Hell, Ponyhead." Ludo softly spoke as he huffed some smoke. "Lovers on the road to Hell."

* * *

Kelly dropped Star off somewhere different from where they came in. Star suddenly emerging from a different maintenance closet didn't raise any eyebrows or alarms since the hallway she ended up in was almost empty. Kelly decided to return to where Ludo and Ponyhead were and awaited Star's along with Marco's arrival.

As Star wandered, she was soon approached by a guard, who wasted no time demanding the young Butterfly be taken to the interrogation room. She had hoped that her being apprehended had nothing to do with the riot from earlier.

As the twists and turns of the maze-like halls lapsed by, Star noticed that someone had left a wake of destruction in the form of shattered weapons, discarded casings, and disassembled robot parts. She loathed to wonder what happened during that lockdown and loathed even more if Marco was harmed as a result.

The guard and Star stopped by the intended room. Bold, black letters were written across it that read "Interrogation Room".

A dreading uncertainty kept her hand lingering on the doorknob. She had no idea what to expect, what crime she was accused of or what punishment she may incur. An incessant gnawing at the back of her mind kept the sweat flowing, her heart racing and the grip on the knob tightening. She really, really hoped that whatever they were questioning her for, it wouldn't delve anywhere near where she's been and who she's been talking to prior to being here.

With a deep puff of air, Star pushed herself through the door, clenching her eye as she leapt into the unknown.

Shadows and security cameras occupied each corner of the small, square room. A rectangular table with a few chairs acted as the centerpiece to the room. Buzzing and crackling fluorescent lights above cast a discomforting heat and a borderline blinding brightness throughout the room. To the left of Star was an obvious one-way mirror, which she remembered seeing in one of Marco's prison break movies. A long rectangular table made out of crystal sat at the very center of the room.

Speaking of who, Star was just about ready to tackle said boy into a hug when she saw him sitting at the table, his hands behind his back as they were bound by a pair of handcuffs.

However, her blood and sweat ran cold when she saw who was sitting across him. Time felt as though it screeched to a halt and she had momentarily forgotten how to breathe when she locked eyes with that vile, suit-clad serpent. Star's teeth clenched to the point of almost cracking and it took every bit of willpower not to break out into a murderous frenzy right then and there.

"Good afternoon, Star," Spoke Toffee. The condescending tone was not lost on Star and it was like a needle to her body. "Come. Sit. We were just catching up."

To fathom how much hate and fury surged through Star's body at that moment would be a task far beyond anyone's comprehension. If there weren't any anti-magic fields or cameras...

Rather than make a foolish attempt to run up to the lizard and jam her fist down his throat, Star made her way to the table, sitting herself right next to Marco.

"Marco, are you alr-"

A gasp escaped her as she took notice that Marco looked to be standing on the edge of unconsciousness. His entire body was a mangled mess of blood, bruises, and swelling. His breathing was slow and shallow and it almost looked as though it pained him to turn towards Star.

"H...hey..." He greeted weakly, sounding as if he's been inhaling ash and gravel.

Star immediately flashed a foul face at Toffee, preparing for zealous accusation.

"For the record, I hadn't laid a claw on him." Toffee spoke, his hushed, strong tone aborting Star's words. He took a sip out of a nearby mug of coffee. "Hmph. Your first day here isn't even over yet and you're already killing yourselves,"

Star paid no mind to her enemy's words as she was too caught up being bewildered by Marco's current state. She laid a palm upon his cheek in an attempt to lessen the pain he was clearly undergoing. She glided her fingers across his face, gently grazing over the various swells and bumps emerging from beneath his skin.

"I'm-" Marco's sentence was cut short by a brief coughing fit. "I'm okay..."

"What happened to you?" Star's eye darted to Toffee every few seconds, prepared for the lizard to pull something while she was occupied with Marco.

"Got into a little fight," Marco tersely spoke, his voice strained. "It's... that wasn't what roughed me up, though... guards came in afterwards and well, y'know the rest..."

"Are you sure you want to keep dragging him around like this?" Toffee snidely commented.

Star disregarded the comment, opting to keep her focus on Marco to quell the murderous beast within. She noticed that he kept a furtive, angry glance at the lizard.

The suited lizard leaned forward and folded his hands as he continued speaking. "Tell me, Star. What is it that you were hoping to accomplish? You know. Before getting yourself caught."

Star's sharp eye darted Toffee's way and lingered as a spiteful scowl scarred her face, hoping the rage she radiated would somehow melt him to a puddle. She released her gentle hold on Marco as she kept a tightened fist on her lap.

"To kill you." Star growled, her voice coming out somewhat bestial.

Toffee couldn't contain a faint smile upon hearing that. "Oh? For what purpose?"

"FOR WHA-" Star was absolutely livid at Toffee's attempt at playing dumb. She had half a mind to leap over the table and beat his face in over and over, more than his healing factor could react until his head could no longer regenerate from the unrecognizable pile of scaly mush.

Toffee couldn't help but chuckle at the girl's reaction. "Funny. I assumed your first thought would be to take back your kingdom. Mind full of murder, have we?"

"And her." Star ignored the lizard's words once more.

"I ask once more," Toffee leaned back against his chair, sipping his coffee before putting the mug back down. He folded his arms. "For what purpose?"

Star jerked to her feet, sliding her chair back a few inches. Her scowl only deepened and her anger rose to a boiling point as proceeded to manifest all the pain and suffering of a tortured soul.

"You took..." Star spoke through clenched teeth, her body shaking violently beneath the encumbering weight of her agony and rage. Her teeth clenched so hard, she was on the edge of cracking each and every tooth. "So... much from me..."

"Mm-hm..." Toffee didn't seem the least bit intimidated. He seemed amused if anything.

"My home... my people..." Star looked to her halved limb. "My arm..." She pointed to her eyepatch. "My eye..."

"Your hair?" Toffee quipped, barely stifling a quick laugh.

Star suddenly brought a fist to the crystal crafted table, inflicting a rather sizeable crack upon its mirrored surface, causing Marco to involuntarily flinch.

"MY. MOM!" Her voice thundered across the room.

"You're blaming me for a crime committed by your hand? By your Wand?"

"You-" Star was once again on the cusp of wringing Toffee by the neck, but ultimately stayed her hand. She knew it would've been a futile effort and opted to merely stand there and pretend her spiteful gaze could kill.

"You're sick, you know that?" Star seethed. "And not in a good way, either. Far from it."

He laughed once more, like nails grinding against the chalkboard of Star's psyche. "Oh, I'm sick? Let me tell you what's sick."

Toffee rose to his feet as well. The fluorescent lights above cast an imposing shadow cast over Star and Marco, making it ever so clear that he towered over them.

"Your people. Your kingdom. For years- no, eons- they've been paying their taxes and their so-called queen sends soldiers or fire off their wand to strike a warlord somewhere outside your kingdom. Yeah, so maybe war doesn't happen for some months or years and the price of their home-grown corn stays low. But the sick part is that your family's been murdering our leaders in protection of your image and interests, all the while calling it 'justice'."

Star didn't realize that she had sat back down on her chair, her attention tightly gripped by Toffee's argument and all sense of resistance brought low and driven to the mud.

"These people didn't have a weapon of unimaginable power protecting them 24/7. These people don't have an army paid for with taxes keeping them safe. Hell, most of them didn't even have a damn government because of you. For years, the Wand was the oppressor. The home-grown corn was the oppressor. Now that's all changed. At this point, you're just pursuing petty revenge. Which will get you nowhere nor will it bring back all you've lost. But go ahead. Drag others in your journey. Lose more than you already have for no reason."

Star had no rebuttal. She gulped as she felt the weight of Toffee's words burdening her shoulders.

"What about all those people you... sacrificed?" Marco piped up. "Those people you... fed to all those..." Marco shuddered as the vile, unspeakable image of those Apostles briefly flashed in view. "...things."

"Is that really so different from sending your own soldiers to die in meaningless wars or massacring civilians willingly or in the crossfire? I did what conquerors and generals across universes have been doing for ages. Taking lives and land, building civilizations, establishing law, advancing. If you want to attach morality to it. Split hairs? Insane."

"H- how could you justify all that!?" Marco's voice cracked beneath the strain. "All those people... what you did to Star... what..."

Marco forced a lump down his throat as he tried to finish his thought. "...what she did to me..."

"I'll admit," Toffee sighed as he sat back down and sipped from his mug. "What Eclipsa did was rather... reprehensible. I don't generally condone that type of behavior, but if it was to set an example, among other reasons, then so be it. What happened, happened. The land has been mended and most of society's major problems have been dealt with. Even if you were dealt injustice, there's absolutely nothing to gain by defying us."

If Marco wasn't so weakened at the moment, he would've been so quick to breathe Hamon through his body and melt Toffee's face off. However, at the moment, no one is aware that he still had access to it while stuck in jail.

All fell silent and the tension completely flooded the room as Star took Toffee's coffee and splashed it all over him. An earthy brown conquered the gray of his suit jacket as the hot liquid stuck to his skin and clothes. Small lines of steam rose from the fresh stains.

Toffee hadn't even flinched an inch nor did his face make a single wrinkle. Though his reptilian eyes remained neutral, they were now laser focused on Star.

"Mm, speaking of setting an example," Toffee ground his claws together as he spoke. His eyes quickly darted to Marco.

And within the same breath, he grabbed Marco by the collar of his shirt, pulling him over the table and held him in a choke hold as he stood a few yards from the table.

"Marco!" Star cried out as she was about to leap over the table.

"Ah, ah, ah." The lizard wagged a deterring finger. "Going on the offensive is the last thing you want to do in a hostage situation.

Star, out of blind desperation, threw the empty coffee mug at Toffee's face, who immediately shattered it to tiny pieces with a single backhanded slap.

"Now, now. I was hoping we could be civil about this." The captor peered down at Marco, who was feebly struggling to free himself as the life was being choked out of him. "First of all, from what I researched on that little ability you used to melt my arm earlier, you have to have breathe clearly for it to work."

"Let him go!" Star screamed at the tip of her lungs. Once more, desperation took over and she attempted another Dip Down, putting more heart and anger into it to break through every barrier that ever was.

But to no avail.

"Second of all," Toffee continued. "I believe I am owed said arm. I don't take kindly to people mutilating me, less so for attempts on my life. And I definitetly don't like letting them getting away with it. So here's the deal."

Toffee materialized a sickle out of thin air as it appeared as a green ethereal weapon before manifesting physically.

"I'm a firm but fair lizard, Star." He smugly spoke as he waved his curved blade around. "So I'm willing to give you a choice."

He extended his sickle forward towards Star, pointing to her right arm.

"An arm for an arm."

He then hovered the tip of his weapon dangerously close to Marco's somewhat swollen left eye.

"Or an eye for an arm. Don't take too long. I have places to be, you know. Choose wisely."

He can't be serious.

He _cannot_ be serious.

But he is.

He's making her choose.

To either mutilate herself or mutilate Marco.

Her best friend.

Her lover.

It should be a no brainer, right? Star has risked given up much greater for him, including her own Wand and her life. Heck, she already lost one arm _and_ an eye. What's one more limb? What else did she have to lose?

"I mean, you could always grow them back, right?" Toffee spoke up, shattering the deafening silence. "Ah, but don't you need that 'Berserker Armor' to do that? And you can't even use it as long as you're here. So you're going to be armless for a time."

As much as Star hated to admit it, he was right. Not only would she would be borderline useless without a single arm, but should she have the opportunity to use that Armor again, she'd have to risk losing herself to its influence. Who knows how much harder it would get to snap her out of it once she gets into it?

She clenched her eyes shut. Unable to bear the pressure beating down on her, denting her resolve. She had sworn to herself to let nothing else happen to him. To protect him at all costs. At any cost.

And yet, she froze. Choked. In many processes of decision making, one would always confer to an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. And yet it felt as though there was no one but devils on each shoulder. Each choice just as terrible in their own context.

"Star..." Words weakly squeezed out of Marco's swollen lips. "Pl-please... let me do this for you..."

"Heh. How chivalrous. Unfortunately, it's her choice to make, not yours." Toffee raised his eyes towards Star. "Well? What's it going to be? Make it quick or I'll make the choice for you. You have ten seconds. Ten."

To go against what she strongly believed in. It was madness.

"Nine."

She didn't know what to do. Who could she turn to at a time like this?

"Eight."

A widened, grief-stricken eye flitted to Marco for a moment.

"Seven."

For some reason, he didn't look afraid at all. Among all the wounds upon his battered face, through swollen eyes, she caught a glimpse of something.

"Six."

What was it that she saw? What was it that kept her fixated on his beaten, scarred visage? Could she find it again?

"Five."

That's right. It's what he's always had. Even if he didn't know it. Though it was well hidden, it becomes as bright and as plain as day once you've found it.

"Four."

Determination. That's what kept her attention at a death grip. And that's what made her remember something.

"Three."

She remembered what he meant to her. What she to him. And what Ludo told her earlier. She loved him. She trusted him. And of course, he reciprocated, no matter what.

"Two."

One simple stare. One pair of locked eyes was all it took to make the decision. For as lovers bound to the road of hell, there needed no words to exchange. No gestures to make. For the language they spoke to one another needed no physical evidence to communicate. Only emotions that surged between them as their hearts pulsed and their souls shone with a singular purpose. A decision.

"One."

"Toffee." Star spoke up after what felt like an eternity of silence, her voice and her heart as clear as crystal.

"Yes?" Toffee raised an eyebrow. "Have you chosen."

Star looked to Marco, their eyes holding one another once more.

One single nod. The agreement was had. A decision was set. Conviction remained solid. Hearts were clear.

The choice was made.

"The eye." Both lovers spoke simultaneously.

"Hmph." Toffee looked slightly bemused at the ultimate choice. "And I thought you'd give everything for him. I guess you were selfish after all."

The words cut deep, but Star refused to falter.

"Very well then." Toffee brought the sharp tip of the sickle to Marco's eye once more. "You'd do well to remember who made this choice, boy."

As the blade pressed against Marco's eyeball, his eyelids reflexively closed around it. Blood spilled from between his lids and trickled down his face as the blade was driven deeper and deeper. Marco grunted and hissed in agony as the gruesome mutilation of his eye sent wave after crashing wave of unimaginable pain crashing against his skull.

A blood-curdling scream spewed forth from Marco as Toffee jerked the eye out of his socket, the stem spilling quick droplets of blood as it hung and swung in the air.

The lizard pushed Marco to the ground, allowing him to writhe in pain as he held the spot where his left eye once was, the blood escaping from between his fingers as he desperately tried to hold it in.

Without thinking, Star leapt over the table and towards the two. She quickly fell to the ground besides Marco, holding him as close to her as possible as she lifted his head up.

"I'm sorry... I'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorry." She repeated ad infinitum, hoping her apologies would make everything all better. Lessen the pain. Do something to compensate for the suffering the two were enduring.

"Here." The severed eye fell from Toffee's hand and landed before the couple with a moist plop. "A constant reminder of your choice."

The sickle disappeared in as Toffee rested his hands behind his back and made his leave.

"I'll send some guards your way to escort you back to your designated areas. See you around."

The door shut behind him, the ensuing noise echoing throughout the nearly empty room before silence filled it once again. Star and Marco were left alone, ruminating over what had just happened.

As the blood flowed from Marco's eye, so too did tears flow from Star's. It was all so much to take. Too much to take. If this is what their first day in this prison was like, then it felt as though a rather hellish stage has been set for the rest of their time here. However long it might be.

Marco cupped Star's cheek in one hand, bringing her gaze to his face. At some point he stopped agonizing and let go of his now hollow eyesocket. The blood that once flowed coagulated and formed a crimson trail down his cheek.

"Star?" He called out softly. Star gripped the hand that held her cheek and nuzzled against it to comfort him further.

"Y-yeah?"

"I just..." He wheezed, as if simply speaking was taking its toll on him. "...realized something..."

"Wha-what is it?" Star's voice was breaking, but her tears have long dried as her concerns were quelled by the fact that Marco was, for the most part, alright.

"We're..." A faint, yet noticeable smile graced his messed up face. "We're cyclops twins, now."


	72. Ya'll Cowards Don't Even Eat Goblin Dogs

_Once every star falls into place, Mewni shall be perched upon the edge of a cosmic chaos. The children will dance to its ceaseless rhythm, whether by worship or by panic. The veins of the universe yearn for lifeblood to flow, to nourish the pulsing shadow that lies beyond. And within._

* * *

"Yo Jackie, I think this is the place." Janna pointed to an upcoming door.

Shortly after their conversation with Star and Marco, Janna and Jackie were each approached by a guard, passing furtive, fleeting whispers that their presence was requested by none other than the fabled Master Tater. It came as a surprise to both of them that his influence was such that some guards were in the know.

"Whaddya think the dude's like?" Janna asked as they stood before the door. "Ya think you could guess who he is from all the dudes you threw in here?"

"I imagine he's one of those hippie types who lives in restaurant dumpsters and talks about how we need to 'legalize glue' cuz it's 'got more uses that aren't just mind-expanding."

Janna shrugged. "I mean, they're not wrong,"

"Except when Uncle Calvin says stuff like 'Japan broadcasts anime in the states to make us as pathetic as they are as and two nukes weren't enough."

"Again. Not wrong." The beanie-bearing girl took a finger to her chin as she pondered, her eyes narrowing at the metal door. "What did they say the secret knock went like? Was it tap, bang, tap, tap, bang?"

"No, I think it was tap, bang, bang, bang, tap, bang, bang."

"You sure? I feel like there were more taps than bangs."

"I mean, even if we got the knock right, we don't even know if this is the right door."

"Oh, but it is, though."

Jackie raised an eyebrow. "And you know this, how?"

"First, it's got one of those little windows where someone slides it open and asks for a password or whatever. Second, that smell. "

The skater girl eyed Janna skeptically at first before taking a few whiffs. Jackie recoiled slightly as the faint, yet distinct odor grazed her nostrils.

"Dude. Is that..."

"Ha ha, yup!" Janna confirmed with a smile. "That's the scent of good ole' fashioned pot. With a hint of," Janna took a short whiff. "corn? Guess it wouldn't be from Mewni without it."

Jackie began feeling more hesitant to enter. "Aw jeez, I swore I'd quit that stuff cold turkey."

"Welp, looks like you got no choice but to relapse, bro."

"How'd they even manage to sneak pot into a maximum security prison anyways?"

"Tater bro's probably _that_ good. Wonder how many members he's got in that secret gang of his." Janna resumed eyeing the door as she racked her brain trying to recall the knock. She snapped her fingers as the memory vividly came back to her. "Got it. It's-"

 _Tap tap, Tap tap, Tap BANG._

Muffled footsteps could be heard shuffling from behind the door moments after the final knock. Then came the sound of someone clearing their throat. A man, it sounded like.

The little window slide open as it revealed a pair of wrinkly eyes narrowing in the girls' direction.

"Well, he ain't my boy but- Janna!?" The eyes on the window widened.

"Whoa, Patches!?" Janna bore the excitement of meeting an old friend. "The heck are you doin' here, dude?"

"I should be askin' ya th'same, love." Patches replied as his eyes softened. "Issa small multiverse after all."

"Uh, you know this guy?"

"Well, I wouldn't say we go way back or anything, but I remember meetin' him back at Echo Creek robbing graves while I was doing the same. Then I met him again while I was shopping somewhere else in Mewni. He was the one who sold me that bag of skulls."

"Aw now Janna, y'know I wasn't 'grave robbin'." Patches piped up, slightly offended. "Just diggin' for treasure like I always have. The dead just happen to be in the way issall. They're obstacles that aren't any different from the dirt ya dig up or the chests ya open."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Janna replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Say," The man's eyes narrowed towards Jackie. "Ain't that the queen's assassin? Wha's she doin' 'ere?"

"Not anymore." Jackie clarified.

"Really now?" Patches sounded a tad unconvinced. "Wha 'appened?"

"I saw the truth." Jackie said vaguely. "Just be glad I'm willin' to stay tight lipped about this whole thing ya got goin' on in there."

"Oy..." Patches rolled his eyes. "What is up with th'mastah bringing in all these shifty characters n' whanot?

"I mean, he's lettin' you in, ain't he?" Janna jabbed, eliciting a sigh from the door guard.

"I resent that remark." Patches replied. "But, I guess if Janna n' Mastah's okay with ya, then I ain't got room t'complain. Still gotta do the passphrase thing, though." The man cleared his throat. "Well, he ain't my boy."

"But he's still my wife's son." Janna quipped with a devious grin.

"Eh, close enough." The window slid shut as several bolts and latches were being undone. After a few minutes, the door loudly creaked open, unveiling the secret base of the fabled Master Tater. The full breadth of the odorous herbal recreational drug was like a punch to the face for Jackie and she shuddered faintly in a sort of dreadful nostalgia. For Janna, it almost felt like home, only with a lot more corn and almost as many limp, high-out-of-their-mind bodies lining the cold stone floor.

As the two girls made their way in, Patches extended his hand to Jackie.

"Smiley Patches, interdimensional treasure hunter." He introduced. "Ya need a good fence, you've shook the roight hand. Provided yer not a cleric and ya don't ask too many questions."

Jackie reciprocated the formality with a shake of their hands. "Jackie Lynn Thomas. Cool to meet ya, Patches. And I'm not a cleric or a narc, so you got nothin' to worry about."

"Good. Now go on then, Mastah's waitin' for ya at the end-a the room."

"How'd you manage to finally get caught, anyways?" Janna asked.

"I er," The so-called treasure hunter nervously rubbed his bald head. "had a bit of a disagreement with the local authorities on how I, uh, procure my wares."

"You could just say ya got sloppy, bro. Or you kicked the wrong dude into a ditch. Ain't no shame in gettin' caught. Course, I never did."

"Yeah, yeah, just go see the mastah. We'll chat later."

With a nod, Janna and Jackie continued through the hideout, almost tripping and bumping into heavy bodies along the way.

"Man it's like an oven in here." Janna noticed as she fanned herself with her hand.

"Can't handle the heat?"

"Nah, everything's baked. I feelin' a bit high just walking in here. Really brings ya back, doesn't it?"

"Wish it didn't." Jackie muttered, feeling somewhat remorseful for being there.

"C'mon Jacks, y'know ya wouldn't have been chill and as tolerant as you are now without the good ole' kush."

"I also probably woulda been roadkill if I kept at it, too." Jackie sternly said, a bit of spite laced in her tone.

Janna shrugged. "So you skateboarded one time while you were still baked. Wasn't the weed that did it, it was you, really."

"Whatever."

"Ayyy, Janna!" Ponyhead called out as she floated towards the two girls.

"Yo Princess Ponyhead, what's good?" Janna greeted as she was about to clap hands with the imprisoned princess before realizing that was a dumb move. The hemp in the air was already getting to her.

"Could be better, I guess. The weed helps."

"Yeah I'm sure."

Ponyhead narrowed her eyes at Jackie, who offered a faint, sheepish grin in return.

"Sup?"

"Don't you 'sup' me." Ponyhead spat. "I know E-turd and B-fly are cool with you and Mastah invited you, but I ain't forget you freezin' me and tossin' me in here."

"Well, I'm just here to make things right again. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry about that. I know better now than to work with people like that."

"Yeah well," Ponyhead looked off to the side for a moment. "I ain't blamin' you for not knowin' what was really goin' on, but I'm still bitter, y'know?"

Jackie shrugged. "Hey man, you feel what you want. I'm guessing Star gave you the whole rundown?"

Ponyhead nodded. "Shit's five-hundred layers of fucked up."

"Ain't that an understatement." Janna added.

"Anyways, y'all are here to see the Mastah. Let's get to it."

* * *

"Star..."

"Mm-mm!" Star hummed in refusal as she shook her head while her face was buried in Marco's shoulder. Her arm and her legs were wrapped around his body as they shared a large plush seat cushion.

They, along with Kelly and Buff Frog were sitting in some sort of bedroom within the hideout beneath the Gulag. The room, much like the rest of the hideout was merely a square entirely made of concrete, and what passed for a bed was merely a pile of large pillows and cushions splayed out against a far wall across the entrance. A few makeshift shelves holding various alchemy ingredients lined one wall, while burlap sacks of corn and corn accessories lined another.

"C'mon, I told you, I'm fine." Marco tried to assure. His left eye, or lack thereof, was concealed by some bandages, while his right gazed pitifully at Star who still clung to him for dear life. "I don't mind you hugging me like this, especially in front of people," Marco eyed Yvgeny and Kelly briefly as they giggled at Star's antics. "but do you know how hard it was to walk with you hanging on to me like a koala to a tree?"

"Don't care. Not letting go." Star's embrace only tightened.

"I mean, you gotta at some point, Star. We have our own cells to go back to once curfew hits."

"Nope. Not till I forgive myself."

"When is that going to be?"

"Never."

"I cannot be sorry enough for what has been done to you two." Buff Frog spoke up. "I promise you, I will help in any way I can to get back at those _mudak."_

"Thanks, Buff Frog." Marco replied, his heart feeling more at ease.

"By the way, we met your bartender bud couple-a days ago." Star said while her face was still glued to Marco's shoulder.

"Really!?" Yvgeny's eyes lit up. "How is Jimi's business? And more importantly, how are my little babies?"

"They're all fine." Star answered, finally turning her head away from Marco's body. She then readjusted herself so that rather than being clamped on to Marco's torso, she leaned against him as the back of her head rested against his chest."

"You forgive yourself now?" Marco asked.

"No, but it's rude to have a conversation with someone while you're not looking at 'em." Star turned back to Buff Frog. "But yeah, the babies're fine. As for shroom guy's business. Well, it's 'bout as empty as you'd expect being run somewhere where no one's around anymore."

"Hmm. I see."

"How'd you end up in here, anyways?" Marco asked. "And you too, Kelly. What're you in for?"

"Well-"

"Hey hey hey!" Ponyhead loudly barged into the room. "Ya'll ready to get this started!? I even brought more peeps to the partayyy!"

"Whoa, Jackie? Janna?" Marco remarked.

"Heyyyy." Star greeted, feeling bubbly having all her friends in one room.

Kelly remained silent and gave Jackie a brief stink eye before relaxing once more.

"Yo, Star. Marco." Jackie greeted warmly with a wave. "How're ya holdin' up?"

"Doin' alright." Marco replied nonchalantly.

"Uh, no you're not."

"Yeah, I am. See?" Marco forced a smile as his fingers pointed at his teeth.

"Marco, you literally just lost an eye!"

"Uh, he what now?" Jackie looked rather bewildered at the revelation.

"Geez dude," Janna frowned. "Not even a day in the big house and you're already losin' body parts. Again."

"Again?" Kelly piped up.

"Whaddya mean, again?" Ponyhead repeated.

"You didn't tell 'em everything yet?" Marco asked Star.

"Only the reason why I don't have an arm. Or an eye. Or a mom." Star looked a tad more downtrodden before picking herself back up again. "But I haven't given them the entire story yet."

"Might wanna have everyone sit down first," Ponyhead said. "C'mon girls, go grab a pillow or cushion or whatever."

The two girls did just that, broadening the circle of gathered friends and raising the comfiness of the atmosphere. It was as if everyone was having a slumber party. Nevermind the fact they were having it in some dirty room beneath a maximum security prison.

"Where th'heck's Mastah at?" Ponyhead asked, her patience waning.

As if on cue, the flush of a toilet was made audible behind the other door and the door swung open, giving way to a levitating Ludo.

"Oh look, the gang's all here. Welcome everyone!"

"Ludo!?" Marco nearly shouted as he nearly sprung to his feet. He was kept in his seat due to Star being on his lap. "Star, you never told me Master Tater was Ludo!"

"You didn't ask." Star replied with a smile. "Plus, I kinda wanted to see your reaction when you found out."

"So. This is where you've been hidin' out, huh?" Jackie asked Ludo. "Wondered where you went after we stomped out your little siege on the kingdom."

"Huh?" Marco's confused gaze shifted to Jackie next.

"Yes yes, it's good to see you as well, Karate boy. And Ninja Girl." The avian floated over to one of the shelves and levitated a jar full of dark green grassy substances nestled within. He floated himself and the jar over to his guests. He twisted the lid open and then pulled a few small pieces of paper from his large, knotted beard. "Let's all just take a moment to medicate and meditate before getting into the past, shall we?"

"Aww snap, the main event!" Ponyhead eyed the jar hungrily.

"Waaait. Is that...?" Marco eyed the jar suspiciously.

"Yes Marco, it's exactly what you think it is." Ludo plainly laid bare as he rolled some joints for the guests and passed them out. Then a lighter proceeded to be passed around from hand to hand.

"Whoa whoa whoa, no one also told me we were gonna be involved with marijuana!" Marco waved his palms in the air as he spoke. "I thought we were in here to get away from the drugs outside, not trap it all in one room!"

"Marco, what if I told you I did pot with half the people in that little anti-drug group you were in?"

"Wait what?" Marco was perturbed at the thought.

"What if I also told you that Jackie used to do that stuff?"

Marco began gazing at Jackie as if his entire world shattered to pieces before his very eyes. A feeling that he was no longer a stranger to yet could never get used to.

"Keywords 'used to'." Jackie clarified. "I don't do that stuff anymore."

"Sides." Once the lighter landed in her hands, Janna wasted no time lighting her own joint and taking a hit and sighing out a misty gray cloud. "Not like a little pot hurt anyone. I mean, ya get a little existential and super hungry, but nothin' to go to the ER over. Plus it's _legal_ in Echo Creek."

"Yeah, lighten up, boy." Ponyhead said as a joint stuck out of her mouth. She breathed it in and let it out through her neckhole, the smoke replacing the pink and yellow sparkles that normally rained from it. "Ya'll definitely need it."

"I think it's best that you do." Ludo suggested before taking a smoke of his own. "You're like, really really on edge right now."

"Well I'm sorry. What else am I supposed to feel when I'm meeting one of our enemies and he's offering me and my friends drugs?"

"How about, grateful?" Ludo snapped back.

"Look can we just get on with whatever it is you wanted with me and Star? I didn't come here to get high."

"I'd rather be in a room that's tranquil and completely stress-free before we do just that. That means, both you _and_ Star need to calm down. Loosen up. Relax."

"I understand your apprehension, Marco." Buff Frog spoke. "The mewnijuana, it is... no different from taking nap or going out for a walk in park. It is merely means to relax from the pressures of every day life. Especially when such pressures arise from being locked in Gulag."

"And from what Star told me n' Ponyhead," Kelly tossed her two cents. "Both of you need it now more than all of us combined."

"No need to force 'em into it, dudes." Jackie spoke in their defense. "If they're not down with it, they're not down with it. Frankly, I'm not either."

"Besides," Ludo took another drag. "The room will fill up sooner or later. The effects will kick in whether they take it or not."

"I kinda regret coming here now." Marco remarked, deadpan.

"Think of it this way," Kelly took a huff and a puff before resuming. "Remember the first time you guys ever ate a Goblin Dog? That's wayyy worse than this. At least this stuff doesn't put you through one of the craziest trips of your life and you somehow end up naked at the parking lot of a waffle house at like three in the morning."

Marco, Star, and Jackie gazed at Kelly, baffled and befuddled.

"Ya got one of those Dogs?" Janna asked, excited. "I kinda wanna try 'em if that's true."

"Tch. I wish. But we're tryna be chill right now, not trippin' out."

"Eh, fair enough."

"Say," Ponyhead spoke up. "Ya guys... ya guys believe in that one thing where, like, ya say Biggie Smalls three times in front of a mirror and and like... Biggie's like right there behind ya?"

"Pony, we're not seven years old, of course not," Kelly replied.

"Nah, but what if, though?" Pony took another puff and huffed through her nose. Her eyes were getting a tad pink. "Whatchu think he be packin' when he comes back from the dead?"

"I'd imagine a gat. Like all 90s rappers." Jackie answered.

"You think Biggie's gonna come out the dead with a tiny, weaksauce thing like that?" Janna shot back, sounding somewhat disgusted with the suggestion. "I mean, if he's gonna be packin' small arms, I can assure you he'd bring all ten of his Mac-10s."

"I think he would come out with AK." Buff Frog retorted. "Cannot go wrong with classic Kalashnikov."

"If I were him comin' back from the dead, I'd bring a minigun." Kelly added.

"Why, cuz he's 'heavy'?" Ponyhead snapped, somewhat aghast. "That ain't cool, Kells. Stereotypin' like that."

"What the heck, he literally calls himself 'Big n' Heavy' in one of his songs!"

"Hold up, hold up," Star said as she pushed a palm back and forth. "Who're we talkin' about? You said his name was 'Biggie Smalls'? The heck kinda name is that?"

"B-fly, you never heard of Biggie Smalls? Kinda music do Earth Turd be showin' you, girl?"

"Marco's shown me a lotta Earth bands. Like, Love Sentence and...uh," Star's eye groped the ground below as she searched through her brain. "That...one guy who made Marco's 'ironic' ringtone."

"Parry Gripp." Marco chimed in, deadpan.

"Yeah yeah, that's it!"

"Ya'll didn't show her stuff like Biggie, Nas, or anyone like that?"

"You're asking me like I actually _do_ listen to rap and hip hop. Which I don't."

"Tch. Man you need to get some taste Earth turd." Ponyhead snorted. "What _do_ you listen to, anyways?"

"Well, I already mentioned Love Sentence and Parry Gripp. There's also Sev'ral Timez. Then there's a few spanish bands I listened to here and there. And then there was a few speed metal CDs my dad had."

"Yo, I just realized." Janna blurted out, nearly dropping her joint in excitement. "I could totally bring dudes like Biggie and Tupac back from the dead now. Sick."

"Aww, forreal?" Ponyhead became more starry-eyed than she already was. "Could ya get 'em to play at my next birthday bash? I would so love you forever if ya did."

"Well I mean, I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure it could work o-huh?" Janna paused for a moment. "Goatbro, how is potentially redeeming the rap industry a 'gross misuse of our powers'?"

"Yo Janna, you a schizo?" Ponyhead narrowed her eyes at the girl in question. "Dunno if it's safe to give you all dis grass, girl."

"It's not safe to be around her in general," Marco snidely commented, evoking a stifled giggle from Star.

"Huh? Oh no, I'm just talkin' to the goat dude from the MHC. He's like living inside me now. Rent-free, I might add. I think I have some other dead dude made of a million other dead dudes living in me too, but he hasn't said a peep."

"Am I baked out of my gourd or did you actually say that Lekmet is... living inside you right now?"?" Kelly piped up, just as reasonably confused as Ponyhead.

"And possibly a skeleton made of a million other skeletons." Janna leaned back in her seat. "Yeah, I'm kind of a walking threesome right now. Feels good, man."

"I mean, if what you said about the skeleton dude was true," Star chimed in. "Aren't you actually a walking orgy?"

"Or a gangbang." Janna's smile was crooked, concealing behind it nothing but sordid thoughts. "Skele-ton gang-bang, da da da da da da! Da da da daaa!"

"Oh gosh, please don't," Marco fidgeted in his seat in fear of what type of monstrosity Janna would conjure up with that unfortunate arrangement of words.

"Relax, I don't even have my skull thing out." Janna dismissed his worries with a wave. "Can't even do anything if I wanted to because of those anti-magic fields."

"Speaking of," Star directed a curious gaze to Ludo, who's been smoking and conversing with Buff Frog mostly and leaving the teens to converse amongst themselves. "Ludo, how the heck are you able to cast magic. Not only without a wand but while we're all under these anti-magic fields?"

Ludo directed his attention to Star. A stoicism and solemnity that the former princess had never seen before was burned into his large, yellow eyes. His beard ruffled as he took one long drag from his joint before puffing a few rings of smoke.

"Are you familiar with the concept of _Mu_ , Star?"

"Uh, I don't think so. Is that like, something to do with Mewni?"

"It's the state of absolute nothingness." Marco enlightened. "To clear your mind of any and all attachments."

"It's all about livin' only in the moment." Jackie added. "It's pretty much true freedom."

"Exactly." Ludo affirmed. "You have to abandon all sense of self and give yourself to the void. Become nothing. Become all."

"Is that what you did?" Star asked.

Ludo nodded. "I have focused solely on mastering Levitato. To the point where my skill with it has become transcendant. I have become nothing, and thus Levitato has become as natural to me as breathing. It's part of my existence now and nothing can stand in the way of that."

"Hmm." Star uttered ponderously. "Sooo, is that why you need us here? To teach us how to do this Mew thing?"

" _Mu._ " Ludo corrected.

"That's what I said."

"No, you said Mew. It's _Mu._ "

"Why the heck are you correcting me on something that sounds exactly what I said?"

"You spelled it wrong."

"What th- how could I've-" Star shook her head vigorously as she tried to jump back on track. "Ugh, are you gonna help us do the thing or not?"

"Well, I can't really teach it to you." Ludo clarified. "But I can steer you in the right direction so that when the time comes, you'll be able to reach it."

"And this is gonna help me use magic despite the barriers put in this prison."

"That and much more, Star." Ludo took another puff. "Nothingness is the greatest power one can attain. It's from nothingness where-"

"All life springs forth." Marco and Jackie ended the sentence simultaneously.

"Yeah. And not only that, but we all know you've got some serious demons goin' on in there, Star."

"Yeah, I'm pretty messed up." The mewman girl affirmed without a hint of irony in her voice whatsoever. "Alright, so when can we get this show on the road?"

"We'll have to start tomorrow. It might take up almost all day. For now, just relax." Ludo rolled and lit himself another joint. "Say Marco."

"Uh-huh?"

"Does it still hurt, like right here?" Ludo covered his left eye to clarify.

"I mean, I've been feeling this dull, throbbing pain constantly. There's like, sudden sharp pains every several minutes or so."

"Is that why I keep feeling you tense up every now and then?" Star remarked, peering up at Marco.

"Yeah, but I'm trying not to let it get to me too much."

"Here." Ludo rolled up another joint, then levitated it towards Marco. It hovered meaningfully before the boy, as if asking to be nestled between a pair of fingers and lips.

"Uh, no thanks." Marco pushed the joint away, but it came floating back.

"Are you sure? They're pretty good painkillers after all."

"I'm sure. Like you said. The room will fill up anyways."

"Even secondhand smoking is still smoking, Marco." Janna said. "Guess if ya wanna do it the 'Safe Kid' way."

That put a deep dent in his ego. Marco's remaining eye twitched as a moniker that he had thought he had long abandoned reared its ugly head. After everything he's been through thus far, the pair of words was like a record scratch in his psyche. A kick to the _huevos_ in his brain. He had thought that going through all these adventures with Star would put that label to rest.

He should no better than to get baited by Janna so easily, even through all the many instances where she has said or done even worse. And yet this is the one time where he internally snapped. Why? Even he didn't know himself.

One thing's for certain however. If he wanted to attain the coveted state of _Mu_ , then he certainly must abandon all inhibition and all sense of self.

With out further hesitation, Marco snatched the joint right out of the air and took one hefty puff out of it, the taste of grass, corn, and some other substances he couldn't recognize mingling with his taste buds. Smoke quickly filled his mouth and then his lungs.

And then he went into a violent coughing fit, triggering an uproarious laughter from the rest of the room as the 'Safe Kid' messed up trying to smoke his first joint.

"Oh my gosh, Marco," Janna's forehead fell into her palm. "You're supposed to ease into it. Not take it all in at once. Do what you did when you screwed Star. Take it easy and gentle at first and then go hard when you get comfortable."

Star and Marco stared at Janna with their eyes and mouths agape. The rest of the room looked at the two in a very similar fashion.

"YA'LL DID WHAT NOW!?"

"Whoa guys that's... Even me and Tad never went _that_ far."

"I do not think I was supposed to hear that."

"Well," Ludo took a nonchalant puff. "this just might make things a bit more complicated."

"Tell me about it," Glossaryck's tiny form popped right out of the burning end of Ludo's joint.

* * *

 **Author's Address to the State:**

 **Fellow Readers. Writers. Boys. Girls. Attack helicopters.**

 **For the fraction of you who are fans of both Star vs. _and_ Berserk. **

**I'd like to take a moment to happily address that this week has been a momentous one for us all.**

 **As of the release of this chapter, events that many of us that have been Waiting So Long for have finally unfolded. A well-earned cause for celebration, bittersweet as they are.**

 **Let us also take a moment to press F to pay respects for those who were unable witness history unfolding before their very eyes.**

 **But of course, despite the burning light of progression shining on the horizon of their respective narratives, we shan't forget that we are no strangers to the suffering that said narratives prominently featured throughout and thus we must also brace ourselves for the inevitable fallout that follows. Funnily enough, both involving events with red astral bodies and souls being bound.**

 **It's only gonna go downhill from here, folks. The creators are on the verge of crashing all these ships with NO SURVIVORS. Lives will be ruined. The world will burn. And we'll all be there to witness it all.**

 **Ruin has come to our fandoms...**


	73. When They Come for You

Run.

Run.

Run.

It was all that Kelly could hear, feel, and do. As far away as she could.

She couldn't count how many were after her. How many were out for her head. How many volts of electricity awaited to shock her into a coma.

Though she eventually lost sight of them and vice versa, she could still hear the distant clinking of their armor and equipment catching up to her. It sounded as if the whole army was in hot pursuit, soon after overpowering everyone else.

Self-preservation kept Kelly pushing well beyond her own limits. If she'd stop at any point for any reason, they'd get to her eventually. Slap those cuffs on her and send her off to who knows where for who knows how long. Or do what they did to those who resisted. She shook the latter thoughts out of her mind, focusing solely on fleeing to safety.

The forest was vast and the thickness of the flora and ferocity of the fauna provided ample cover for Kelly and treacherous obstacles for her pursuers. The trees and shrubbery grew denser the deeper and further she traveled. Her limbs were on the precipice of giving out on her. Even if she was able to push past the normal extent of her physical prowess, she'd hit a point where her endurance considered that enough was enough.

Kelly's frantic sprint eventually slowed to a steady walk as she attempted to catch her fleeing breaths. She laid a hand against the bark of a tree, using it to keep herself as she gave her straining body the break it needed.

The enumerable heavy boots crunching her way grew louder and louder.

She leaned her back against the rough wood and slid herself into a seating position upon its base. Then she shrouded her entire body with her own hair, immersing herself with the backdrop of the wilderness. She held her breath, making absolutely sure that she wouldn't make a peep or shift even the slightest inch.

Dozens of robot soldiers began running past her. A fraction of them stopped and surveyed the area, their glowing yellow eyes scouring every leaf and blade of grass. Their cybernetic gazes and shock staffs darted every which way as their sensors were on high alert.

Kelly's heart rate spiked when one of them laid their eyes on her. They were laser focused, scanning her hair for one leaf out of place. One faintest sign of life concealed within.

The robot inched his gas-masked face, gazing in the direction of Kelly's face through the bush. Leaf-esque strands stuck to her dark skin as a profusion of sweat rained down her face. She couldn't stop herself from grinding her teeth and hoped with all her heart that the metal man wasn't able to detect that.

The pseudo staring contest finally ended after several agonizing minutes. The robot rose to his full height and directed his wary gaze elsewhere, walking away from Kelly.

"AH PFFFT!"

All eyes were suddenly on Kelly, shifting from a radiant yellow to a piercing red as every robot in the area began closing in on her. The electricity on the tips of their staves surged with violent intent.

"God. Dammit, Ponyhead!" Kelly shouted as she jumped to her feet and brandished her broad sword. "You couldn't hold it in for a little longer?"

"I'm sorrryyy." The disembodied equine apologized, her voice nasally and her nose stuffed. "Yo hair was ticklin' the sneeze outta me. And it is straight messy up in there. You gotta do some house cleanin' girl."

"Well, no time for that now!" Kelly yelled as she narrowly evaded an electrified thrust to the stomach. She immediately sliced the weapon in half and followed up by decapitating the attacking robot. The tall, gas-masked automaton fell to the grass, electricity and a viscous, yellow fluid bleeding out of his sliced neckhole.

"I mean, Tad lives in there, doesn't he?" Ponyhead asked as she shot a conical blast of pink energy into the face of another robot, impaling its metallic skull and sending it tumbling to the ground. "At least ask him to like, work a vacuum in there or somethin'. Or did ya'll break up? Again?"

"To be... huh!" Kelly deftly leapt over a horizontal swing by somersaulting in the air. At the same time, she held out her blade so that she split the head of another bot. As she landed on her feet, the robot toppled on its halved face. "honest! We spend so much time-whoa!"

Kelly dodged another attack by falling on her back, grabbing the staff and tossing the heavy body over her. Soon after the bot landed on its back, the bush-headed warrior jammed the end of her blade into its torso, putting it out of commission for good. When she pulled her blade out, it was covered in that same bright yellow fluid. She didn't think much of it when she noticed and resumed the fight.

"You were sayin'?" Ponyhead said right before she magically lengthened her horn. Three robots ran at her in a line and the floating horse head rocketed forward, impaling all three robots. When she released herself from them, that same yellow fluid spewed from the holes in their chests.

"I said-" Kelly slashed one robot across the torso. Then she severed the legs of another one before taking its head. She quickly flipped her blade so she held it underhanded, thrusting it behind her as it went right through another's torso. She fluidly followed up with a spinning slash that beheaded it. "We spend so much time taking all these breaks-"

She tossed her sword in the direction of a bot that ran at her, knocking it to the ground. As she pulled it out of its body, she split another bot down in the middle in the same motion.

"It's hard to get anything done."

"Yeah, ya'll need to fix that. It ain't healthy." Ponyhead coated herself in a spiraling pink light that fell from the tip of her horn. With her teeth grit and her flowing pink mane flared, she charged forward as her form spun like a drill. In her path, she twisted and turned erratically, penetrating through multiple robots in quick succession. As she emerged from the last robot she destroyed, she found her entire body coated in that thick yellow fluid.

"Eugh, the heck is this?"

"I dunno, but-"

Eventually, the robots that had once vacated the premises earlier had returned, intensifying Kelly and Ponyhead's opposition.

"Less talkin', more murdering! AKLYORAAAAH!" Kelly burst into a savage sprint, her blade thirsting or robot blood as she spared no mercy cutting down the reinforcements that were suddenly pouring in. Ponyhead quickly followed suit, her horn stretching towards the enemy and ready to impale.

No one had the slighest idea on how long that entire fight took nor how many robots crashed and burned by their blade and horn. Kelly stood there and Ponyhead floated there, profusely quivering under the heaviness of their fatigue and their breathes shallow and shortened.

The two collapsed to the ground, their backs resting against one another as they chased after their fleeing breaths.

"Yo. What the heck is this stuff that they're bleedin' anyways?" Ponyhead sniffed the air. "Smells all lemony." She took a long lick of her lips. "Tastes like an energy drink mixed with honey. I'm also getting' this weird magical vibe from it. Like when I'm spellcastin'."

"I dunno, but," Kelly took one long sigh. "Ya think we're safe?"

"Mos def." Ponyhead said as she lapped up more of the strange golden goo out of her face and dug in. "Dunno about you girl but I'm feelin' kinda... potent after eatin' that stuff. Got any empty jars in that hair to scoop all this up?"

"Dude, that's pretty gross."

"Ay, don't knock it till you try it."

"Hmm." Kelly pondered as she took a small handful off her striped sweater. The tip of her tongue made the slightest graze and immediately withdrew.

"Wow, that is," The tanned girl smacked her lips as she processed what little she managed to taste. "That's like powerfully sweet. And tingly. But not bad. Not bad at all."

"I know, right?" Ponyhead's eyes widened as a lightbulb shined above her. "Yooo, you should try it on your Goblin Dogs!"

"Huh." Kelly was rather pleasantly surprised at one of Ponyhead's rare moments of wit. She rifled through the vast depth of her hair and dug out a wrapped Goblin Dog

She tore the foil to shreds, letting the sweet artificial meat see the light of day. She scooped another handful of golden sauce and rubbed it all over the Dog. Her lips moistened and drool fell off the corner of her mouth as her stomach yearned for an enhanced Goblin Dog experience.

Kelly shut her eyes and widened her mouth as she brought the golden Goblin Dog closer to her mouth.

And the Goblin Dog was kept forever short from being tasted as the two were suddenly incased in a block of ice.

* * *

Essentially everyone that was invited to Moon's funeral, dispersed once it concluded, taking the sorrow of the queen's unfortunate passing as well as a few hushed remarks of vindication against the perpetrator along with them. Once the very last citizens left, the higher ups of the Kingdom followed suit, taking with them sorrowful looks, though Ms. Heinous's was leaky compared to her cohorts, which elicited a much-needed arm over her shoulder from Rasticore. Eclipsa halted in her tracks when she sensed that one member of her inner circle wasn't following.

The acting Queen of Mewni began making her brisk path back to Moon's grave, where Toffee still stood in solemn silence as his claws were clutched against one another behind his back. Much to Eclipsa's genuine surprise, she began hearing a few rhythmic hums sneaking through the lips of her partner, followed by a series of lyrics from an unfamiliar song. Not as well sung as she'd like, but she felt the meaning behind each sung syllable.

 _I dig my hole, you build a wall_

 _I dig my hole, you build a wall_

 _One day that wall is gonna fall_

 _Gon' build that city on a hiiill_

 _Gon' build that city on a hiiill_

 _Someday those tears are gonna spill_

 _So buiiild thaaat waaall aaand_

 _Buiiild it strong cuz_

 _We'll beee there be-fore tooo long..._

"That's a nice tune," Eclipsa complimented as she walked up to the still-mourning septarian, evoking a rather surprised look. "From where did it derive from?"

"Oh, um..." Toffee couldn't contain his embarrassment as he ran his claws over the back of his neck. "I used to serenade Moon with it often when we were still... amiable. She quite enjoyed it, though she wasn't afraid to admit that there was plenty of room for improvement on the vocal aspect. My mother used to sing it to me all the time when I was younger. It was... calming, to say the least. I wonder if she'd be proud of me if she were still around."

The elder Butterfly faintly chuckled. "That sounds rather adorable. Though, I can't help but ask... do you feel remorse for what you did?"

"No. Of course not." He answered without skipping a beat.

"Then why are you still here? If I didn't know any better, I'd say her passing, or rather, disintegration, affected you more than it did anyone else that attended. Especially Ms. Heinous."

"No, it's just..." He sighed before continuing. "I've held her in high regard for quite some time in the past, as you are well aware. While that has changed over the course of several years, I can't help but harbor a miniscule piece of myself that holds a sort of... respect for her, even to this day. Throughout her reign, she abandoned her ideals and essentially suppressed her true self for what she believed to be the greater good. After giving it some though, I can't help but deem it... valiant in a way.."

"I suppose that explains why you organized this whole thing to begin with." Eclipsa pointed out. "Was this all just a means of absolving yourself of the guilt stemming from your actions?"

"Am I not allowed to feel even a hint of sorrow for someone I once cared about and respect without an ulterior motive attached to it?" Toffee quietly asked.

"No, I'm not saying that whatsoever. It's just rather odd to me that you'd go through the trouble of throwing this whole event in the first place."

Toffee remained silent for a while, merely peering upon the surface of the gravestone. His eyes once again glazed over the epitaph he carved himself which read, "Here lies Moon Butterfly. Whose soul remains to be as lustrous and as unbreakable as diamonds." A bit cheesy, he had to admit, but it was all he could think of that he deemed fitting.

"I'll admit," The lizard began. "the impact of what I'd done hadn't reached me until long after the fact. At the time, I was lost in the moment, so to speak. But I remain firm that I don't regret it whatsoever, because we managed to bring about change that was ultimately for the best. Even at the cost of many innocent lives along the way."

"Toffee, my dear. I've learned very long ago that you cannot reach the greatest of heights without climbing the mountain of corpses you've stacked yourself. And it does no good to peer back down to see the lengths you've reached to get to that point."

"I'm aware. Revolution is never without bloodshed, as I've been told."

"Exactly," The Dark Queen affirmed. She proceeded to walk away from the site, her crunching footsteps gradually fading.

"Eclipsa." Toffee called out, his eyes kept on the grave.

"Hm?" She stopped in her tracks, her eyes kept forward.

"When was the last time you've ever felt... pain?"

Eclipsa, maintaining her impartial visage since the funeral began, merely blinked. With no hint of irony in her voice or subtlety in her words, she gave her terse response.

"Toffee. I'm beyond pain."

And then she went along her merry way, leaving her partner to his own devices for the rest of the day. Her footsteps eventually faded into dead silence. The wind howled softly and leaves soared their way across the air.

Toffee kept his gaze rooted to gravestone for a period of time he hadn't bothered to measure. He began humming that tune from earlier. The soft, rhythmic vibration of his lips and throat provided a form of relief from an uknown, discomforting feeling that he couldn't quite grasp. Nevertheless, his heart was put at ease as he internally progressed through the song.

"Why am I even still standing here?" Toffee asked no one. "You're not even buried here."

Realizing the foolishness of his actions, he set out to return to the castle, but not before freezing in his tracks as he was face to face with an old acquaintance.

"Well hello there, Buff Frog," Toffee greeted amiably as he flashed a warm, sincere smile. "I was wondering when you'd show up. You weren't among the wave of monsters that arrived from the Swamp. Figured you decided to stay behind."

"What happened?" Yvgeny asked, skepticism and a faint anger drawn upon his face.

"What do you mean?"

"All of... this." The frog spread his hands apart, gesturing to the entire kingdom. "How could you have achieved all of this? Where is Star and her family? Who was the one that spoke to all of us?"

"So many questions." Toffee mumbled, annoyance seeping from his tone. "And they will be answered in time. For now, why don't you just enjoy the peace and prosperity that will follow for years to come? I'm sure there's a nice job and a nice place awaiting you somewhere on the Groundlands. It'll no doubt make life easier for you and your children now that you've the opportunity. Speaking of which, how are they?"

"Still at home." Yvgeny replied tersely and sternly.

"Oh? I thought you'd have brought them with you. I find it odd you decided to leave them behind and alone."

"They are not alone. They are with friend of mine."

"Are they now? Well why didn't you bring them along with you? To bask in the new paradise we've brought."

Yvgeny crossed his arms in defiance. "Because I do not trust you or that lady that spoke to us in thoughts. Friend told me that it is work of Dark magic."

Toffee raised an eyebrow. "Well then, what brings you here if you don't trust us?"

"To seek answers. Like, who that Butterfly lady was that spoke to us. And how you manage to conquer Butterfly Kingdom."

The suited lizard folded his arms and sighed. "Well, if you must know, we didn't so much conquer it as much as cleaned up after a rather gruesome mess left behind by Star. I'm sure you heard what happened about a week or so ago."

"Mess? What do you mean?"

"Ah, well I guess you aren't in the know. I won't sugarcoat it. The former princess went off on a rampage, murdering countless as she lost control of her magic as well as her mind."

"What?" Buff Frog's eyes nearly bugged out of his sockets as he stood in utter disbelief. The very notion that someone as happy-go-lucky and as bubbly as Star would commit such an atrocity was unthinkable.

"Yes, the poor girl. Delved a little too deep into dark magic herself. Of course someone as young and as impressionable as her wouldn't have the mental fortitude to handle it. A shame really. And if that wasn't horrific enough, she murdered her own mother in the cold blood. We just had a funeral for her not too long ago."

"No..." Buff Frog shook his head, still unable to believe what he was hearing. "That is not possible. Star... she would not do such terrible things..."

"Yes, I'm aware it's a lot to take in." Toffee said plainly, his tone belying nothing. "I understand you might've had some close ties with the girl, but that is the kind of person she is, Buff Frog. A killer. A walking weapon of mass destruction. I'd claim as such even if she didn't have the Wand."

Yvgeny merely looked at Toffee incredulously. His jaw fell and his eyes darted every which way as his mind groped for some semblance of sense, an inkling of rationale. The girl that spared him? Offered him friendship? Took care of his kids every now and then?

A killing machine who slaughtered her own people as well as her mother? There was absolutely no way.

"She does have quite the past with violence, Buff Frog. You haven't truly experienced it firsthand because you, Ludo, and the rest of your cohorts weren't much a of a threat to her. In the face of true desperation and bloodlust, her true colors are revealed."

Rather than continue the conversation, Toffee proceeded to walk away from Yvgeny, letting his own words stew within the single father's mind as he processed all that was presented to him.

"You are lying." Buff Frog said with unyielding conviction.

The lizard stopped dead in his tracks. He turned to the side. "Excuse me?"

"You. Are. Lying." Buff Frog spoke slower, making sure Toffee felt the weight of each and every word.

Toffee was fully facing him now, his eyes searing with fury at his word being challanged like that. It was a dent on his ego to see that someone he saw as beneath him spewing such nonsense in his direction. Defying him even after he had brought great things to Mewni as of late. And yet the hand that was willing to feed this fat sack of garbage and his kids was being bitten before his eyes.

The lizard proceeded to walk menacingly towards his dissenter, literally looking down upon him as his snout pointed to him like a sword's point.

"And what, pray tell, makes you say that?" Toffee asked, his voice lowered to threatening volumes.

"Well," A smug smile wormed its way to Buff Frog's face as he returned the boldest gaze. "As one who once practiced espionage and reconnaissance extensively, my eyes were trained enough to... catch some things. Teeny tiny details not only in environments, but in people, too."

"Oh?" An eyebrow rose. "Like what?"

Yvgeny chuckled. "I know we have not interacted that often in past, but do not think for one second that I did not keep eyes on you the moment you walk through Ludo's castle. I notice things, Toffee. Many things."

"Mm-hm?" Toffee's sharp teeth ground audibly as the conversation progressed.

The former spy raised a finger. "You may be full of charisma and intimidation, but your body often betrays your honeyed words. For example, your tail."

Toffee looked behind him for a moment. "My tail?"

Yvgeny nodded. "Among many monsters, tails are biggest indicator of mental and emotional state. The stronger the emotion, the more active the tail. Tail also acts accordingly if mental process is also being very active."

"What are you getting at?"

The Frog's smile deepened. "I notice that throughout explanation, your tail was being rather shaky. I thought of few reasons why that was. It could not have been because it is cold, because it is rather suny out with a light breeze. It also cannot be because you are happy or excited, because as you mentioned, you have just finished funeral. So only logical answer could be that you are anxious. Nervous."

Toffee's face drew ever closer. Both of their noses were being hit by one another's breath.

"What could I possibly be anxious about?"

"I don't know. You tell me, _pizda._ " Yvgeny seethed. "What are you so worried about? Why does your tail quiver when you just give me simple, yet disturbing explanation? Are you excited about telling me? Happy that everything happened in your favor? Or are you afraid of being caught in lie?"

Toffee was one slight throat vibration away from a growl. His face was caught between a sneer and a frown. His claws clenched tightly against one another as the scaly skin on his fingers were audibly stretching.

He had thought that he was free from any and all threats. And even if there were, he had thought that he had kept them all under control.

And yet here this guy was. A loser from the past coming to kick dirt on his shoes and sully his image.

But what _was_ he afraid of, though? Why did he feel even the slightest emotion towards this mere peasant? Even if he was right. Even if he would bring this information to light somehow, it would do nothing. His insane ramblings and attempts to slander the good name of Mewni's leaders would only be met with scoffs and cold shoulders. The result was already made, there was no need to dwell over how it came to be.

So why was Toffee so concerned?

"This conversation is over," The lizard finalized with great hostility. "I have plenty of business to attend to and speaking to you did nothing but waste my breathe and my time. If you want a home and a job here, then by all means, there's plenty available. If you want to go back to that pile of filth and disease you're so accustomed to, you're free to go back any time. I'm done with you."

The lizard king about-faced and stomped away from the frog. He was made acutely aware that his tail had been shaking for a good while already and it still was even as he walked further away from the source of his major annoyance.

"Ah, this is what is called 'damage control', yes?" Buff Frog fired off, his victorious smile unabated. "I am surprised you are not kicking me out of kingdom like you kicked me out of castle."

Toffee halted once more, his gazed affixed forward.

"I wasn't lying about what I said about Star," His tone was kept as stable and steady as it always was. "She really is a danger to be around. She had it all coming. Her and her family."

"Even her mother? Who you just organized funeral for? She deserved to die, too?"

Before Yvgeny knew it, Toffee was hovering above him, his elbow wound back. He couldn't react fast enough to avoid getting his face caved in and the entirety of his vision fading to black.


	74. Sweet Child of Mine

**Author's April Fool's Prank (Gone sexual) (almost died) #clickbaitthumbnail #Cashewdidnothingwrong #DaronNefcysupportsloliamputeeporn 2069:**

 **Just kidding. I'm not going anywhere. My love for you guys is like a truck.**

* * *

The day was slowly encroaching upon evening. Ludo's little bedroom was rife with bodies high off his dank weed as a misty gray settled over the room. Bloodshot eyes stared listlessly as dry mouths rambled about whatever popped into mind first. While most everyone stayed seated at the center of the room since they had arrived, Star and Marco moved onto staring blankly into the ceiling as they laid upon Ludo's pile of pillows and cushions he called a bed. Jackie had left the room on her own, looking to do a little more recon and research on the prison and its weaknesses.

"Hey, y-ya'll think-" Ponyhead struggled to make her thoughts manifest as she fought against the high. "ya'll think I'll ever be someone's waifu?"

"You'd be surprised." Kelly said idly as she took a puff off her nth joint that day.

"The heck's that supposed to mean?" Ponyhead raised an eyebrow and her voice slightly as the offhand offense briefly afforded her lucidity.

"Nothin'." Kelly could barely contain a chuckle. "What was the question again?"

"If I'll ever be someone's waifu."

"Depends whatcha mean," Janna chimed in as she too took another puff. "Do you mean 'waifu' as in the literal sense or like a waifu waifu?"

"I dunno... like, what's the difference?"

"Well, one has to do with legit marriage and the other is about loving and practically worshiping a fictional character."

"I think... I think I was talkin' 'bout the second one."

"Are you a fictional character?"

"Naw of course not. Do I hafta be?"

Incidentally, a hearty laughter was shared between Ludo and Glossaryck as they listened on. Yvgeny could only gaze on in confusion.

Ponyhead's glared at the laughing peanut gallery accusingly. "What you laughin' about?"

"Nothing, nothing." Glossaryck answered as he waved a dismissive hand. "Just carry on."

"Okaayyy," She turned back to Janna. "Sooo as I was sayin'... yeah, so let's say for the sake of argument that I _am_ a fictional character. You think somebody out there would consider me a waifu?"

Janna blinked a few times. "Do you want me to be completely honest with ya?"

Ponyhead frowned. "Lay it on me. Whatever ya gotta say, I'm probably too high to get hurt by it."

Janna sighed, preparing to lay down a bombshell that would make nukes feel like mosquito bites in comparison. "Frankly, I don't think you'd be that kinda waifu material. No offense, but you're kinda... aw geez, how do I say it?" the raven haired girl rubbed her chin ponderously. "Not easy to sexualize?"

"Uh, excuse me?" Ponyhead felt something shatter within her.

"Well, consider this. You're kinda like the weird love child of that one colorful horse show and that meme horse mask. If you were a fictional character, I can't imagine you'd get a lotta hits on any Rule 34 site. And the few hits that you would get are either humanizations of you or pics of you givin' a BJ to Marco or somethin'."

"Ugh, gross!" The floating equine stuck her tongue out as if to air out a rancid taste. "Why him of all people?"

Janna pointed her joint toward's Ludo's bed. "I dunno, ask Marco 'my harem expands with the universe' Diaz over there."

Ponyhead scoffed. "Hmph. Well, at least I'd be sexy to other pony heads."

"Wouldn't doubt that." Janna took another puff. "Kinda makes me wonder, though. How do you guys even, y'know, mate?"

"You really don't wanna know." Kelly shuddered.

Ponyhead grimaced. "Nah girl, I'm too high to get into somethin' like _that._ Or not high enough."

"Fair enough." Janna leaned further back on her arm. She took another hit and huffed more misty gray into the already foggy room.

"Don't feel bad, Ponyhead." The bush-headed girl tried to assure as she gently laid a hand on Ponyhead's neck. "I'm sure some weirdo out there would fap to you. I mean, if people have fetishes for stuff like floor tiles, anything is possible!"

"Gee thanks, Kell. That makes me feel a whooole lot better about myself." Ponyhead said, obviously grateful for the words of encouragement. "Maybe I should be like, a camgirl or somethin'."

"Bit unnecessary, innit?" Janna replied with a frown. "No need to do stuff like that for validation, dude."

"Nah, it's just," Despondence dominated Ponyhead's mood, evoking a sigh that released a small cloud of smoke. "once I get out, there ain't no hope for me, man. I'm not gon' be queen of the Ponyhead kingdom... I ain't got a castle anymore. It's gon' be hell to get by."

"But like... camgirl? I'm sure there's a better way for you to make a living."

"I mean, the Ponyhead Kingdom's got a pretty lucrative camgirl industry though." Ponyhead explained. "From what I heard, there's a lotta benefits. Pretty good conditions. And the pay ain't bad, either."

"Wait seriously?" Janna sat up as she wore a look of disbelief.

"Eeyup. Dunno how it's doin' now though. But I doubt Toffee and them would shut it down. That'd be like a quarter of the kingdom's finances down the pooper."

"Wait wait wait. You're telling me that your kingdom's economy is partly built on your people showin' off their goods on the internet?"

"Pretty much." Ponyhead nodded. "That and the fact it's got the fastest WiFi connection on Mewni."

"Guess that makes sense. I mean, you guys do live in the sky after all. So is it restricted only to pony heads or are there other types of people in that business as well?"

"Of course. I knew this girl who knew this girl who knew this girl who knew this girl's hairdresser that got in on that and she wasn't a pony head. I think she was like... something that wasn't a pony head."

"Uh huh." Janna sighed another breath of smoke. "But like I said, there's way better options out there for ya to make a livin'." She pondered for a moment before snapping her fingers. "I got it! You can join my band!"

"You got a band, Janna-girl?"

"Yeah, I'm starting one right now. It's called 'Despair Erection'."

"Sick. Do yo music go hard?"

"Hell yeah, it does. You up for it?"

"You know what? Sounds cool. Alright, I'm in." Ponyhead agreed. "Can I be the frontgirl?"

"Sure. I'm gonna be on drums. We can get Marco on Keyboard and Jackie and Star could be backup vocals. It's gonna be cash."

"Ooh, can I be in the band?" Kelly asked as she excitedly waved a hand.

"I dunno, what can you do?"

"I did a bass cover of Roundabout once."

"Yo, not bad." Janna smiled. "Okay, you're in."

"Sweet. When's our first gig?"

"Ay, can we talk more about this band for a bit? I gotta announcement to make." Ponyhead hefted a sorrowful sigh as she gave the news. "I'm quittin' the band."

"What? Why?" Janna asked, none too pleased about the announcement.

"I just feel like... there's a lotta creative differences and conflicts of interest between us, y'know? Lately I've been feelin' held back bein' with you guys. I need to branch out. Focus on my solo projects."

"Aw seriously? After all we've been through together, you want out now?"

"I'm sorry, you guys." Ponyhead looked to the ground shamefully. "Look, I'll still support ya'll and I still respect ya'll, but I just can't associate with ya'll no more. I'll still try to go to your concerts for nostalgia's sake though. Maybe."

"Shit, dude..." Janna took a long, woeful puff. "I feel like it was only five minutes ago we just started the band."

"Look, I won't forget any of ya'll and what we achieved together." Ponyhead began floating towards the door. "When I win my first Grammy, ya'll will definitely be in my acceptance speech."

She swung open the door. Her voice became shaky as she spoke and rainbow tears welled up in her eyes. "No no, don't try to stop me. It'll just make things harder for all of us. I know I was like, the most important member of the band cuz I started it and ya'll are probably gonna break up without me, but I gotta do this. It's for our own good."

The door slammed shut as perhaps the most skilled and most crucial member of the band has left the room. All eyes were on the door as the banging sound reverberated throughout the room before leaving a palpable silence and a lingering dismay in its wake.

"I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later." Glossaryck commented.

"I mean, they won a ton of awards for corn's sake." Ludo added, somewhat miffed at the sudden turn of events. "Why would she leave all of that behind?"

"It is probably matter of ego." Buff Frog suggested. "She cannot stand sharing glory with bandmates and must seek it out on own terms."

"Good riddance," Kelly said. "Her diva shtick was gettin' on my nerves."

"But we're never find someone to capture the sound and vibes she brought to the table, though." Janna added. "Guess it's time for Despair Erection to get shafted."

"We gotta tell Star and Marco ASAP. This is gonna hit them the hardest." Kelly said, worriedly.

"I know. How are they gonna make money for their kid now?"

"Wait, Star's pregnant?" Kelly's widened gaze turned to the girl in question, who was still peering up at the dingy ceiling.

"I dunno." Janna looked to Ludo's "bed". "Yo Star."

The former princess propped herself up on her arm, her bloodshot eye peering at Janna. "Hm?"

"Are you pregnant?"

Star blinked a few times as she stared blankly at Janna. After a brief silence, she merely shrugged before laying back down with Marco.

"Anyways, where was I?"

"You weren't saying anything, actually." Marco spoke as he took a hit off his joint. He passed it off to Star, but rather than hand it off, he brought it to her lips as she took a puff of her own.

"Oh, right. You were saying?"

"I wasn't saying anything either."

The two laid there, still as a pair of logs for several more minutes. The feeling of that corn-based Mewni Jane filled their lungs and lulled their minds to a drowsy state. Their cloudy, bloodshot vision reached for the ceiling, attempting to find meaning in the various cracks and splotches of dust.

"What are we gonna do, Marco?"

"When?"

"Like... in general."

"I think," Marco took a hefty puff before the smoke rose from his mouth and took to the air. "before we confront our enemies, we have to confront ourselves."

"Do what Ludo was talkin' about?"

"Yeah." Marco raised his left arm, rotating his hand and glaring at it wistfully. His open hand eclipsed the lone lightbulb that dimly lit the room.

"No need to rub it in," Star snorted.

"Huh? Oh no, I was just... thinking."

"'Bout what?"

He didn't answer immediately. His hand was kept in the air as he balled it into a fist.

Marco sighed. "Y'know, Monster Arm came back."

Star's head turned so quickly in Marco's direction, one could faintly hear a faint, single crack. The news hit her like a bucket of cold water and it seemed as though she broke through her accumulated high into sobriety.

"You're kidding."

Marco woefully shook his head. ""Member how I mentioned I got in a fight earlier?"

"Uh-huh?"

"Yeeaaahh, one thing kinda led to another and... yeah, he came back and I ended up killing the guy, er, demon I was fighting with."

Star's gaze returned to the dingy ceiling. The mood severely dampened upon the revelation.

"So what you're saying is, you also have some sorta bloodthirsty monster livin' inside you."

"Heh. Guess that makes us inner demon twins, too."

Star didn't have a response to that. The two simply laid there, stewing in the silence, the weed, and their worries. They periodically took puffs whenever the need arised, feeding and growing the ever-present cloud of smoke that hovered above. A few coughs here or there filled in the silence that grew between the two, though it did little to lessen the awkwardness.

"Say, Marco?" Star finally said, breaking the silence with some much-needed conversation.

"Yeah?"

"Am I a good person?"

For reasons even he couldn't figure out, Marco couldn't help but flinch at the question. It stung him to hear Star stepping even the slightest towards self-doubt or self-loathing. While he wanted very much to answer in an overwhelming positive and assuage her worries and ease his heart, he instead bit his tongue. He thought about everything that he ever learned to this point. All that he's experienced. Everyone he ever encountered throughout all his adventures, including the one he had for 16 years (8 minutes).

"I don't think anyone is, Star," Marco said sincerely.

Star turned to him. "Not even you?"

Marco shook his head. "I think we're just lucky we don't have to be otherwise."

Star was unsure what to make of the answer nor was she sure if she was satisfied by it.

"We could be worse is what I'm saying." Marco clarified.

"Yeah..." Star replied pensively. "I mean, if we really put our minds to it we can totally be awful, awful people. Like them."

He nodded in agreement. "And we have every reason to. But despite everything, we're still us, y'know?"

Another flood of silence washed over them, drowning out their actions and thoughts. They laid like corpses, gazing mindlessly into the smoke-covered ceiling. The conversations and laughter of their friends were lost on the two.

"I'm still kinda bummed," Star stated softly.

"About what?"

Rather than voice her response, Star instead turned on her side and gently ran a finger over the bandage that concealed where Marco's left eye used to be.

"Oh, this?" Marco pointed to the spot. "I told you, it's okay."

Star shook her head. "Not for me. I don't want you to keep losing body parts."

"Well, I'm not gonna let you be the only one. How else are we gonna stay mess up twins?"

Star scoffed at the attempt at humor. "More like messed up twins,"

"Heh heh, that sounds about right. I'm surprised people are still able to tell us apart."

"If we keep it up, nobody's gonna tell what we are anymore."

The two shared an awkward laugh, then another puff of their joint as their laughter soon faded back into silence.

Marco's hand started idly patting around between him and Star. His hand then began to shift around Star's stomach, as if searching for something.

"Uh, what are you doing?"

"I'm... I'm looking for your hand." Marco answered nonchalantly. "I kinda wanna hold it, but I can't find it."

"You do know you're on my left, right?" Star couldn't help but smile at Marco's foolishness.

He froze, realizing what was just said and what he was doing. Red crept into his tanned face as the awkwardness of the situation dawned on him.

"Here," Star interlocked fingers with Marco as both hands rested on her stomach. The two exchanged loving, red-eyed looks as they gripped tighter. Their bodies slowly narrowed the distance as their faces inched ever so slowly. Their eyes shut as their emotions steered them toward one another, longing to be expressed through a unity of lips and a dancing of tongues.

"Hey," Ludo called out for the two, freezing them both in their tracks with wide eyes and puckered lips just short of touching. "Before you start making babies again, you should know you're not alone. And it's getting close to curfew. You need to get back to your cells."

Their chests sunk as they realized the position they were in. With a resigned sigh from both, they rose from the bed and made their way to the exit, their hands refusing to let go. Clear disappointment was etched all over their faces.

"Wait," Ludo stopped them with a raise of his palm. The couple turned around to see what he needed before they parted and were suddenly met with a splash of some cold, clear, odorless liquid. It wasn't water, that was for sure.

"Agh, what the heck!?" Marco exclaimed as he tried to spit the salty, sour taste out of his mouth.

"Brrrr!" Star remarked as she vigorously shook her head.

When they both opened their eyes, they were no longer bloodshot. And the high they had felt melted away into nothing as they felt as fresh as they were before they walked in here.

"Ah yes. Festivia's Detoxifier." Glossaryck pointed out. "Gets ya out of inebriation of any kind. Pretty handy for hangovers and avoiding DUIs."

"Wait, why do you have one of her drinks?" Star questioned as she wiped the last of that fluid off her face.

"Tell ya later." Ludo tersely answered. As Kelly, Buff Frog, and Ponyhead got up, they too were splashed by the same liquid, their eyes returning to their original colors and their minds once muddled by Mewnijuana becoming unclouded.

"Alright, out you all go. See ya tomorrow."

As soon as the last one left and the door slammed shut, Ludo slumped in his seat. He looked to Janna with confusion.

"You're still here?"

She nodded as she took another puff. "Might as well. I ain't a convict. Yet."

Ludo shrugged. "Eh, fair enough."

"Say Ludo," Glossaryck asked.

"Yeah?"

"Y'know what tonight's moon phase will be?"

The avian raised an eyebrow. "Uh no, I don't. Why?"

"Just wonderin'."

* * *

A Half-moon loomed among the stars, shining in the backdrop of night as it cast its pallid glow upon the Gulag, seeping into its many windows. Snoring, depressed mumblings, and the occasional fart resounded throughout the still, sleeping cell blocks filling in the silence in an otherwise quiet prison. Security cameras snapped to and fro, seeking out even the slightest thing out of place. The restless robot guards stomped their way through the halls, prepared to apprehend and punish anyone who dared tread upon the rules that were set.

Marco's eye, unlike his other one, was kept open as it gazed into another ceiling. He found himself unable to slip into slumber as easy as everyone else did. No matter how much he tossed and turned, regardless of how many sheep he tried to count, his other eye refused to droop even the slightest. The slab of crystal he was laying on was hell on his back. His mind was incessantly nomadic, refusing to stay in one worried thought at a time. It irked him to no end that he may not be able to get any sleep that night and, ironically, that's what was mostly keeping him awake.

His mind eventually drifted towards thoughts of Star. Wondering if she too was having as much trouble with sleep as he was.

He turned towards the wall. The moonlight from his window afforded him a blurry, unfocused glimpse into his reflection. He stared at his left eyelid, now kept at a constant wink. He delicately brought a finger to his eyelid, feeling the emptiness beyond.

A sharp stab of pain assailed the back of his neck as a little bit of blood trickled down. Marco sat up in his bed, his eyes scanning all throughout his cell for any lingering evil spirits abound. His ears perked up, seeking out any telltale ghostly whispers.

He rose from his "bed" and walked up to the bars of his cell. His face drew close enough to look both ways down the hall. His side of the block was completely empty. Not even a single guard was found on patrol.

"Huh," Marco remarked to himself, puzzled. He knew there was no way he could've have imagined that feeling. It was far too acute to be a mere hallucination. To verify, he brought a hand to the back of his neck and felt that dried blood caked onto his skin. Even though it confirmed that the reaction of his Brand wasn't made up, he wished that he was. Not only did he have to deal with this sudden bout of insomnia, but now he had to deal with whatever evil spirit wished to assault him.

With a sigh, Marco decided to return to his crystal slab to await whatever it was that skulked his cell. If he had trouble sleeping before, now he'll definitely stay up till the break of dawn.

He nearly leapt out of his skin and his back hit the solid crystal bars when he found someone suddenly sitting on his bed. They casually swung their legs back and forth, staring at him intently.

It was a little girl. She didn't look any older than four or five and couldn't have been any taller than Marco's waist. The pale luminescence leaking through the barred window put her completely naked form beneath a spotlight.

Rather than scream or yell or call out to someone, Marco's first instinct was to run to the girl on his bed and covering her up with his black prison jacket. Thankfully, she was small enough for it to cover the entirety of her torso while her little, pale legs stuck out from the bottom.

After zipping the jacket up, Marco scanned her face and what he saw evoked a light gasp.

The girl had mildly long hair the same shade of brown as his with bangs over her forehead that were reminiscent of Star's. And then there were the marks on her cheeks.

A circle. Each of them were split vertically in two colors, black and white. Images that Marco recognized seeing before, however they were altered in that each circle was surrounded by five triangles, also dual colored, that arranged to form a star.

Just like what was depicted on the back of Marco's Right Hand.

"You..." Marco uttered quietly. "You were that baby from before. When we were at the Sanctuary."

The child nodded, but remained silent.

"So, who are you?"

She didn't answer. Her jet black eyes were kept focused on Marco's lone brown eye.

"Okay..." Marco looked behind him, checking for anyone who might be watching this scene unfold. Luckily, the coast was clear and the prisoner in the cell across his was out cold. "Where did you come from?"

Again, she remained tight-lipped. Not one for conversation or relevant information, he noticed.

Another strange idea came to Marco as he remembered a recent, harrowing event. One that involved swimming and almost drowning in treacherous waters in order to quell a furious storm.

"Were you the one that helped me calm Star down?"

The child had a response that time. Another nod.

"So only yes or no questions, huh? Can't talk or are you willingly mute?"

The child nodded once more, though Marco wasn't sure to which question it was meant for.

"Okay... so you got any parents or. Something? I mean, ya hafta be related to Star at least, right?"

The girl nodded. She then pointed a finger at Marco then at one of the marks on her cheeks.

"Me and... your cheek marks? I don't get it."

The girl shook her head as a faint smile was brought forth by Marco's ignorance. To clarify, she placed a few fingers upon the circle on one of her cheeks, completely covering it. Then pointed one finger at Marco. Afterwards, she tapped each triangle till the very last one, then her finger stretched to Marco once more.

"I'm sorry, I still don't follow. Not the best at charades, to be honest." Marco admitted with a sheepish grin.

The girl rolled her eyes and gave a shrug, seemingly giving up on making him understand.

"Okay, well were you trying to say that I'm," He pointed to himself to emphasize. "your dad?"

The little girl blinked for a few moments. Then she nodded slowly and solemnly.

"What!?" Marco almost shouted, but kept the volume at a sharply hissed whisper. "But that can't be right. Star didn't even get- I mean, you shouldn't even be-" He stumbled on his words as all the reasons why that didn't make any sense went faster than his mouth could express them. He stopped and thought for a moment as he came to one conclusion, though it was as nonsensical as the rest.

"Are you from the future?"

The child gave Marco a strange look, as if to wordlessly say that he couldn't have been any more wrong and followed up with a shake of her head.

"So what do you want from me? Why are you here?"

Rather than respond with the usual silence, the child instead gestured for Marco to sit next to her. Hesitantly, he did as asked. The child stood upon the flat slab of crystal on her knees and placed her small hands on his cheeks.

A soothing warmth emanated from his cheeks and spread throughout the rest of his body. His eyelids suddenly became heavy as he struggled to keep them from falling. Blackness flashed in and out of his vision in quickening succession before everything faded away.

As his limp body fell on his side, the child held propped him up in order to keep him from cracking his skull on the "bed". With the girl's help, he gently fell upon the bed as he fell into deep slumber. The little girl shortly joined him, nestling into his chest as she grabbed his arm and held onto it.

Crescent moons illuminated on Marco's cheeks.

* * *

Ever since the lights went out hours ago, Star, for the life of her could not sleep a wink. No matter how many times she scoured every inch of her crystal slab of a bed for a good spot to doze off to, the clutches sleep could barely grab a hold of her. Instead she simply laid on her back, gazing into the frustrated reflection on the ceiling.

"Come onnn..." She quietly groaned to herself, hoping to motivate her body into falling asleep. Her body bent and stiffened in all sorts of directions and positions, partly to find even the barest morsel of relaxation and partly out of annoyance that her mind found great difficulty in seeking a respite from the day's events. A way to momentarily drown her consciousness from the terrible waking world.

But nope. Her eye remained wide open as she was forced to be acutely aware of where she was.

Once again, she considered knocking herself out to put herself to sleep. She knocked a knuckle against the crystalline slab she laid on and felt that it should be dense enough to do the trick.

"Perfect," She said with a smile.

She stood on all fours upon her "bed", gazing into her determined, baggy-eyed visage as she aimed to headbutt the solid crystal. She had hoped that she wouldn't accidentally crack a skull upon doing this, but at that point, she cared less about her own well-being and more about immediately leaving reality for a time.

Right as she raised her head in preparation of smashing it, she felt a familiar burning sensation in the back of her neck.

"Oh no," She quietly muttered to herself. Her hand darted to the back of her neck, and her suspicions were confirmed when she felt fresh blood on the tip of her fingers.

Incoherent whispers resounded within her cell, quickly drowning out the snores of her fellow convicts. Small black spirits of vast variations of indescribable forms and ugliness seeped out of every wall and the ceiling.

With no way out and no interest in getting consumed by them, Star sprung to her feet. She raised a lone fist in a fighting stance as her body shivered with anticipation. She waited for a single one of them to draw near enough so she could unleash all the fury of a three-limbed, hormonal teenage girl.

Strangely enough however, none of the lingering specters made even an inch towards Star. Instead all of them slowly slid off the walls and the ones on the ceiling peeled themselves off and dropped to the floor. All the spirits within close proximity started to gather at the center of the room, heaping themselves onto one another in a swirling mass of eyes, mouths, and appendages. The collective they formed swayed and quivered as they molded into one singular being.

A four-legged, lupine body with a serpentine face.

"This place," The thing spoke. The distorted, chaotic combination of Toffee's, Star's, and now Eclipsa's voice buzzed uncomfortably in Star's ears. "Like fish in a barrel, wouldn't you say? Fresh meat. Ripe for the feeding."

Rather than dignify its words with a response, Star ran up to the vile creature and delivered a hard kick in its direction.

The Serpent narrowly avoided the attack as it leapt in the air and stuck all four limbs to the ceiling.

"That anger should be directed elsewhere, don't you think?" The creature smugly spoke.

"What do you want!?" Star seethed, baring her teeth.

"Just a reminder." It smiled its crooked, vexing smile as it spoke. "I can't wait for you to wear me again. So we can run wild with glee as our claws tear apart more bodies."

"And I can't wait for Ludo to help me get rid of you," Star spat back.

"Hah! You still think that's possible? Be honest, do you actually _want_ me gone?"

"How is that even a question?"

The malevolent being snickered. "Whether you admit it or not, the answer is a resounding no. I dunno if you're aware, but I've been more instrumental in keeping you alive than you think. Hell, I'm the reason why you can't even feel pain or anything else anymore. Except for him."

Star bore no response to that. Instead she pretended that her gaze was destroying the foul creature very very slowly.

"Ah, speaking of which, wouldn't you like to _feel_ him again? Feed into your insatiable lust for his flesh? Drain him out of everything he has? Just like she did. Or maybe tear him apart? Leave nothing left? Today was a pretty good start."

"Shut up!" Star sharply shouted out loud, not caring if she'd wake up the other prisoners or drawing the attention of a guard.

To the beast's surprise, Star leapt into the air high enough to hook her arm around its thick neck and sending it crashing into the ground.

The Serpent could only respond in wild laughter as its host feebly tried to fit it. Even as Star threw fist after fist into its elongated face, its howling laughter remained unabated. She felt as though she was hitting a watery cloud, though its head still moved according to the directions of her fist.

Right as Star raised an elbow to the air to prepare another punch, the Serpent dissipated into the tiny ghosts that originally comprised it. As they fled in all directions, its cackling echoing until it completely faded into silence. They all phased back into the walls and ceilings from whence they came.

No other spirits dared to enter the cell, presumably fearing to incur her ire. She laid back down on her bed, feeling that all was safe and sound for now.

Even as silence washed over the room, Star still found it impossible to fall asleep as she fidgeted incessantly. Though the entire facility itself was air-conditioned and a brisk breeze blew in from the small, barred window, she began to break into a strong profusion of sweat. As much as she attempted to wipe it off her face, it wouldn't stop flowing. Her exposed skin began to gleam beneath the late night moonlight and her clothes dampened and heavily adhered to her body.

And then she felt an itch. A primal desire welling up within. Something that would be embarrassing to be caught doing in a public place such as this. She clenched her eyes rubbed her thighs together in the hopes that the need would eventually go away.

But it wouldn't. It wouldn't go away at all. Try as she might to steer her mind away from it, but the unquenchable need dragged her awareness back into it, making it more acute and even harder to ignore.

Breathy, squeaky moans slipped from her throat as she bit into her prison jacket. Crimson conquered the color of a face that was normally pale. Her active fingers grew more soaked as they waded through her confines. Pushing and pulling. Ebbing and flowing. With the press of a certain button, Star was barely able to contain a hard gasp as though she was just submerged beneath water.

Instinctively, she quietly cried out his name, her voice breaking in between syllables and moans as she delved deeper into depravity.

In the back of her mind, she had hoped that the woman in the cell across hers wouldn't awaken and hoped even more that a guard wasn't about to pass by. She turned towards the wall, hoping that whoever saw her would think nothing of her.

Star's hand picked up in speed as her mind grew more muddled beneath her demanding physical needs. The bottomless need to get it over with as soon as mewmanly possible reigned over all her thoughts, rendering them vacant as her body left her mind behind. Her heart practically slammed against her chest. Shortened, soft breaths evolved into barely contained whimpers.

A long, sharp intake of air and a flash of white in her vision later and Star was reduced to an exhausted, panting mess upon reaching the apex. A hefty portion of all the stress and frustration that had flooded and bubbled beneath her very being had drained right out of her. It was abated for a time, yet she was still left empty and unfulfilled.

She slowly pulled her coated hand up, feeling a few stray strands sticking to her fingers upon its departure. She brought it high above her face as it was illuminated beneath the moonlight. As she rubbed her newly drenched fingers together, a lone, thick strand connected her pinky and ring finger as she parted them.

"I'm so fucked up."


	75. Up the Beach

The sound of waves pushing and pulling against the shore gently wafted into Marco's ears. His eyes flickered as he debated whether or not he should get up. His mind was made up when he felt rough, coarse sand rubbing against him and burrowing into places it shouldn't. Like his socks.

After rubbing the remaining vestiges of sleep out of his eye, Marco almost instantly recognized where he had woken up in. The dominating red tint deriving from the gargantuan red moon hanging ominously in the air. The constantly ebbing and flowing ocean. The old man gazing ceaselessly into his little campfire.

Yup, he was back here again. Though he had no idea why.

Marco was on the verge of approaching and greeting the Sea Captain when something managed to catch his eye. Something that stood just over yonder by the shoreline. A diminutive form that he had never seen here before. A warm, familiar feeling emanated from it as he kept his sight on it. It drew him in, compelling him to take a few steps before breaking off into a sprint.

Marco ran past the old man without a word. The old man didn't even bother looking up to acknowledge the boy.

As he drew closer and closer, the figure became more and more recognizable. Yes, he began to see it clearly. Or her.

He stopped just a few feet short, staring wordlessly as she had her back towards him. Her attention seemed to be wholly occupied by the red horizon that stretched infinitely.

Marco was about to raise a hand and open his mouth to say something, but his words died in his throat when he remembered she couldn't speak for whatever reason. And then the little girl turned around, seemingly peering into Marco's soul with glistening jet black eyes. Just as he found her in his cell, she was completely bereft of any clothing.

Conveniently enough, Marco had his usual red hoodie on. Whether by some sense of decency, a strange sort of parental instinct, or a combination of the two, he immediately took to removing it and wrapping it around the little girl. To say it was a loose fit was an understatement as the bottom of the hoodie dropped to her knees. The entire length of her tiny arms barely reached up to the elbow of its sleeves.

Regardless, she seemed pleased as she flashed a cute, grateful smile at the boy. She followed up by stretching both arms out at Marco and hopping slightly in place, as if fervently requesting something of him.

"Do you wanna be picked up?" Marco surmised.

The girl smiled and nodded as she began to bounce quicker and higher out of emphasis or excitement.

"Heh, okay then." Marco couldn't help but oblige without question. As he hefted the little girl up to his chest, he found that she was pleasantly light. The child wrapped her long-sleeved arms around Marco's neck as she rested her chin on his shoulder. The faint glimmer of an unknown emotion shone within Marco for a few moments. He couldn't pinpoint what it was, but it made him feel warm and fuzzy inside the little girl was nestled safely in his arms.

"Marco!" Cried out a shrill, yet welcoming voice. He quickly did an about-face to meet and greet the voice that called out to him so fervently.

He was met with a Star who was barrelling towards him with open arms and shimmering eyes. However, the moment she noticed the little girl in his arms, the teen skid to a stop.

Star was maintaining a rather uncomfortable silence as she stared the little girl down. She kept an especially long look at the child's cheeks. Other than that glaring detail, Star couldn't help but feel something strongly familiar derive from the child, though she couldn't eke out a single guess.

"Marco. Who is she?" She asked as her voice was almost too soft to hear.

"That's kinda what I wanted to ask the Cap'n over there. I'm pretty sure she was the baby that I found outside the Sanctuary a while ago. And now she's a bit older for some reason."

"So this is her, huh?" Star remarked. She drew closer to the two and gently extended a hand towards the child. "Hey there. My name's Star. What's yours?"

The little girl turned to face Star for a moment before bashfully looking away. Somewhat deflated by the response, Star let her hand slowly drop in defeat.

"She uh, she doesn't talk." Marco adjusted his grip on the girl. "Believe me, I tried."

"Alrighty then." Star shrugged. She turned to make her way to the Captain. Marco followed close behind with the child in tow. "Say, were you havin' trouble sleepin'?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Like crazy."

"Least you ended up dozing off. How'd you manage to pull that off?"

"I just," Star faintly shuddered as she recalled the moments prior to being here. "Tired myself out. What about you?"

Marco looked to the girl still clutching his neck. "This little tyke snuck into my cell somehow. Then she touched my face and suddenly I was here."

"Were evil spirits tryin' to nibble on your soul?"

"Surprisingly none of them even showed up. Dunno why I couldn't sleep, but that wasn't it. I think she was protecting me. Just like before."

"Think I could borrow her for tomorrow ni-ahh!"

Star suddenly felt herself laden by an uknown weight as tiny hands latched onto her shoulders. Her arms frantically flailed about as she stumbled around to regain her balance. It took a few moments before Marco realized the child was no longer in his arms.

"Wh-whooaaa!" Star was tripping all over the place as the child's legs swung all about. The distance between the two girls and Marco widened immensely she made every attempt not to topple over.

"Star! Careful!" Marco stated as he chased the girls down.

All three soon ended up close to the Cap'n's spot as Star ended up staggering dangerously close to his fire. One foot was off the ground as the rest of her body threatened to fall into the flames, with the child dangling over it.

"Gotcha!" Marco clasped his arms around both Star and the little girl as he brought the former back on both feet and the latter clutching closer to the former's back.

"Phew, we were almost cooked there." Star remarked in relief. She turned to the little girl still fastened to her back, realizing she was as playful as she was mysterious. "If ya wanted a piggyback ride, ya coulda just asked."

The two almost didn't catch the Cap'n attempting to stifle some snickering off to the side. He kept a fist to his mouth and bashfully kept the brim of his hat over his eyes as he tried to play it off as a small coughing fit.

"What?" Marco asked, the furtive laughter failing to get by him.

"Nuthin'." He cleared his throat. "Jus'... ya almost look like a family."

The remark evoked from Marco a barely contained blush and an embarrassed glance off to the side. A warm smile and a pair of sapphire eyes shimmered with glee as graced Star's face as she brought the child from her back to her front. As the excitement from nearly falling into a pile of burning wood wore off, the two ended up sitting by the fire along with the Captain.

"Aww, I wouldn't mind. I'd be happy to raise a lil' cutie like her with Marco!" The little girl gazed at Star intently.

"Uhh, yeah. I hate to dampen your little moment, but you're kinda glossing over the fact that we still don't know who she is. Or _what_ she is."

"She's a lil' cutie, that's what she is." Star cooed as she lightly pinched the child's cheeks. "Say, do you have a name?"

The little girl shook her head, then looked to Star intently as if she was asking for one.

"Hmm." Star pondered for a moment as she recalled a few details regarding the child. "You said you met her outside of the Sanctuary? When you wandered off after waking up?"

"Pretty much." He turned to the old man. "Say, do you happen to know who she is?"

He looked up from his flames as his baggy, tired eyes flitted towards the child, who was also staring back at him. The crackling flames was all that resounded within earshot as the two shared a staring contest. The uncomfortable silence bore into Marco, causing him to fidget with anticipation. Star paid no mind, entertaining herself by poking the child's cheeks with both fingers while quietly uttering "boop".

The old man grunted as he moved his gaze from the child to the couple.

"Hrm. If I'll be hones' with ya, I'm not even sure meself." The old man admitted as he stroked his unkempt silver beard. "Though, I got a couple guesses."

"I mean, it can't be..." Marco looked at Star for a few fleeting moments. His finger pointed between himself and her. "She's not... ours, right? I mean, it hasn't even been that long since we-"

"Marco!" Star slapped a hand across his shoulder to keep him from spilling any more than he had to.

"Ow, sorryyy!" He remarked as he rubbed his shoulder. "It's just... she said that she was related to you and that I'm like, her dad. I mean, she didn't say it, but she pretty much confirmed it when I asked."

"Is that true?" Star asked the child. "Is Marco your dad?"

The little girl didn't hesitate to nod.

"And... am I your mom?"

The little girl blinked several times, letting her unresponsiveness linger for a bit. Then she waved her hand in a so-so motion.

"The heck does that mean?"

"Are you saying that Star is 'kinda' your mom?" Marco was rightfully confused.

The little girl nodded once more.

"Whoa whoa whoa, wait. Hold up." Star pushed the air repeatedly as a few crucial events from the past came to mind. "Were you the one that helped out me and Marco when I fought Jackie some time ago?"

The little girl confirmed the suspicion with a nod.

"And... were you also the one that came to me in a dream and... absorbed something from me? From like, my stomach?"

The child didn't answer right away that time. Instead, she stared intensely at Star. Her jet black eye shined brightly before before she gave one solitary, sincere nod.

"Oh my gosh. You... you really are our baby." Star's entire body softly quivered beneath the weight of the revelation. A pair of eyes ablaze with unbridled joy glowed in Marco's direction. "Marco. I _was_ pregnant!"

"What!?" Marco nearly shouted. "But... how!? I found her when she was just a baby. And that was way before we-" He cut himself off and turned to the Cap'n. "Well, what or who do you think she is?"

The Cap'n adjusted his hat. "I feel a few different auras churnin' in the kid. Yours, of course. Hers..." He looked to Star, and then his face hardened and his voice lowered to chilling volumes. "and... Eclipsa's."

The couple's jaws collectively fell and their hearts sunk into their stomachs as that accursed name squirmed into their ears and burrowed painfully in their minds. Both wanted to stay light years away from even thinking about how or why Eclipsa could be a part of the child. But rather than try to dig deeper into it, they sought comfort in the sight of the Captain and the flames that danced before their eyes.

Marco brought a couple shivering hands to his cheeks as nearly silent whimpers welled up in his throat. A light grip on his shoulder and an assuring look from a lover was all it took to calm him down. He swallowed hard as he found solace in the collective stares of Star and his probably daughter. After a deep exhale, he stabilized himself and continued listening to the Captain's explanation.

"So, what I'm guessin'," The Cap'n continued. "Since the child be a part of not only you two, but Eclipsa as well, what you got there is a child Great One on yer hands. Dunno if this was what the Moon Presence was expectin', but here we are."

"Moon Presence?" Star asked.

"I think you mentioned that name before." Marco pointed out. "Who or what is that exactly?"

The old man heaved a deep sigh as he leaned against his arms. His eyes reached for the starry sky, as if silently asking for strength from some unknown deity living amongst the cosmos.

"'Tis one of many Great Ones livin' outside the realm of mortal comprehension. Pullin' strings from beyond the physical plane. It's what binded ye both in the first place."

"Great One..." Marco's eyes rested upon the flames as he quietly repeated that familiar phrase. He remembered the Maiden Gatekeeper of the Nexus of Departed Heroes being given such a name. The title itself felt like something that should never grace mortal tongues and he couldn't help but feel goosebumps emerging from his skin as the words settled in his mind.

"And it... chose us?" Star asked.

The Cap'n leaned forward, basking his wrinkled visage in the orange glow of the flames. "Ye ain't the first to be chosen by it, I'll say. But ye are the first to have made more progress than any couple we've encountered."

"Whaddya mean by that?" Marco asked.

"Yer energies have been interminglin' with each other and furtherin' in strength as yer relationship grows. Ye both have borrowed power from one another haven't ye?"

Star and Marco exchanged a look as they recalled several instances where such phenomena had occurred. Instances that have more or less gotten them out of tight jams by the skin of their teeth. They were great reminders that, no matter what, they had each other's backs. And as long as they had each other's backs, they were capable of pretty much anything.

"Few times, yeah." Marco answered solidly.

The old man nodded solemnly. "Hmm. I see."

"And what you're saying... about her." Star looked to the child worriedly. "She's basically like...a little goddess?"

The Cap'n shrugged. "More er less. Could be why she's aged rather quickly."

"So," Marco scratched his head as he tried to process all the information given thus far. "What exactly does this Moon Presence want from me and Star?"

The Cap'n didn't say anything right away. Instead, his head turned to gaze out into the sea, possibly staring back at the Blood Moon ceaselessly cast an omnipresent red glare upon the four of them.

He then turned back to the couple, his eyes beholding a sort of painful reminiscence. "Y'know, I wasn't the first t'be trapped in some pocket dimension 'er Interstice or whatever ya wanna call it by the Presence. Had a friend named Gehrman who used to be in the same predicament."

"But, what does that have to do with what it wants from us?"

The Cap'n adjusted in his seat. "Well, in short, The Moon Presence used him to guide normal, everyday Hunters along the path to become powerful enough to hunt bigger game. Namely Great Ones."

"A Great One wants to kill other Great Ones?" Star asked quizzically. "Why?"

The Cap'n shrugged. "Beats me. To cull the competition? Personal grudges? I never found out. Presence ain't one for personal conversation."

"So," Marco chimed in. "What happened to Gehrman?"

"He was... set free eventually. After losin' 'im, Moon Presence had to find another way to further its goals. Another pawn to trap with an unpayable debt. And you're lookin' dead at 'im."

Silence washed over the four once more as every eye was drawn to the flames licking and lashing at the air among them. It's been a long night for them all, though more so for the Cap'n. No one had anything more to say and ask. There were no more answers to get and the ones that they did get required a level of understanding and a time to interpret that neither Star nor Marco had at the moment.

But both knew one thing. That maybe come the next day, when they're working with Ludo and Glossaryck, all will make sense in due time.

"Eve!" Star blurted loudly out of nowhere. The little girl in her arms was close to falling asleep until she was jerked awake. Marco almost jumped out of his skin at the sudden shout. Captain merely looked to the girl with a raised brow.

"What?" Marco asked, still shaken.

"I just thought of a name for the kid! Eve! Y'know, cuz... night and. Space stuff. Whatever, I thought it fits." She looked to the girl expectantly. "Whaddya think? Sound good?"

Much to Star's joy, the little girl nodded and smiled. Then nuzzled her head against Star's chest as if to express her gratitude.

"Aww, she likes it. Well, even if you wanted to call her something different, Marco, it's already two votes against one."

"No objections here." He shrugged. "I think it sounds nice and easy to remember. Plus we've mostly met her at night, so yeah. I could see how it fits."

Eventually, the stillness of the night dulled the minds of Star and Marco and their eyelids grew heavy to the point of closing entirely. As they leaned into one another, the child, or Eve as they've agreed to call her, nestled into her so-called parents, and all three dozed off in one another's embrace. Neil couldn't help but peer at the three in somber remembrance and resumed gazing deeply into the flames always to conceal the pain that has plagued his heart for time beyond remembering.

* * *

The shrill shriek of a buzzer alarm jerked Marco out of dreamland and back to the reality he was forced to endure. He nearly fell off his slab of crystal and could've busted his skull on the crystalline floor had he not regained enough awareness to grab onto the edge to stop himself. Every cell door in the prison slid open at once, freeing every black-garbed inmate from one prison into the one proper. All free to make use of its facilities to pass the time as they saw fit.

As he yawned and stretched the initial tiredness away, he groggily scanned his cell for the child he remembered sneaking in the previous night. Just like the last time he encountered the child while she was considerably younger, he presumed that she disappeared upon the rising of the sun.

As he sat up in his bed, he thought about the plans for the day. For certain there was some spiritual and mental training to do with Ludo in order to attain a state of nothingness needed to gain an edge over their enemies and seek better chances of liberation. And for sure last night's foray into the Blood Moon dimension warranted some questions that needed answering from Glossaryck.

As for an immediate objective? Well, it was morning. He just woke up. Of course, Marco immediately thought of finding the nearest bathroom and brushing his teeth. And possibly following up with a shower.

And then he shot down that last part after remembering all the Prison movies he watched in the past and promptly shuddered.

The dull growling of his stomach shook him out of his thoughts and his current desire was made abundantly clear.

He briefly thought of attempting to sneak his way toward's Ludo's hideout and getting something corn-based, but since there were too many people out and about, he couldn't risk getting seen by guards or any prisoners not in the know. Plus he didn't remember all the twists and turns he needed to make in order to reach the place. He needed to go meet Buff Frog first in order to guide him.

Forget it, he thought. He might as well start the day by adhering to the rules and actually going to the prison cafeteria for breakfast. With his red, silken scarf wound around his neck and his black prison jacket over his chest, he strided out of his cell with a little pep to his step. Despite the shitty situation he found himself in, Marco wasn't going to let that get in the way of his mood or his pursuit of the most important meal of the day.

After several long minutes of catching several glares concealing ill intent, asking staff for directions, following signs, Marco had finally reached the cafeteria. There was a rather scarce amount of attendees having their breakfast, which provided plenty of empty tables and affording Marco a good chance to sit and eat alone as he stewed in his thoughts.

However, as he surveyed the massive room, his eye fell upon a familiar face. One that he had hoped to avoid for the rest of his time here.

A rather disgruntled looking goat demon with his lanky form filled to the brim with scars, bruises, and electric shock burns. No doubt he was caught coercing Buff Frog the previous day as well as being in possession of contraband that he shouldn't have. And even less doubt that the guy heard what happened to his dumb, yet loyal bestie and would want nothing more than to have his killer's head on his platter.

Y'know what, skipping breakfast is worth not getting skinned alive or worse. He made one of the biggest 180s of his life and made for the door.

"HEY!" Rung a raspy voice that silenced what little chatter there was in the room. Marco's heart stuck in his throat and a cold sweat began pouring down his body.

He bolted for the door, but a tall goat body plummeted into view, blocking the exit and depriving him of safety.

"Where do ya think you're goin'?" Kas asked, his fury made manifest in his twisted face.

"Oh, h-h-heyyy there!" Marco nervously greeted. "I just uh... forgot somethin' in my ce-wa-wa-whoaaa!"

Marco was suddenly hooked by his jacket. His feet dangled a few meters off the ground as he was face to face with a rather pissed off demon. Quite a regular occurrence for the boy that he could never get used to.

"Ya think you could kill _my_ bestie and get away with it?" He sneered, hot steam burning Marco's face with each breath. "You couldn't just keep yer nose outta other people's business, could ya? Now ya had to go and make things worse for yourself."

"H-hey man, put me down! Yo-you don't want the guards to beat on us again, don't you?" Marco shakily spoke as he frantically kicked his legs around.

The goat demon, much to Marco's fear, chuckled. Slowly and sinisterly, the goat demon pulled forth a jagged piece of metal reminiscent of what he used to threaten Buff Frog with.

"Whoa whoa whoa. Hey now," Marco fidgeted and swayed his head away as the shard of metal drew closer to him. "C-can we just talk about this?"

"Yeah? You know a way to bring my buddy back?" Kas seethed.

"I... uhh..."

"You know the best way I could explain where he's gone to his momma!? A way to tell her how I broke a promise I made to her!? HUH!? DO YOU, YA LITTLE FUCK!?"

No further words stammered out of Marco that time. Instead, the impact brought forth by the tear-laden words spewing forth from the vengeful goat demon immediately resigned Marco's mind to his fate.

"No! Of course not! You have no idea what it's like to care about someone for so long. Growin with 'em. Knowin' em. Just to lose 'em in the blink of an eye!"

"I'm sorry!" Marco finally spilled out, desperation and sorrow holding him as tightly as his captor was. "I just-"

"Aw, save it," Kas bent back the makeshift blade, aiming for Marco's throat. "You're about to die anyways. At least if they kill me for this, I'll be with my buddy again."

Marco fell to the floor, when that clawed grip released its hold on his jacket. As he was reeling from the sudden drop, he heard the makeshift blade clang to the floor. When Marco looked up, he was shocked to see a bloodied fist jutting out of the goat man's stomach.

"Wha-what...?" It took a bit of time for Kas to register what was going on. He peered down at the hole in his stomach and the fist that made it. Blood seeped out of his mouth as it made futile attempts to let words slip out.

And then, searing orange fissures spread throughout the demon's lanky, leathery body, branching off in every direction until every part of him was in cracks. Blinding orange light began to shoot forth from every crack, until the goat's body was no longer recognizable.

Poof. The body broke off into millions of tiny little ashes that formed a small mound where Kas used to be. Not a single part of him was left.

The perpetrator behind such an instantaneous murder? The one whose fist hung ominously in the air?

"T-Tom?" Marco rasped, unable to believe what he was seeing.

Rather than say a single word the Prince of the Underworld raised both hands as all three of his eyes shewed nothing but sight pink. A few deepened, distorted words, presumably in a demon language spewed forth from his fanged mouth. Mewni quaked beneath each and every syllable that spewed from Tom's mouth and soon, a fissure in the ground opened beneath them, swallowing them whole as they fell into the fiery bowels of the Underworld.

Surprisingly, even to him, Marco didn't scream as he fell what was possibly hundreds or even thousands of feet below Mewni. Instead, he straightened his stance and gazed at Tom with a fiery determination that came out of nowhere. It burned as hot as the Hell he was diving into. A warmth overcame his Right Hand, overpowering the heat of the Underworld.

The two ended up landing in some sort of circular arena in the midst of a vast expanse of magma. A deep crimson pentagram was painted across its flat surface, surrounded by demonic runes and characters.

"Tom." Marco said once more. "I-"

Tom put up a deterring hand, immediately cutting Marco off. He began to speak as if addressing a really close friend. His voice was eerily calm, making Marco unsure whether he preferred it if he was literally blowing up in his face like before or not. His mood, his unusually warm smile, the aura he was exuding. Tom was almost unrecognizable.

"Marco. Buddy. Pal. For now, let's just forget about Mewni. Forget about Star. Forget about everything going on in the surface. Right here. Right now. It's just you, me..."

Tom pulled forth a remote control and at the press of a button, and the intro to a familiar song echoed throughout the Underworld.

Five piano notes, soared their way into Marco's ear. Bringing about feelings of somber familiarity.

 _We spiraled hiiigh on a gust of looove_

 _And I knew right from the staaaart_

 _Nothing could teeear us apaart_

 _Till the day you broke my heeeart_

 _Ooh-oooooh_

"...And Love Sentence."

Tom hardened his body and his limbs in a fighting stance, and something other than the usual fury burned behind all three eyes. Marco wasn't quite sure what it was, but it felt just as strong, if not stronger than any aura Tom has ever given off.

"Let's dance."


	76. Devil Triggered 2: Marco Must Die

Fire and brimstone were thick in the air, as was a prevailing murderous intent that Marco could feel pushing against him. The intense heat of the Underworld paled in comparison to the flames that burned brightly within the souls of these two young contenders. Polar opposites in their causes. Their positions. The conflicts stirring within stoked the embers of the rivalry between them.

However, within that palpable murderous intent that Marco could reach out and touch if he so wished lied not anger behind it, nor vengeance, nor jealousy. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what it was, but the closest that he could ascribe it to was... determination. For what, he had no idea. Either way, if someone gazed his way with a desire to fight, he had no other choice but to oblige.

Even if he considered Tom a friend. Even after all that they've been through. All that they've done together. He didn't oppose meeting violence with violence, hand to hand, fist to fist.

At that moment, it didn't matter what Tom's reasons were for literally dragging Marco to the depths of Hell. Whether he said this had anything to do with Star or the conflict above or not was irrelevant.

They needed to have this fight, again. This time, both were at their peak of their strength and stamina. Both were prepared. They needed to settle this the only way two hot-blooded, able-bodied teenage boys with hormonally and magically powered combat prowess far above mortal ability could.

Just the two of them. Trading blows to the slow, passionate rhythm of Love Sentence songs.

The ground beneath their feet cracked and quaked as their God Hand fists met with a thunderous boom. The air shuddered beneath the impact and the collision birthed a sound that echoed throughout the Underworld and the rest of Mewni.

"Is it too late to talk this over?" Marco stoically stated as his knuckles rubbed against Tom's as both pushed their quivering fists with all their might. He already knew the answer but felt the need to ask anyways. To make that last ditch effort in order to reach out to Tom's civility.

"Whaddya think?" The demon prince answered, to which Marco replied with a smirk.

"This. AAAAAAADIADIADIADIADIADIADI!" Marco screamed at to the heavens from Hell, each syllable accompanied by a succession of punches that went beyond human limitation and perception.

"WRRRYYYYYYYEEAAAHHH!" Tom screeched at the very apex of his vocal range, each second lapsed accompanied by an unrelenting barrage of fists that collided with Marco's just as hard and just as fast.

Flurries of fists furiously fired off in opposing directions. Enumerable explosive flashes of light birthed between them as powerful blow met with powerful blow. One could practically see the air between them struggled to stay stable. One could practically feel the Underworld shudder beneath the intensity of each and every impact of their continuous clash. If Mewni up above was being subject to a lengthy earthquake, this was the reason why.

Unlike before, Tom wasn't able to find any sort of opening in Marco's offensive-defensives. Every gap in between punches was as tightly close as his foe's relationship with his ex. Heck, Tom could barely even see Marco himself past all the fists that filled his eyesight.

There was no doubt in his mind. Marco had truly improved since their last encounter.

Amidst the chaos of their clash, Tom could swear that he could hear a strange noise coming form Marco's side of the wall of strikes formed between them. Almost like a bizarre type of breathing.

Regardless, Tom wasn't making any progress as long as this went on. He needed to act right then and there, lest they stand there at a stalemate for eternity.

Much to the demon prince's surprise, Marco too instantly ceased his unrelenting barrage of fists as the two simultaneously threw one last punch to decide the victor of their clash.

Their fists passed each other by as time almost seemed as though it slowed to a crawl for the both of them.

And then.

CROSS.

COUNTER.

Each fist made intense contact with a face. Each of their cheeks caved beneath their opposing knuckles.

Determined, fiery eyes found each other as they still held one another by the cheek. Once again, it was a case of unstoppable forces colliding with immovable objects as they both pushed against each other, with neither of them being able to advance in any way.

Much to Tom's slight annoyance, he noticed that Marco was, for some reason, smiling.

What he didn't notice, was the sizzling noise slowly getting louder and louder and small streams of smoke emerging from his cheek.

Tom also failed to notice that Marco's body was cloaked in a fiery golden energy that he had never seen the earth boy being capable of conjuring before.

Catching Tom by surprise with a fist infused with Hamon which burned his foe's face, Marco managed to reign victorious over their push of war and forced him to stumble backwards, leaving him wide open. Marco followed up with a hook on each cheek, then a roundhouse kick to the gut that sent Tom bending forward. Using the same foot that struck him in the gut, Marco spun on his other foot to send a kick to the demon's temple, knocking him to the ground.

Sparing no mercy nor any chances, Marco bent his arm back as the usual menu popped up in his vision, minus the part where time slowed down. As he quickly scrolled through the moves, he sought a certain technique that he had used in the past that served as a good on-the-ground strike.

Aha, he found it. Though, it was quite different from the last time he used it. The letters were of a different color, which indicated that not only did it seem like it was upgraded but it will also cost more orbs to use. Last time he used it to save himself from the clutches of a horrid creature, it only costed one orb. Now it was two.

Might as well anyways. Even taking two out of his total of ten orbs, Marco took a mental note to try to use his Roulette Wheel sparingly for the rest of the fight.

 **La Bomba 2**

Rather than have his arm encased in golden light, the upgraded version instead encased Marco's arm in deep red flames. He raised it to the sky just for it to fall heavily into the earth in a large, fiery explosion.

However, Marco's fist struck nothing but carved, painted stone as it instead burrowed itself into the arena, the body that it was meant for no longer in sight.

Before he could even begin to process the fact that his attack was wasted, Marco suddenly found himself repeatedly driven into the ground as a foot dropped from the sky and **Devil Stomp** ed him senselessly in the chest as flames continuously bellowed from the impact.

The moment the stomps ceased, Tom leapt several dozen feet in the air as his Left Hand too was encased in flames, seemingly prepared to unleash the **La Bomba 2** that Marco failed to get a hit with. This time, from a much greater height intended to deal even greater damage.

Despite the fact that Marco had just taken heavy blows in such quick succession, he was still physically capable of backflipping out of the way of the point of impact, but the blowback from the sheer force of the attack was enough to knock him off balance and send him rolling down the arena. The moment he stopped, Marco ended up on his back once again.

Rather than draw any closer to his downed foe, Tom began to demonstrate pragmatism by casting a spell instead. With eyes glowing white and a series of distorted words uttered in demonese, Tom raised his clawed Hand as it glowed a vibrant orange. The entire area shook violently with each passing word and bits of rock fell onto the battlefield.

The stalagmites that have been precariously looming over Marco split themselves from the ceiling and began raining down upon him, falling at an alarming rate.

Once Marco succeeded in dodging one, another almost immediately fell where he ended up. It happened once again, then again, and again, preventing Marco from staying rooted to one spot for more than a second. Bolstered by a tempered speed and dexterity, he bobbed and weaved through every stalagmite that fell, letting them bore into the arena instead of getting himself impaled.

Eventually all the stalagmites that loomed over the arena have all fallen. The moment he realized this, Marco bolted his way towards Tom.

Meanwhile, the demon prince prepared another spell. With some more demonic incantations, he plunged a flaming right palm into the ground. A glowing red circle momentarily appeared beneath his hand before blinking out of sight.

As Marco made his straight sprint towards his opponent, several enormous red circles appeared one after another throughout the battlefield, mostly behind, beside, and in front of him. Seconds after their initial spawning, towering plumes of flames erupted from every single one.

Barely was there a spot near Marco that wasn't painted in red circles. However, even in the literal heat of battle, he bore enough perception to notice that the circles erupted in order from when the first appeared down to the last.

So what he proposed on the fly was to jump on whatever circle had appeared the latest before jumping to the next, like a frog bouncing frantically upon several sinking lilypads. With each leap, the plumes of fire had always come short of completely engulfing the boy, much to their caster's ire.

Marco was steadily closing in, the distance between himself and his opponent narrowing and narrowing with every step he took.

But Tom was having none of that. As a last ditch effort to fell his foe, the young prince bent his Left Hand back and quickly fired off a broad horizontal blade of pure red energy towards Marco with the intent to decapitate him. A **Head Slicer** , if you will.

Marco was quick enough on the draw to drop to his knees mid run, sliding beneath the attack as it narrowly missed him by barely a hair as the tip of his was sliced off in place of his neck.

Right as his body straightened once more, Marco, still sliding down the arena and fast approaching Tom, bent his Right Hand back.

With the scarce amount of time given to him to pick a move, Marco decided "fuck it" and just picked one randomly. The menu scrolled as quickly as slot machine reels and he merely focused on whatever his eye managed to catch.

 **Daisy Cutter**

OneorbwhateverjustdothedamnmovealreadyI'mabouttogetafacefulofdemonballs, Marco thought frantically.

With his Right Hand glowing gold once more, Marco converged both fists together, extending his right elbow forward.

He didn't even feel himself make the slightest contact with Tom, as if he phased through him like he was incorporeal. Marco skid to a halt just a few meters from where Tom stood.

"N-"

When he turned around, he saw that Tom slowly floated up a few feet in the air, his chest reaching for the sky and his limbs spread apart and dragging behind. Then, in the blink of an eye, his body began spinning at such rapid, breakneck speeds as tiny fireworks exploded all around him.

"Wha-wha-whoaaaaa!" Tom shouted as his body literally spiraled out of control at a velocity that would make someone empty their stomach all over the place.

Marco smirked as an opportunity arose along with the lightbulb that flashed over his head. While Tom was still spinning in mid-air, Marco brought up the menu once more, seeking the best move to take advantage of this opening.

Ah, there it was. Just as cool sounding and as powerful as it always was. The three syllable, ten letter, blue colored phrase was like the last bastion of order amidst the chaos. And as such, it will bring an end to it all. Just as it has done so in the past. With a heart unwavering and a conviction resolute, Marco's focus pressed upon the technique, all doubt free from his being.

 **Dragon Kick**

Right as Tom ceased his incessant spinning and gravity was on the verge of bringing him back down, Marco unleashed that signature kick smack dab in the middle of his face and a second after, the prince had completely disappeared off the face of the Underworld, the remaining evidence of his existence exhibited by a white glint in the far distance.

Marco's foot was kept high in the air as he gazed wistfully into the spot where he saw that blinking sparkle in the sky. As he slowly let his leg down and his shortened breaths out, he couldn't help but bear an immense feeling of pity for Tom and remorse for his actions and what led up to them. All the adrenaline and dopamine that were pumped into his body had all but drained out of him, making way for somber contemplation.

Like the last time he had ended a rivalry through his opponent's death, it was either "him or me". It had to be that way.

Though what Marco couldn't quite grasp tightly was why it had to be that way. Why the universe felt hard pressed to conspire against Marco and everyone he cared about. Why it felt the need to put them under adversity that would eventually lead to their gruesome, undeserved ends. Why?

But what's done was done. No matter if it was the only way out of such a harrowing situation, it didn't lessen the pain bore into his heart.

The arena and seemingly the entire Underworld quaked violently once again, the magnitude of such enough to force Marco to fall on his rear. He staggered to his feet, attempting to wrest control from the immense shaking back to his feet.

The deafening sound of rock cracking and shattering rung in Marco's ears as if Mewni itself was gradually being split asunder. The sheer wavering of the Underworld refused to let up as Marco's ears rung beneath the immense volume of it all.

Lava erupted from the very center of the arena, tearing a hole and nearly reaching the rocky ceiling. Marco could faintly sea the silhouette of someone right at the very core of the plume.

Once the molten rock had faded, there hovered Tom above the hole he emerged from. His head hung low, his chest heaved, and his fists were tightly clenched.

"Tom!" Marco cried out, his mind and his eyes disagreeing with what they were seeing.

He was on the verge of running towards the guy, relieved that he was still alive, when he was stopped dead in his tracks. An aura so powerful, it mixed with the intense heat that too exuded from the demon prince, coalescing into an unseen force that physically pushed Marco back a few steps. A dread that cascaded down his spine and surged through the rest of his nerves proved colder than the Underworld was hot.

When Tom raised his head and trained all three eyes in Marco's direction, the latter's breath was caught in his throat.

Tom's face was considerably softer than Marco had expected, considering the intense, fiery entrance the demon prince had made. A ghost of a smile could be scarcely be seen teetering on Tom's face. He placed both hands behind his back in a formal posture as he floated back down to the arena as if walking down a set of stairs, his stride swaggering, yet casual.

Much to Marco's confusion and greater dread, Tom chuckled heartily. Laughed as if what had just been done to him was but minor inconvenience resulting from a series of incidental events that seemed funny in hindsight.

"Hey, you're pretty good," Tom amiably complimented, his expression a cross between smug and serene. "If I'll be honest, I'm legit surprised. I mean, you've done some pretty sick stuff in the past I know. Stuff that people at home would never dream of. Otherwise, how else are you still livin' and breathin' right? "

Tom took several steps forward. Though Marco felt the urge to, he refused to falter and stood his ground as stoically as he could, his posture fixated on a defensive stance. He had to admit. Tom being polite and even commending stressed Marco out to no end. A stark contrast to how he behaved in their very last encounter. It was unexpected, unusual, and unnerving.

Mostly due to the sheer fact that Tom's murderous intent was oppressively heavy in the air.

"But I'm sure that's not all you've got." The prince stated, his tone lowering to that of an ambitious contender. "Ya lifted your sleeves a bit high in the beginning. I didn't think I could ever experience the feeling of getting burned ever. So, congrats for makin' progress."

Though he was still filled with dread, Marco straightened his posture and mustered enough composure. Channeling his stronger and more confident 30-year-old self, he put on his most convincing smile as he attempted to match banter.

"Really? I thought you were just goin' easy on me."

"Heh. Y'know what? You're right. I was. The whole time." Tom sounded as if he believed it himself.

"Good. I was gonna be disappointed if this was all the great Prince of the Underworld had to offer."

Tom crossed his arms as his smile remained unabated. "Do you know what a 'Devil Trigger' is, Marco?"

Marco's composure wavered slightly, but kept his attitude as stable as he could as to not show weakness or fear in the face of unknown dangers. "Uh, no. No I don't."

Tom's smile only deepened. The nails on his thumb and index finger rubbed together as he spoke. "I thought so. It's not something that's common among my kind nor is it something that comes up very often. Almost never, actually. It's a power reserved only for the biggest, baddest demons known on Mewni. Mostly for those in my noble line. And whenever that power is unleashed, well... 'All Hell breaking loose' is kind of a huge understatement."

Tom's body became outlined in a deep, ominous red that pulsed. A rhythmic beating, like a colossal heart, rung heavily in the air, vibrating the floor beneath their feet. The magma below churned and bubbled in reaction to the power that yearned to free itself from Tom's core. The air became dense and Marco began to feel an unknown pressure assail his very being.

Vibrant, blinding red was all that filled Marco's vision as his ears rung under the deafening might of the magical explosion. Marco's clothes and hair bellowed from a tremendous blast of wind as if he was standing in the midst of a raging storm. Out of instinct, he put both arms out in front of his face in a feeble attempt to protect himself.

The moment that the red faded out of view and all in view was made relatively normal, there spawned in a distinct and prevailing change in the atmophere. As if it wasn't physically debilitating enough, something else was layered on top just to make the air just as painful as it was oppressive.

Marco jaw fell and his remaining pupil was reduced to a pixel. The Tom as he had always known him was no longer in view. What stood in his place was something far beyond different. Far beyond what his most disturbing nightmares could even come close to coming up with. All the bravado that he had fabricated just mere moments ago were dashed in almost an instant.

"My dad would definitely kill me if he saw me use our ancient family technique on a regular human like you. But you're no regular human, aren't ya?" "Tom" spoke, his voice extremely deepened, distorted, and echoed. As if his incantation speaking voice had permanently become his normal speaking voice. The simple act of talking was enough to make Marco's knees threaten to collapse.

"Like you said, though. I was holding back the whole time. Didn't think you were worth putting the effort, if I'll be honest."

Organic wings sprouted forth from the back of Tom's new abominable form. Red lightning cracked and surged throughout his imposing form. The tattoos on Tom's Devil Hand, still clear on his altered form, glowed a vibrant crimson.

The Love Sentence playlist had stopped. There was a different artist playing entirely as organs and a choir carried off in the hot wind for about a minute. And then the lyrics kick in.

 _Steel a soul for a second chance_

 _But you will never become a man_

 _My chosen torture makes me stronger_

 _In a life that craves the hunger_

 _A freedom and a quest for life_

 _Until the end the judgement night_

"But now? I'm a little motivated."


	77. Gone Guru

Star sat amongst all her stoner friends once again, the dense, dank air slowly entering her system. However, anxiety seemed to have a powerful grip on her, preventing the drug-filled atmosphere from calming her in the slightest. She fidgeted in her seat. Her worried gaze shifted every which way. Her fingers tapped on her crossed leg incessantly.

"You seem pretty tense, Star," Ludo commented as he huffed a small cloud. "Again."

"Well, duhhh." Star replied. "Buff Frog should be here with him by now. Where are they?"

"Patience, kid." Glossaryck requested as he took a puff out of some psychadelic looking smoking pipe. A melodic, rhythmic shifting of the air could be heard softly as the blue man blew into it.

"Hrmm... But didn't you say you needed both of us to do this thing?" Star pointed out.

"That I did, but it's not totally necessary." Ludo replied. "Besides. We're more concerned about helping you than Marco."

"But then, why say you needed both of us then?"

"Well," Glossaryck stroked his bushy white beard as he spoke. "We figured you'd want him here to be like the hand you would squeeze tight when you're getting a flu shot."

Star held her face as she gasped. "You're gonna inject me with something!?"

"What? No, no, not at all." The blue man clarified. "Though I'd be wrong if I said that controlled substances wouldn't be playing a part to your uh... 'spiritual advancement'."

"Okay?" Star calmed down as relief washed over her. "So how do we get this started?"

Rather than say anything more, Glossaryck merely handed his smoking pipe to Star, who glared at it rather confusedly. Now that she gave it a better look, it seemed more like a wooden wind instrument than anything. Kaleidescopic patterned colors spiraled from one end of the brownish wood pipe to the other as little flowers comprised of various vibrant spectrums were speckled throughout.

"You want me to smoke from this thing?"

"It's not a smoking pipe. Originally."

"So then, what is it? Some kinda instrument? I can see it's got little holes near the end there."

"This, my dear Star, is not just any instrument." He said, his solemn tone adding weight to the object's importance. "This is what's known as a Shakashuri."

"A Shaka-what now?"

"A Shakashuri." Ludo chimed in. "An instrument of unbelievable cosmic and spiritual power. Invented and mastered by the greatest Guru that ever existed"

The instrument was about as long as Star's torso. Its rough, rugged surface gave her the impression that it was just freshly carved out of a tree. She had no words to describe the weird feeling on her skin as the Shakashuri was kept in her grip. She put her lips to the circular mouthpiece for a test blow as a soft, shrill sound slipped from the other end. Star could've sworn she saw colorful jagged lines floated out of the exit hole and immediately fell down. The tubular piece of wood smelled like a mix of weed, saliva, and bird feces. There was also a strange, sour taste that left her tongue and her lips tingling.

"And you want me to practice playing this thing?"

Ludo and Glossaryck nodded in unison.

"For what?"

"You'll figure it out once you've actually learned it." Glossaryck answered as he converged his broad robe sleeves together.

"Right then," Ludo's hands made a shooing motion. "Out you go, girl."

"What, I can't practice here?"

"Nope. Being in a hotboxed room while practicing a wind instrument, especially a Shakashuri, isn't the best idea, kid."

"Kelly?" The avian guru called out, to which the bush-headed girl merely responded with a salute. She guided Star out of the area just as quickly as she guided her in.

"And Star?" Glossaryck called out, stopping both departing girls dead in their tracks.

"Yeah?"

The blue man's voice softened as he spoke. "Just remember that the Shakashuri isn't an instrument you play with your mouth or your hands. But with your mind."

"And if you start to feel a little funny as you're playing it," Ludo added. "Don't worry about it. Just let it happen."

Star raised an eyebrow before ultimately nodding and going along with their words. She made her way out of the room, guided by Kelly back to the prison proper once more.

Right before the door shut completely, one of Ludo's rat minions slipped through the crack and hurriedly scurried its way to its master. The rat's snout drew in close to Ludo as it squeakily whispered in his ear. The moment the rodent withdrew, Ludo raised an eyebrow in bemusement.

"As if things couldn't get any more complicated..." The avian dismally remarked, taking another therapeutic puff. He gazed at the rat with a strong expression as he spoke. "Whatever you do, do not let Star find out about this. Let everyone except Ponyhead know."

With a firm salute, the rat scurried out of the room just as quickly as it entered.

"What's goin' on?" Glossaryck asked.

"Lucitor's taken the boy down under."

Glossaryck sighed as he rubbed the jewel on his long cranium. "Oy vey..."

"At least she wasn't here to find out,"

The blue man gazed wistfully in the sky in deep, remorseful contemplation.

"Oh, Alexander..." He uttered softly with as much reverance as there was sorrow. "If only you knew how bad things could get..."

* * *

Star dedicated about an hour to practicing the unusual instument in her jail cell, much to her fellow inmate's chagrin. The sounds that spawned from the long piece of painted wood due to her inexperience were so obnoxious, so ear-piercing that eventually complaints reached staff and she was approached by a guard. She was urged to practice her Shakashuri in the Gulag's Music Room, where attempts at flexing one's lack of musical skill would be far better appreciated in isolation. She found it to be a reasonable request as she'd be lying if she said that the sound hurt her own ears as well.

Eventually, Star found her way to the Music Room after a series of dead ends and getting mixed information of its whereabouts. She was informed that it was currently empty but she could hear muffled piano playing leaking through the door. She figured that if it wasn't empty then, it will be once she gets started.

The Music Room looked a lot like the one in Star's High school. It was a roundish interior with chairs and various instruments hanging or shelved against the wall. On the far wall across the entrance was a slightly elevated platform that looked to serve as a stage of some sort. A grand piano sat at the very center. A piano that was currently active in serenading the almost empty room.

Almost empty except for Star and that loathsome aquatic knight, Undyne.

Star found it more weird than annoyed that she happened to be there, playing the piano in full armor. She looked beyond lost in her own playing, her eye shut as her iron-clad fingers glided across the keys, bringing forth a melodious beauty with a precision and artistry that Star couldn't believe someone like her was capable of. The fins on the side of her head lightly flapped along as her head bobbed to the smooth rhythm. Even with all that armor on, Undyne somehow managed to maintain a posture that was as straight as an arrow.

Star couldn't help but become enraptured by the song that someone she was supposed to hate was letting loose. She absentmindedly bobbed her head and tapped her foot along each key stroke, momentarily forgetting what she even came there for.

She was shaken out of her stupor as the purpose of being there came back to her. She was tempted to step out of the room, but instead she made her way to the nearest seat.

The moment she sat down, her eye locked with Undyne's for the most fleeting, yet perceptible moment. Star managed to catch the subtle furrowing of the fish woman's brow, though the woman continued playing as if she weren't there.

Star figured that if Undyne was gonna pretend she wasn't there, then she'll gladly return the sentiment. With a straightening of her posture, a shake of her shoulder, and a licking of her lips, Star commenced with her practice. It sounded like a whale going through labor as it reached volumes that overpowered and horribly clashed with the sultry tunes of the piano.

The sheer audial ugliness of Star's playing caused the pianist to wince and for a moment, strike the wrong key. Rather than stop entirely, she merely rolled with her meager error and kept on playing, muscling through the awfulness that screeched across the air and fumbled into her ear-fins.

Even as she struggled to play anything that could match the skill that her rival musician had, Star found solace and joy in the clear fact that she was being a nuisance to this bitch. Her lips formed a smile as they remained wrapped around her Shakashuri's mouthpiece.

She tried to add a little rhythm with each botched note. In her attempt to form some semblance of a song, the "music" ended up being disjointed and jarring. Especially when resounding next to a piano being masterfully played.

Undyne bared her teeth as she ground them, fighting to maintain her composure. The mistakes in her composition slowly piled up, growing more and more noticable as she gradually fell into Star's abysmal rhythm or severe lack thereof.

Noticing this, Star's smile only deepened as she took a quick, yet hefty exhale before blowing into the Shakashuri with all her might, pouring all of her emotions into this screeching, shrieking musical equivalent to nails on a chalkboard. At some point, the "music" managed to suppress Undyne's ability to hear her own notes. As a result, her focus wavered immensely, her fingers shakily staggering across the keys as she proceeded to play just as badly as Star was.

The Music Room began to house a cacophony of horrific sounds that served as a cruel and unusual punishment that makes other forms of inhumane torture sound like luxuries in comparison. Star didn't let up in brutally executing the concept of easy listening. Her cheeks puffed and her face reddened as she expended all the air from her lungs into her instrument. She began to see even more of those colorful jagged lines from before, coming out of the Shakashuri in droves as they erratically flew around her. Everything in her line of sight began to sway very subtely and colors became slightly saturated.

As she played her lungs and heart out, Star could no longer hear a single piano key stroke. At the same time, she had gotten used to her own terrible playing that it no longer bothered her. There was a dull pounding in her head and a soft ringing in her ears as she went on. Her mouth felt like it was filled with cotton. It was her turn to become lost in her own music, skill and quality of sound be damned.

Star almost fell out of her seat when a long spear made out of blue magical energy plunged itself into the floor directly in front of her. She was met with a rather seething Undyne, who was now out of her seat and glaring at her with an eye that seemed to bore nothing but violent intent.

Despite that however, the knight began stomping her way towards the exit in a huff. As she walked by Star, she snuck a passing glance of frustration before slamming the door shut. While the guard captain left the room, Star childishly stuck her tongue out at her.

"Heh. Good riddance." Star remarked as she drank in her victory with a smile. It was then that she understood exactly why Glossaryck and Ludo didn't want her to practice down under.

She noticed that her vision seemed to get a little funky at some point. Everything looked slightly blurry and the colors had looked like someone put a camera filter over it. Her mouth felt drier than a desert.

But she shrugged it off and continued practicing. Putting as much effort as she could to at least make the sounds she was playing easier on the ears.

But she never could. No matter how softly she blew or how much she experimented with the finger holes, the results remained consistently the same. Not a single change in the sound whatsoever.

Star figured she was given a jank Shakashuri. When she stopped practicing and held it lengthwise to inspect it, she noticed a set of numbers were suddenly written in the middle of the instrument. Star figured it was a phone number of sorts because it began with the dimensional code for Mewni as well as having the right amount of digits.

 _650-216-3715_

"Huh. Should probably ask Glossaryck and Ludo about this."

She rose from her seat and started towards the door. Right as she made her way down back from where she came from her attention was snagged by a nearby payphone. Though she intended to ask her mentors about the effects and abilities of this strange cosmic instrument, the opportunity to investigate the mysterious number was too convenient to pass up.

Star pulled forth a gold coin from her pocket. She was gonna use it for vending machine snacks, but any progress towards her training superseded her need to feed.

After inserting the coin, she put the phone to her ear as she dialed the number. There was a ring. Then another. And another. The anticipation built up a little anxiety within Star as she couldn't imagine who she would end up calling with this weird number that showed up randomly on this wooden instrument.

The ringing eventually ceased as Star heard a voice that was extremely familiar answer the phone. She felt like she should know who this was, but couldn't come up with an answer. Though, whoever it was, Star, for some reason, felt extremely vexed upon hearing their voice and her mood dampened as a result.

"Hello?" The voice on the other side greeted.

"Hello?" Star greeted back.

"Who are you?"

"Who are _you_?"

"You called me!" The voice shouted in anger.

"No, you called me!" Star bit back, meeting the stranger with equal anger. "And you sound like the stupidest person I've ever talked to."

"Well, you sound like some idealized self-insert of some high-school reject!"

"And you sound like someone who regularly gets bitten in the butt by all the problems they run away from!"

"I swear, if I ever meet up with you, I'll stick my foot so far up your butt, you'll be tasting my toes."

"Ugh," Star groaned, fed up with the conversation already. "this is just childish. I'm just gonna be the adult between and hang up fir-"

 _Click_

"Dang it!" Star exclaimed as she slammed the phone back on the hook.

When she turned around she thought she was going to bump into the wall on the other side since her own reflection was suddenly closer than she had realized.

Except that it wasn't her reflection whatsoever. And she wasn't anywhere near the wall across the hall.

She was looking at herself. Standing there a few feet away from her. In the flesh. One arm, one eye, and all.

"Oh ho ho, I see how it is," Star said. She folded her hands as a knowing smile etched itself on her face. "this part of the training, then? So what are you? Like one of my memories like from the Wand, a living coping device or what?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing," Star stated rather bluntly.

"The heck are you talking about, you freak? I'm me!"

"How can you be me, if _I'm_ me? You weirdo!"

"'Course you wanna be me. Cuz you ain't me!" Star brought forth her Shakashuri to prove herself. "I'm the one going through training, and you're just a-"

Star too, brandished the Shakashuri as she shined a smug smile.

"I was saying?"

" _I_ was saying that you should make like my legs when I was with Marco that one time and split."

"Too late. That ship's already sailed and guess who's the captain?" Star pointed at herself as she clicked her tongue twice. "This girl."

The two began circling each other like a pair of competing predatory animals as they shit-talked one another.

"This ship ain't big enough for two captains. There's only room for one Star, and that's the real one. Me." Star proudly said as she brought a thumb to her chest.

Star scoffed. "Please. How bout you go back to imaginationland where you belong? Star 'Brought me into this world and I took her out' Butterfly?"

"How bout you? Star 'Mommy Murderer' Butterfly?"

Star was starting to get all up in Star's face as a pointed finger grazed the air in front of her. Star met Star halfway as shots were being fired from both directions.

"Star 'Succession stealer' Butterfly!"

"Star 'Queen Killer' Butterfly!"

"Star 'from the throne to the grave' Butterfly!"

"Star 'Moon above is red, my mom is dead' Butterfly!"

"Star... you'retheworstIhateyou!" Star uttered hurriedly as the two parted from one another.

"Look kid. You don't wanna start anything with me, alright? I could kill you with one arm tied behind my back."

"Tch. That's nothing. I can kill you with one eye closed."

Star scoffed. "Like you could do anything even with both eyes."

"You wanna bet?"

"I would, but what else have you got to lose?"

"Besides my life?"

"I meant something of value."

Star hissed, feeling on her skin how hot that burn was as she turned away from Star.

 _Aw geez, she's got me good,_ Star thought.

"No kidding, I got burned pretty bad." Star responded. "Here's a suggestion. How 'bout I kill myself?"

Star began to get up all in Star's face once more, causing Star to fold into herself as the barrage of deprecation came crashing down.

"No seriously, just do it. Like I said, I got nothing else to lose. And it's pretty obvious where I'm heading if I keep going. Might as well save everyone the trouble. I mean, look at you. Do you honestly think you have any chance to take back your kingdom. And what about if you do? Would people even _want_ you in the throne? You almost burned down the entire kingdom when you were a princess. Imagine if you somehow became queen. You!"

Roaring, insulting laughter burst forth from Star. Each and every "ha" like a dagger plunging deep into Star's psyche. She was beginning to feel inclined to agree with her own biting words. That this whole journey was entirely pointless and her goals were stupid and unreasonable.

Star was roughly knocked off her feet when a punch was thrown to her face. Star's imposing shadow loomed over her as she planted a foot over her chest. Her doubts and self-loathing exerting their dominance over her.

"You're nothing," Star seethed. "You hear me? And you're not gonna be anything either. Just. Die."

And yet, Star felt something within her that was far from accepting defeat. A hardening of her chest. An unclouding of her mind. A welling up within her gut. An instant, yet powerful glint shined in Star's remaining eye as words she knew not the origin of came forth before her mind could properly process them.

Star sprung back to her feet, simultaneously knocking Star off of hers. Her fist clenched and her eye was fixed upon her opponent. Her self.

"Look, you could say what you want about me," Star began, her voice becoming stoic and solemn. "But no matter what. I know who I am. I know what I'm capable of. And I know that nothing, not even, myself, can keep me down."

Star began walking up to Star, forcing Star to crawl backwards towards the other wall as Star advanced. Though they were of the same exact height, Star somehow managed to tower over Star. Not physically. But mentally and spiritually.

"Get this through your thick head." Star had driven Star into a corner. Star was rendered speechless as she shrunk beneath the sheer presence and powerful aura that Star was exuding. Each word, slowly, yet steadily uttered as they were, was laden with a weight that felt like blows to Star's composure.

" _I_ am Star Butterfly. The real deal. _The_ Rebel Princess. And there's not a thing you or anybody else can do to change all that. This is _my_ story. And you're not a part of it. And you know what else?"

Star brought her lips close to Star's ear. Hot air left a lingering burn on her skin as Star delivered a finishing blow. A strike that no weapon or spell in the known multiverse could possibly compare to.

"You a bitch-ass mewgga."

And Star poofed out of existence, proving that there could only be one. Star's vision was filled by the residual puff of pink smoke Star exploded into.


	78. Awaken

A searing wind shreds across the arena. A dense scent of sulfur filled Marco's nostrils. Bloodlust was in the air, buzzing across his skin, making his lips as dry as a desert.

Marco would be lying if he said that the whole situation he was in wasn't unnerving. him to no end. Standing within the flaming bowels of the Underworld, facing one of his enemies turned friend, turned back to enemy, turned to hellish horror.

Altered drastically just moments prior, Tom's new and possibly true form was as imposing as it was grotesque. Barely could one recognize the young demon prince through a bulky body that was akin to a full set of armor made of jagged black stone. Deep crimson veins of lava branched throughout his body, deriving from the broad star shaped crater emblazoned across his chest. Spikes occupied a good portion of the armor-like shell, jutting out of every joint, lining his forearms, shins, and flat shoulder plates that increase in size the further down they went, and cascading from the nape of his neck to his lower back between a pair of giant jet black bat wings. The tips of his fingers hooked into sharp, rending claws and the tips of his boots ended in claw-like toes.

His "face" was more helm-like in appearance, with the top of its skull bloomed in twain, the middle filled with a patch of his spiky red hair and flanked by his horns which now curved downwards with the tips going past his jaw. Three sets of three, burning red slits took the place of his eyes.

Though the lava pattern that road across Tom's body was consistent, the branches on his left arm formed the usual pattern of his tattoos. They pulsed steadily, imbued with the true power of his demon lineage working in tandem with the true power of the Devil Hand.

Marco couldn't contain a noticeable gulp of anxiety. As he clenched his fists, he felt little to no friction as he was coated in a thick layer of sweat, though it had nothing to do with the exponentially rising heat. His heart beat at an irregular, frantic speed, longing to free itself from his flesh and bone prison.

At the furthest, deepest corners of his mind, Marco was positive that today would be the day where it would all end for him. A gnawing insistence that his life was slowly ebbing towards the very precipice as a vast vista of nothingness awaiting him. Escape and survival felt like a fleeting vapor at that moment.

And yet.

His body hardened. Feet were rooted firmly to the ground. Breathing remained steady.

An assuring warmth surged from the tips of his fingers to the rest of his body.

Marco took one, long solitary breath through his nose then let it all out through a pair of puckered, dried lips.

His body solidified into a stance. One foot diagonally forward. The other bent towards the opposite side. One wide open palm stretched forward. The other bent low and clenched in a fist that hung parallel to the other arm.

Marco's heart was then calm.

His mind was clear.

And most importantly, he was ready. Prepared to deal with whatever Tom decided to dish out. Ready to dip and dodge whatever spell darted his way. Prepared to parry whatever strike the young demon prince opted to throw at him.

Marco winced ever so slightly when Tom took just one single step forward. He was tempted to back up on step when his foe took another one of his own.

Tom raised his leg into another step and the moment the sole of his clawed foot was but a hair's length from landing, he blinked out of existence in an instant.

Marco was left momentarily confused and stunned at the sudden disappearance of his foe, his only good eye scanning every which way for where he could've ended up. He broke out of his stance to throw an alarmed glance behind him.

And yet all was empty, save for the endless expanse of lava the two stood in.

The instant Marco turned his head back around, his neck was grasped by Tom's stony claws as they dug and burned into his skin. The human's feet dangled a few inches above the ground as he stared deeply into Tom's burning gaze.

Tom then spun around and, with one hand, effortlessly sent a screaming Marco dozens of feet in the air, towards the other side of the arena.

The altered demon raised a glowing, shaking hand in the air, and the Underworld quaked beneath the immense power of his oncoming spell.

Multiple stalagmites from the far distance split from the underground sky. They were then encased in fire and then tore across the air. Flames dragged behind as their tips zeroed in on Marco's position.

Right as he reached the very apex of his forced jump, Marco managed to recover in mid-air with a flip as he began floating momentarily in the sky. His muscles tensed and his senses flared as he realized he was flanked on all directions by countless giant stalagmites. All of them were clustered closely together, preventing even the slimmest window of escape.

Seeing as there was no way out and the massive projectiles were fast approaching, Marco bent his arm back and tried to speed through his Roulette wheel in the hopes of finding a way out of this mess. His pupils wavered frantically as he scanned and skimmed through the menu.

Ah the perfect move. A fitting name. Two orbs, but he knew in his heart of hearts that it would be worth it.

 **Home Run God**

The moment the choice was made, Marco materialized a giant baseball bat made out of pure golden energy and proceeded to swiftly bat away the rest of the oncoming projectiles. He dealt several stalagmite home-runs in a row like some sort of godly baseball player, missing not a single piece of sharp rock. The fact that he was constantly pelted with flaming bits of rock and scorched by residual flames meant absolutely nothing to him at the moment as his undying will to survive briefly numbing his sense of pain.

Marco had no idea how long he had been channeling his inner Babe Ruth. Time had lost all meaning as all he could perceive were all the giant spikes heading his way. His arms felt separated from his body as they repeatedly swung for the fences. It felt as though Tom was draining the entire Underworld of all its ceiling spikes, just to impale Marco. Yet no matter how much he threw at him, no matter how quickly they came by, and no matter what pattern they took in their flight, the human was deflecting every single one of them.

Once almost all the remaining stalagmites were either reduced to chunks or submerged in the sea of lava below, Marco smacked the very last one towards Tom as it was quickly falling down in a spiral.

Unfortunately, the altered demon disappeared in a flash way before the stalagmite would even touch him.

Marco landed back onto the arena after falling several dozen feet in the air. Though the drop left a sizeable crack on the once-smooth, stone surface, it felt to him as if he merely fell a few inches or so. His eyes scoured the battlefield, seeking out his opponent who had seemingly vanished off the face of Mewni.

Marco barely registered the fact that he was, out of nowhere, being juggled into a seemingly endless combo. Rock solid fists and clawed feet relentlessly pummeled every part of his body. Bones strained and muscles caved beneath every strike. Tom continuously blinked in and out of view after every blow, his form barely showing up for even a fraction of a second. He hardly allowed Marco to drop even the slightest inch lower as he was kept suspended by the brutal onslaught.

Despite the fact that Marco was enduring possibly one of the biggest beatdowns of his life, he remained calm and focused. His mind seemed almost dissonant from what his body was undergoing. Though he should be screaming in agony and his nerves aflame with pain, he was still and silent as all of his concentration poured into the air around him.

He focused harder, suddenly time in his point of view slowing to the point where he could see Tom's movements, strikes, and subsequent vanishings in real time. He also began feeling his own pain slowed to the point where it lasted longer and intensified, yet at that moment, he felt beyond himself. Beyond sensation. Beyond pain.

As he focused even harder, Marco noticed a pattern in Tom's strikes and movements. To the untrained eye, they may seem erratic and random, but even chaotic barrages such as that would eventually fall into a routine and the familiarity with it plays a factor in its consistence.

Marco waited. Endured the incessant pummeling and the intensified pain just for a chance to get one over Tom at that moment. A pivotal moment that would immediately bestow the human with the upper hand. An opportunity for a tactical and effective retaliation.

Bones were beginning to crack. Muscles were gradually tearing at the seems. There was a constant ringing in his ears that was slowly deafening him. Blackened bruises began blotting his body. Blood began pooling in his mouth and leaking through his lips. His vision was blurring to the point where everything in view was nothing but blobs of colors heaped onto one another. His teeth clenched so hard, he could feel a few of them loosening and fracturing.

And yet Marco's concentration didn't waver the tiniest bit. The air, as hot as it was, was still clear as he could feel the swift, successive movements on the hair on his skin. Essentially tracking Tom by the chaotic, yet readable movements in the air.

Got him.

With one single raise of his Right Hand, Marco stopped Tom dead in the air as he perfectly parried his fist with his forearm. Tom was momentarily dumbstruck by the abrupt halt of his barrage as his whole body pointed diagonally downwards towards Marco.

The human boy took the lingering stillness as an opportunity to raise his Right Hand to the sky, activating its full, yet temporary power as the brace on his bicep clanged free and his body was shrouded in a gleaming golden outline. With the power of invincibility and super-armor, Marco took his left hand and unleashed a rising uppercut to Tom's chin, sending his altered form to the sky.

Marco followed up by grabbing the reeling demon by the arm, somersaulting once in the air with him in tow and slammed him onto the arena. The intense impact bolstered by Marco's increase strength caused Tom to bounce into the air, sending him back to where he started.

Marco took advantage of his foe's brief air time to show off his air combo game, unleashing his own barrage of feet and fists that were powerful enough to elicit physical reactions from his foe and chip off pieces of his stone armor. Hooks, jabs, uppercuts, side-kicks, high-kicks, spin-kicks, you name it. Marco let loose every kind of move he could think of, adding spins to maintain the momentum and letting every strike flow fluidly from one hit to the next.

Even in his most powerful state, Tom could do nothing but take it all. Marco's current state prevented any easy recovery or escape out of his unstoppable string of combos. Even if he did find a way to escape Marco's rhythm, the invincibility disallowed even a semblance of effective retaliation.

Like Marco, he just had to endure until the opportunity to fight back and regain the upper hand presented itself.

Marco decided to top it all off with an airborne Roulette Move. With a quick summoning of the menu, he scrolled through it to find a piece de resistance.

He found one that was lettered in burning red color. The first one he's ever seen since he first used his Hand. It sounded like something that would be worth using his last three orbs on. A rather effective and stylish finisher.

 **Shaolin Blast**

Marco's arms looped in a circle as his God Hand glowed an even brighter gold. His right arm wound back as his palm was kept open.

The moment Marco's palm pushed forward, a gigantic open palm composed of golden energy shot forward, sending Tom flying several meters across the arena. The moment Marco landed back on the ground, he couldn't help but pump his chest to the air and spread his arms wide as he grunted loudly in a brief battlecry upon executing the technique.

Tom landed near the edge of the arena across from Marco. As he groggily staggered to his feet, his head was held in his hand as his form began to flicker, shifting between his normal state and his Devil Trigger state, indicating that the latter was about to run out, possibly due to some time limit.

Marco felt his spirits lift slightly as he noticed that Tom was on the verge of reverting back to normal. Although Tom at his base strength was still a force to be reckoned with, it was still a considerable step up from having to endure another period of time of dealing with an exponentially stronger form.

With his Tension Mode still active, Marco wasted no time making a break towards Tom, going on the offensive while the God Hand's effects were still in place. The latter's appearance was flickering between both forms faster as the former drew closer. At the same time, Marco could feel his heightened power getting close to running out itself.

As the distance between the two narrowed, Marco began to notice that his opponent was... smiling? He couldn't figure out why, though part of him very much wanted to screech to a halt as this could only lead to danger.

His better judgement got the best of him and Marco ended up stomping a foot to brake himself, watching as Tom raised his flickering Left Hand to the air. It had come to the human boy's attention that the demon prince had yet to unleash the full potential of _his_ God Hand, and his mind went into disarray attempting to parse just how much power Tom held at his fingertips at that moment.

The entire length of his Devil Hand exploded in an instantaneously blinding red flash. The tattoos on his arm pulsed along with the deep red aura surrounding his body in a steady, heartbeat-like rhythm. Tom's form was no longer shifting and remained in its Devil Trigger state.

There was another shift in the air as the hot wind started to pick up once more. Tom became encased in a red energy bubble of sorts and a visible gale rose and spiraled around him into a small tornado, increasing in speed as the seconds ticked by.

"And to think," Tom began, his distorted, thunderous voice practically omnipresent throughout the Underworld. "this is only half of his power."

His? Who was he talking about? He'd dwell on it more, but he was too busy gaping in awe at the immense power Tom was conjuring.

"You're not Alexander. And neither am I. But only one of us can at least come close. You think you can do something like this? To exert this much power with just one of his Hands? I don't think so."

Alexander... why did that name seem so familiar?

"Because you're not ready for it," There was a tinge of sorrow that laced Tom's powerful, booming voice. "And you never will be."

The red bubble broke into pieces as the sound of glass shattering scattered through the winds. Tom disappeared in a blur once more, leaving nothing but the howling of the Underworld's biting winds in his wake.

Marco's heightened state has already worn off the moment Tom disappeared and he stood there in dreading anticipation for what's to come. His resolve was kept stable and solid by his fear. Even though his legs shook ever so slightly and sweat rained down his face, Marco refused to falter in his convictions and determination. His fists clenched so tightly, he could hear the stretching of his skin and the cracking of bone. He realized then that his God Hand had nothing left in it. Not enough energy to go invincible again, nor any more orbs to utilize his more powerful techniques. He only had his wits and whatever strength remained to his name.

Marco stood his ground. Rather than scan the environment or run around in an attempt to throw off his opponent, his feet took root into the ground as he bent his knees to further his stability. His Right Hand was kept outstretched as his left was kept low. His eyes were firmly shut and his breathing steadied.

"Kooohhhhh..." He uttered gutturally as the fiery energy coursed through his being. Electricity crackled as the Hamon flowed. Marco released as much as he could, hoping in his heart that it would be enough to combat whatever his enemy had in store.

The Hamon that coated his flesh provided more sensitivity to the environment around him. He could sense every little shift in the air, which made him realize that Tom wasn't teleporting whatsoever, but moving at such blinding speeds that it gave the impression that he was. Tom was shifting so fast, it was as if he was everywhere at once.

Marco felt him stop just a few meters above before unleashing another **Devil Stomp**. However, Marco was quick enough on the draw to dodge out of the way but too slow to take advantage of Tom being wide open for attack, for he blinked out right before Marco could wind up for a quick punch.

Tom reappeared instantly behind Marco, his body in the midst of a backwards spin as his Left Arm was alight with the intent to unleash another **Head Slicer**. Marco once again sensed the sneak attack and swiftly ducked out of the way, following up with an uppercut that came up short of grazing Tom's chin.

Marco felt Tom reappearing just several meters away. By the time he turned around and spotted the altered demon hovering in mid-air, his left arm was already extended forward as three vertical blades of red energy shredded through the air at once.

Marco couldn't react fast enough to dodge any of the projectiles and was immediately struck by all three projectiles. Though no part of him was severed whatsoever, his body was lined with a trio of long, bleeding gashes that rendered his composure and concentration to shambles.

He wasn't even given a moment to think or breathe after enduring that last attack when Tom drove a stone-clawed heel right into his skull, caving it in. The demon prince followed up with another punch right into the core of Marco's chest. Blood was driven out of his mouth as the wind was knocked out of him. He folded over as he felt his ribcage break off into shards that pierced various organs.

The ground beneath his feet suddenly drew further and further away from him as Tom lifted the human high into the air, his fist still plunged into his chest. The internal injuries dragged Marco's mind away from the battle proper, dragging his attention towards forcing himself to breathe. He struggled to even resist.

He could barely register the fact that he had returned to the arena, flat on his back with his blurred vision reaching for the sky. He was dazed. Reeling. About to break. His ears rung and his vision was clouded. His body had withstood so much during this entire fight and it would seem that it had reached its limits at last. He strained and struggled on the ground, with barely enough strength to lift his head even the slightest off the ground, let rise back up on his two feet.

Tom slowly floated back down to the arena, his abominable, imposing form overshadowing Marco's weakened, battered body. As he descended, his form flickered once more, though it started out much faster than last time as Tom reverted back to his normal state in a quick red flash. As the demon prince glowered over his downed foe, Marco could sense that he bore a fragment of woe and disappointment.

"A shame, really," Tom spoke woefully as he shook his head. "And here I thought you'd prove that you had what it takes to have both of 'em."

This was it, Marco thought. Even though there were many instances where death was just a last breath away, he was absolutely sure this time that it would meet him with open arms.

He had no orbs left.

No energy for Tension Mode.

No strength to even move.

He was deprived of too much blood and air to conjure a single spark of Hamon.

His body was broken to the point of near uselessness.

There was no one around to save him. He wasn't even sure if anyone knew he was missing.

Once again, he was at the mercy of an enemy. The salt on the wound was that this enemy was once a good friend.

"Power controls everything, Marco. If you can't be strong enough to protect the people you love, or heck, even yourself, then what good is it to you?"

"M... my Hand..." Marco squeaked out, each breath of air causing his nerves to scream out in agony.

Tom raised a palm to cut him off. "Save it, man. You're done." Tom pointed an open left palm towards Marco, a small fireball hovering over it ready to put the poor boy out of his misery. "I promise I'll take good care of Star. Goodbye, Marco."

Tom didn't even hesitate to give Marco some last words before the small flame instantly intensified into an all-consuming inferno that scorched the ground beneath him. All three of his eyes glared on, free of emotion as the blaze raged on, thoroughly reducing his foe to an ashy pile of what once was.

He didn't hear a single scream as he incinerated Marco to death. Maybe it was for the best. At least the Hand would be intact by the time he'd finish.

After several more seconds of finishing someone off the way he knew how, the flames finally faded, revealing a burnt, blackened spot where Marco once was. Not a single piece of him remained in place. Not even the Right Hand itself.

"Huh?"

Tom felt his demonic blood freeze and his eyes became plates when he felt a presence just a few feet behind him. Standing as tall and as firm as if nothing was done to him. His body free of any scorch marks as if the flames hadn't touched him even once.

Driven by an overwhelming sense of danger lurking on his back, Tom immediately conjured another powerful blast of fire that went far beyond the horizon. The demon prince saw very clearly that the ensuing inferno completely engulfed Marco, leaving no chance for escape nor recovery.

"What the Home!?" Tom exclaimed out of sheer shock.

Yet Marco was standing just a few meters out of the path of the blast, leaving its caster awestruck. What stunned Tom wasn't the fact that his enemy dodged the attack, but rather, the way he did it.

The moment the flames consumed the human's entire being, he emerged from the flames untouched, as if he had become intangible. Translucent afterimages were left in Marco's wake as he floated seamlessly across the arena.

Suddenly, the song shifted to MC Hammer's "Can't Touch This", fitting for the situation but infuriating for Tom.

"What the-. Goddammit, who put in Betty's mixtape!?"

In between the afterimages of Marco were images of someone else. Someone considerably taller and more muscular, who wore an all dark leather ensemble with broad shoulder pads. A brown-haired man of solid, stoic countenance who held a similar hardened expression to Marco's. They both stood in a stance where one open palm hovered over the other in front of their abdomen.

"Who is that!?" Tom growled and bared his grit teeth, his demonic blood boiling at the sight of Marco still intact and the fact that all of his attacks seemingly had little to no effect on him. He didn't know what the human boy was pulling, how he was pulling it, and who it was that stood by him, but he knew that he had to put a stop to it.

Tom drew his arm back and conjured up the menu quickly before immediately choosing **Demonic Smash** **2.**

His Left Hand was engulfed in searing red flames as he bent himself low to the ground as he aimed at Marco.

A blink of an eye later, he was propelled forward. A wide, fiery explosion followed as he relentlessly charged towards his target.

Much to his surprise and subsequent chagrin, Tom's powerful attack was abruptly halted dead in its path when his face was struck with a sun-infused fist.

" _Furueru zo hato!_ " Vigrously cried out Marco in a language that Tom had no clue about. Marco followed up with another sun-clad strike up Tom's chin.

" _Moetsukiru hodo hito!_ " Resounded a different voice, just as loud and full of energy as Marco's.

" _Kizamu zo, ketsueki no bitooo!_ " Echoed in unison both voices, following a powerful kick that sent Tom a few feet in the air. While he momentarily floated there, Marco took up a stance where his left fist was clenched close to his chest and his right open palm hung outwards. As vibrant golden lighting surged between both hands, thunder shattered across the winds as he closed his right hand shut.

"SUNLIGHT. YELLOW. OVERDRIIIIIVE!" Both voices powerfully screamed, the Cosmos and Mewni shuddering beneath the sheer intensity and determination behind such a battlecry. Marco continuously fired off a series of Hamon-coated fists in rapid succession that sought out every single piece of skin on Tom's demonic hid. Not a single part of him was left untouched or unscathed by the raging storm of fists beating down on him.

As Tom stood there, enduring every single fist and contemplating his life choices up to that point, he noticed that half of the fists that flew his way looked radically different from the original attacker. Half were black sleeved and tan skinned and the other half was sleeveless, buff, and pale.

Marco's onslaught momentarily ceased before he let loose one last downward hook that bent his entire body over and had his fist facing the opposite of where Tom was flying towards.

As his smoking, sizzling body soared across the arena, Tom caught notice that someone else stood beside Marco. Someone who looked similar to the other guy. Similar ensemble minus the shoulder pads, similar hair besides the color, and a more younger looking face. Yet just as muscular and gleaming with righteousness.

Tom once more struggled to get to his feet as he had almost slipped on himself on the way up. He groaned in agony as he held his gut in one hand. When all three eyes focused on Marco, they were lit with humiliation and the fury of infinite Underworlds.

Marco stood boastfully as he sported a smile absolutely brimming with smugness that would put all the haughty anime girl images to shame. With his flexed right arm hanging in the air, Marco gave his tattooed bicep a few playful slaps as a "Ha-haaa" escaped his smirk.

Once again, the translucent form of another distinct tall and muscular man stood right beside him, imitating the same gesture and expression and doubling the amount of smug to unheard of levels, if such a thing were possible. A glint shined from both of their pearly white teeth.

The man faded out of view right as Marco straightened his stance and was immediately replaced by someone else standing on the opposite side. Someone Tom didn't know but could at least recognize as a part of the Butterfly family if her cheek marks were anything to go by.

A pair of lightning bolts.

Both Marco and the Butterfly had their straightened arms bent back and their fists clenched as they both exhaled deeply through both their mouths. Tom prepared to launch a simple fireball. Something, anything to stop whatever his adversary had in store next.

" _Wuld. Nah Kest!_ " Marco shouted at the tip of his vocal range as a swift howling of a powerful gale followed the phrase spoken in another mysterious language.

Before Tom realized it, Marco was just a few feet away, hovering above the ground, holding a towering spire of lightning in his hand as the lady with the shaved head as well as some bucket-headed knight with the sun emblazoned on his chest floated beside Marco.

Despite the severe damage he was dealt, Tom managed to dart away from the attack and behind Marco as he hammered the bolt of lightning where the young demon once stood, just short of electrocuting him into a pile of ash much like what nearly happened to him.

Tom stumbled during his short sprint and ended up rolling across the floor. As he rose to his knee and gazed face to face with Marco, he felt assailed by a feeling that he never thought anyone besides his father could instill in him for all his life.

As Marco stood steadfast and stoic, an entire crowd stood by his side, standing just as tall and as firm as he was. The first three men stood on one side, while Star's ancestor and that knight stood on the other side. There were a few more on standby that didn't contribute, but stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the others. Such included:

A short, stocky bald man whose face was nestled between a bushy black beard and a full afro. His eyes were narrowed and darkened.

A taller, shirtless muscular young man in a blonde mullet who bore a pair of coy eyes and a face teeming with uncertainty.

A tan skinned boy who looked just about Marco's age with brown hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a long blue trench coat. A smile oozing with confidence was rooted to his face.

As Tom's eyes focused on Marco and his spectral entourage, it clicked. As a prince of the Underworld and a scholar of the dead himself, he knew exactly what they were.

And Marco. That look in his eye. That intense feeling that exuded out of very pore of his body. Something that resided within the very core and permanently stuck on all the stretched faces of every eternally tortured soul in the Underworld. And yet it was on a level that he had not once in his lifetime ever experienced nor seen before.

Pain.

"I get it," Tom spoke. His tone was rueful, yet resigned. "you brought the dead back to help ya out. But how someone like you pulled it off, I have no idea. "

"I... dunno myself." Marco replied, his hardened expression belying his confusion.

"M-master!" The blonde one shakily called out as he turned towards Brad. "W-w-what's goin' on? Where a-are we and why're we here? Who are these people?"

"Hmm. Dunno myself, boy." The burly man replied, trying to keep calm about the situation. "But I think us bein' here has to do with Marco."

"Oh, hello Marco! Hello Master Jonathan! Fancy meeting you both here!" Excitedly spoke the knight. "I don't know who some of you are or why I am here, but it would seem duty has called out to me once more."

"I am rather confused as to why I am now in the Underworld," The bald former queen spoke, confused as she scanned the area. "but it would seem that we have stumbled in the middle of a battle, dear Solaire."

"Oh my goodness, Marco," One of the more muscular men spoke, sporting an english accent. "You did it! I am so proud of you!"

"Heyyy, way to go, little dude!" Another one of the muscular man spoke, sounding a lot more casual compared to the rest. He raised a congratulatory thumb.

"Even after dying twice, I cannot seem to escape you." The tan skinned boy remarked, annoyed. He bore a light Italian accent.

"What the heck is going on?" Marco asked as he looked around like a lost puppy, failing to figure out why everyone that has long passed away were suddenly standing by him.

"Allow me to explain," One of the muscular men that hasn't spoken yet came forward and raised a scholarly finger as he elaborated. "What you have just done, young Marco, was the Ultimate Technique in the ancient art of Hokuto Shinken. In the 2000 years of its existence only less than a handful were ever able to use it."

Yes, he knew exactly what it was now _._ Though he hadn't known of it until now, it felt as though that phrase has been etched into his very soul the entire time. As if his heart beat for it. His spirit burned for it. His blood flowed for it.

"Tell me, Marco," The Mad Max looking guy implored. "how did you feel when you first executed it?"

The boy thought back to the moment before this all happened. That instant where, from the depths of his soul and the bottom of his heart, he was prepared to meet death with arms wide open and resigned to meeting that world of emptiness and darkness he thought followed the loss of his life.

And yet, rather than become engulfed in flames and meeting his untimely end, a rather powerful feeling assaulted him and suddenly time had stopped. Not slowed down, but completely stopped. His Roulette menu popped up, yet it was vastly different than usual. Rather than the long list characters that normally comprised the menu, there was only one technique available and it wasn't even a set of words like normally. Though he was puzzled, he wasn't going to refuse a chance at redemption if it was being offered to him at such a crucial moment. His mind focused hard on that only option and he had hoped for the best.

 **? ?  
**

And before Marco could even realize it, he found himself standing behind Tom. He felt no movement being made. No energy being exerted. No feeling being sensed He was on the ground and then he was behind his foe. He was unconscious of what he was doing, yet fully aware of everything and anything that had occurred.

He felt power that was foreign, yet familiar surging through him and buzzing at the tips of his fingers. Ready to be unleashed. Blood that wasn't his flowed through his veins. He felt the hearts of others beat in time with his. Shared spirits pulsed beneath his mortal flesh, burning with a singular purpose.

Life and Death.

Light and Dark.

Joy and Sadness.

Love and hate.

Objective and subjective.

Dream and reality.

Mortal and cosmic.

He stood between all of these dichotomies. These extremes. He felt them all, yet felt not a single one at.

Yes, he knew the sensation like it had dwelt in his very core all his life, yet this was the first he'd ever felt it. Truly and purely.

"Nothing," The word glided smoothly off his tongue as Marco answered Kenshiro with unparalled clarity and awareness.

The Grandmaster nodded solemnly at the answer. "The greatest power that ever existed. Where all life springs forth. Birthed from a complete understanding of pain and sadness."

 _Mu._

And the name of that technique that Marco used to enter that state? Though no one told him nor has he heard a single syllable of it, it echoed within him loud and clear. He breathed it internally, the world burned into every particle of his being for eternities to come.

 _ **Musou Tensei.**_

"Hmph," Yang scoffed as he crossed his transparent arms. "So this is what Dai-sensei meant. I hate to admit it, but I guess this means you really _are_ the strongest. Also, where the bloody hell is my sword, Mars!?"

"I'm not sure what this all means," Solaire ponderously rubbed the bottom of his helm. "But if it entails assisting you in your journey, than I am more than happy to lend you my strength."

"Indeed," Solaria nodded in agreement. "I am forever indebted to you for reuniting me with my lo- I mean, most valued brother-in-arms. Utilize our power as you see fit."

"M-master, are you getting any of this?" Dusty asked Brad, his oasis of logic in this ocean of confusion. "I-I mean, I don't mind h-helping Marco, b-but there's ssstill so much I don't understa-stand."

"Kind of." Brad dryly answered with a shrug. "But if it means fosterin' the growth of an up-and-comin' Karate master, then who are we to refuse?"

"Well, I guess there's no need for me to teach you any more," Jonathan said. "I mean, all I have come to know about Hamon now rests in you."

Gene smiled. "Kick ass, dude. Alexander would be proud-a ya. Still ain't him, though."

"Well, Marco?" Kenshiro asked. "What say you?"

Throughout the whole exchange, that neutral, solidified expression remained on Marco's face. His one good eye found its way to Tom, who still propped himself up on one knee, subtly yet visibly shaken. His sharpened teeth clenched and nearly silent growls leaked through them.

"Hey Tom," Marco addressed, confidence surging as his opponent was now at _his_ mercy. Everyone surrounding him composed themselves as they stood the same exact way their shared friend was. "Wanna hear a poem I made just now?"

Tom remained silent, still awestruck at how quickly all the odds shifted against him. As if he was on the verge of calling "Checkmate" in a 5D Chess match he was winning only for his opponent to suddenly have eliminated all of his pieces in one fell swoop and had his Queen against a corner.

Marco, as well as everyone else, pointed a finger towards the Prince of the Underworld. Drinking in the victory that was just within arm's grasp.

"Roses are red. Violets are blue."

All who stood by him retracted into him, their fingers still pointing before they disappeared. They were all replaced as one person shifted into view. Though they too were connected to Marco's spirit, there was one who was above and beyond more closely and tightly bound to his soul than anyone ever will. Someone that sent Tom into an internal frenzy and intensified the evidence of his current bout of dread and fear.

A spectral Star stood shoulder to shoulder with Marco, her pointing arm closely parallel to his as the two uttered the last line with a combined impact that was like a punch directly to Tom's heart and psyche.

" _Omae wa mou shindeiru_."


	79. Put Your Eye on Boots

Smoke and sulfur hung heavily in the air. The land cried out in a blood-curdling cacophony of screams, explosions, and howls. The sky above was obscured behind a dense veil of black clouds as rain gently descended upon the battlefield, failing to dim and dampen the distant flames that lit the vast Monster encampment like a lantern in the dark. A shimmering sheen coated the bodies that littered the red-spattered dirt.

For years, Mewni has been plagued by a vast organization of bandits known as the Jagged Fangs. A dense collection of Monsters that mostly consisted of humanoid wolf creatures that hunt in packs. Raiding and burning down small mewman villages, ransacking traveling supply caravans and disrupting trade and guilty of many other crimes that make them out to be a scurge of the entire nation. Queen Moon had decided that enough was enough and commanded her army to seek out their base of operations to shut them down permanantly. To wipe every cell of that cancer off the face of Mewni and leave no one left.

Eventually, they found where they were all holed up. In a walled off little town just far beyond the mountains. While Moon was left back at the Groundlands, River took up his massive army and rode into the enemy base, shattering the dense wooden walls that surrounded the village that housed their enemies. The army of about a few hundred wasted no time laying waste to all who opposed them and burning down everything that was able to catch fire to make thorough work.

A 12 year old Star sat behind her father as he rode a Warnicorn through the war torn path, splitting from the army to seek out the Fangs' leader. Swift hooves leapt over buildings turned bonfires and curved around soldiers and monster bandits turned casualties. The whipping flames that surrounded them cast a searing orange tint that filled her vision. Her bloodied and battered armor and broadsword rustled as they galloped across the base. Even the cool rain that poured over them wasn't enough to wash the stains of their recent massacre nor quell the flames that burned inside and out.

Star was deep in thought as she sat upon the saddle. Her woeful gaze fell to her lap, wordlessly lamenting the death and destruction the Jagged Fang wrought to a ravaged village they had passed by earlier. All those innocent lives taken for seemingly no reason other than greed and ill intent. Tear-laden children crying over their missing parents. Bodies heaped onto one another in bloodied, burning piles. Half-dead victims crying out for help or death.

"Dreadful, wasn't it?" River softly, yet sternly spoke, seemingly reacting to Star's thoughts despite his hardened gaze remaining forward. "These beasts think they could feed off the weak when our Queen can't be everywhere at once. Now you see what you've been training for. Why we're out here."

Star nodded in agreement. As she was dragged along the fire and flames of war, she felt no desire to shrink in cowardice. As she tightly clenched her metal covered fists, she knew how prepared she was to defend her home and cleanse it of the disease that was sweeping the nation. She knew how much of a threat these monsters were and her heart and her steel was more than ready assist in seeking and destroying them all

"We have to find their Alpha." River stated. "Take the army by the head. Rip and tear it straight off."

"Rip and tear..." The words danced along her tongue. They resonated within her as she mentally repeated it ad nauseum like an infectious song lyric.

"There," The King pointed out a lone, large group of humanoid wolf monsters walking about a clearing up ahead. They were filling wagons filled with loot, supplies, and weapons seemingly in an attempt to escape and regroup.

"Even starving wolves still have fangs to bear," The barbarian royal said, referring to the scraps of cloth and tanned leather that composed their meager armor. Worn, yet solid axes and swords hung at their hips and backs. "Though they aren't as well equipped as we are, it is always best to approach them with as much caution as you do malice. What they lack in quality of equipment, they make up for with sheer numbers and ferocity."

Star nodded as she tightly wrapped her hands around the handle of her blade. Murderous intent and a thirst for blood thrummed through her nerves, buzzing at the very tips of her fingers as she could barely contain her desire to avenge the innocent and enact justice upon these foul creatures. Her face was scarred in a wide smile that conveyed her eagerness to unleash all that she had learned up to this point.

With Star's broadsword reaching for the sky along with River's battelaxe, the two leapt off of their steed as a battlecry blasted out of their throats, so that all of Mewni would turn its gaze in their direction. Unbeknownst to the savage beasts below, there was a forecast of rain that consisted of a pair of angry, armored mewmans. And two of them suffered from the inclement weather as tempered Mewman steel were plunged deep into their bodies.

The rest of the lupine soldiers within the vicinity immediately dropped what they were doing as claws flew to the grips of their weapons and countless bare feet beat across the bloodied and burning dirt towards their attackers. Sharp teeth were bared, growls, howls and weapons were carried into the air as the wolves engaged in battle. The wagons that were being filled quickly dispersed as their bound horses galloped towards the horizon.

Neither Star nor her father hesitated meeting steel with steel and eventually flesh. As the lethal ends of weapons flew their way, the two dodged and parried every single one of them, then proceeded to dispatch the attackers in brutal fashion.

Due to River's berserker approach to battle, he recklessly allowed himself to be struck multiple times by his attackers. However, due to his unrivaled strength and endurance, the blows merely bounced off his armor as he retaliated with heavy drops and swings of his axe that bisected his foes in varying angles. Engaging with the Johansen royal was a DPS race one could never hope to win as one swing was all it took for every one of his opposition to drop to the ground in at least two pieces.

Star, on the other hand, while not having as much of an easy time with her own opponents, still managed to be just as effective on the battlefield as her father. What she lacked in stability to take hits in stride and the weapon to one-cut kill her foes, she made up for in speed and aggression. Parrying several weapons in quick succession, she refused to let up for even a second and immediately followed up with powerful slashes and thrusts that shattered past worn weapons and simultaneously dug deep into flesh, severing enough bone and sinew to render her enemies out of commission. Every lesson she learned and every training session she went through flashed faintly in her vision along with the frenzied feral faces, whipping blades, and subsequent falling corpses.

Unbeknownst to her in the heat of battle and the drive for self preservation, Star was numb to the smile that was stitched across her face as fur and blood showered her armored form. The friction of her blade grinding against sharpened metal in on instant and cutting cleanly through flesh and bone in the next sent a surge of electricity from the tips of her fingers to the base of her arms. The yelps and whines of dying wolf bandits vibrated from her ears and snaked down the base of her spine.

 _How pleased you were to chop away, Star._

"Huh?" Star was momentarily stunned by the out-of-nowhere voice, which nearly led to her undoing had she not blocked the axe falling towards the skull. Her attacker was promptly thrown to the side as she quickly followed up with a stab to its neck. Blood and a receding whimper the last thing that seeped out of its throat before its eyes glazed over.

Another wolf ran at her with his axe kept to his side. Star noticed right away that the slender wooden grip was worn to the point of the wood chipping off and she swung for the fences at the same time he did. Just as she predicted, her broadsword severed the axe in two as the tip of her blade cut across the throat of the beast. With blood spurting from its neck and flowing down its bare, gray-furred chest, the monster futilely attempted to staunch the flow as he fell to the ground, rising and choking before his form went limp.

River and Star stood there still firmly grasping their weapons and stiffened in their stances in spite of the respite they had just made for themselves. Within the immediate area, all was eerily quiet save for the mewmans' heaving breaths and the loud crackling of flames.

"Their leader," River started, his voice teeming with fury and determination. "He's still well within the town limits, I can smell it. They won't get away."

Without another word, the King already made a break towards where all the Wagons from earlier escaped to. Even though they already had a Warnicorn, the man was well on his way to surpassing it in speed at the rate he was going. By the time Star had realized her had disappeared into the blazing distance, it was already too late.

As she sprinted her way through the maze of burning tents and buildings, Star couldn't help but feel a faint sense of unease for some reason. Something was... off about this whole thing. Like none of this should be happening the way it was at that moment.

Though she wanted nothing more than to rid Mewni of its villains and revel in the justice she was assisting in enacting, she couldn't feel as good about it as she should and it irked her to no end as to why this unnameable feeling was clawing at the depths of her mind.

 _In retrospect, this was a tad excessive don't you think?_

There was that voice again. What was that? _Who_ was that? She shouldn't be hearing it at all. And why did she feel like she shouldn't be hearing it at all?

And then _she_ appeared. The outlines of her face painted upon every flame that rose out of every burning pile of debris. It took Star a few moments to realize it and when she did, her blood boiled to temperatures that made the magma of the Underworld pale in comparison.

"Eclipsa," Star bitterly uttered through grit teeth.

The projected Queen of Darkness smiled as she spoke. _A good princess would've simply stayed in her castle while letting her army do all the dirty work. And yet here you were. Fighting a battle you weren't meant to fight. Bearing a burden you weren't ready to bear. Why was that exactly?_

As tempted as she was to rend the taunting flames asunder, Star shewed better judgement and opted to keep following her father's path. As Star covered more ground, her face popped up in every flame the younger Butterfly approached, making herself out to be omnipresent no matter where she went.

 _What did you hope to accomplish while you were here? What purpose did you think you would serve that your father and his army couldn't? You had everything you could ever want at the Kingdom and more, with servants waiting on you hand and foot to do your bidding. I bet your mother didn't even know you were here, didn't she?_

The path Star took felt as though it stretched to infinity as the background and foreground repeated itself like she was in an old cartoon. She could swear she ran past the exact same set of burning debris multiple times already. Eclipsa's simplified face kept appearing on that same spot over and over again each time as if she hadn't passed by it yet.

 _Did you even know where you were? Where you were needlessly shedding blood out of some sick desire? This wasn't just some encampment that housed monster brigands. It was a village. With livelihoods, jobs, and families. And you helped take all that away from them._

Star clenched her eyes and ground her teeth as she kept running. She wasn't even sure where she was going or why anymore. She just didn't want to hear anymore from her most vile foe.

"I... I didn't know..." Star softly stated through a shaky whisper. Though Eclipsa heard loud and clear and promptly responded.

 _Of course you didn't. Mewmans are so quick to sweep the plight of monsters under the rug. And solve every problem involving them through violence._

Eventually Star reached another clearing in the town. A circular area with what looked to be a burning pile of what used to be a gallows. A tower of thick black smoke rose to the heavens. Eclipsa's face was molded from the smoke, her eyes and Spade-shaped cheek marks shining a vibrant, burning orange. They smugly gleamed in Star's direction, judging her.

 _Those 'monsters' you've taken to calling them... at the time, did you think about how they were more than just a savage race of wild animals deserving of euthanization? Did you ever think about them as people? Instead of trash to be disposed of?_

"I... I do!" Star mustered enough composure to strongly retort as she stomped one step forward and stood much taller than she had before. "I know they deserve as much of a chance at a better life as anyone else! But these monsters... they made their choice. They chose do hurt all those people."

"Hmm..." The face of smoke looked contemplative as she considered Star's argument and immediately dismissed it.

 _You're not wrong. They did indeed have a choice. However, given the circumstances and the conditions, the list of actions to take was rather scarce. When you're left with little to nothing to work with and instilled deeply with the notion that you were nothing but savages for generations, how else could you provide for your family when you haven't a system in place to seek refuge in?_

"Ah, I..." Star was at a loss. Her arms hung at her side as she scoured the widths and breadths of her mind for an equally compelling argument only to come up short.

 _Open your mind for a bit, Star. Let's take a glimpse into their past as we are taking a deep look into yours. A peek behind closed curtains before doing what they felt they needed to in order for their families to see another day._

As if one cue, a pair of monsters ran up behind Star. One brandishing a mace and another with a shortsword.

"There's the princess! Could hold her for a ransom."

 _Oh god, I hope we don't see her... what she's done to the others..._

"Ha! I'm sure we'll get a pretty penny outta her!"

 _I just want it all to end... please._

Star heard their thoughts as loud and as clear as their outer voices. She lifted her sword as she shifted into a stance that attempted to be imposing and stable, but she ended up standing shakily as reluctance stayed her hand.

"Get her!" One cried out, raising his mace in the air and sprinting towards Star with reckless abandon as the other followed suit.

 _Please I want to go back to my family._

 _My kids..._

As both Fangs attacked in unison, Star blocked both as her blade was held lengthwise over her face. Though she had every chance to, she didn't attempt stagger her foes and follow up with a swing that would cut them both down with ease. Instead Star ducked beneath their weapons, slipped between them and ran a short distance before turning towards them again.

The Fangs smiled as they bared their chipped, sharpened teeth. The morbid anticipation on their lupine visages betrayed the despondent voices that rung in the air.

 _What's even the point?_

 _They're just gonna do to us what they did to the Septarians._

They took another shot at Star again, running up to her and taking swings, which she dodged. Her movements ended up becoming sluggish and sloppy as the moral burden that laden her shoulders gradually grew too great to bear. As time went on, the guilt seemed to pile on and on to the point of clouding her judgement and bringing about errors in movement.

A swing from one of the wolves ended up striking Star right onto the side of her helmet, forcing it to fly off her head and letting her long golden hair fall to her knees. Her ears rung and her head throbbed beneath the heavy blunt force trauma. She stumbled for a bit before deftly catching herself and remaining on her feet.

 _My friends. My family... I've got nothing left..._

 _Should've ran away years ago. Anything's better than this._

"Shut up!" Star shouted, her voice cracking heavily. "SHUT UP! SHUT. UP!"

Self preservation overwrote her current moral dilemma and Star began to retaliate. Though her moves were comparatively sloppier than before, she managed to fight with sufficiency as she parried the pair's attacks and followed up, reluctantly, with a couple killing blows.

It was then that more Fangs began pouring into the battlefield, wildly swinging their weapons and relentlessly assaulting Star. As she pushed them back, there was an incessant gnawing at the back of her mind as guilt began to eat away at her and corrode her usual combat prowess.

 _None of the Kingdoms would take us in..._

 _No food... no money... what else was I supposed to do?_

 _I promised her... just one more raid and I'll be done for good._

 _How am I supposed to look her in the eye and say "we won't be eating tonight?"_

Star swung and swung. Hoping the clangs of weapons would drown out the voices. Hoping killing them would just put them out of their misery and end hers. Yet more and more keep coming. And the grim, disembodied statements only increased in frequency and volume.

 _Bodies and blood fall. As do rain and snow._ Spoke a different, yet equally as vexing voice. A horrid, distorted combination of multiple voices to be exact. _What use is there in defying a natural phenomenon?_

Disregarding all the voices that wormed their way into her ears, Star just kept evading, slashing, and killing in the the futile hope of silencing the voices. At that point, her body ran on autopilot, her mind dissonant from each strike she delivered. She just wanted it all to end.

 _My family. My friends... I've got nothing left..._

 _I thought it'd be better on Mewni..._

Parry, slash, and kill. To silence the voices.

 _Mama?... Mama!? Where are you, mama!?_

Parry.

 _I hope they're okay by now._

Slash.

 _They should be in the wagons, as far away from here as possible._

Kill.

 _I don't care if I die as long as they're safe..._

Silence.

Star fell to her knee, her bloodied, battered broadsword barely propping her up as it stood on its tip at an awkward angle. Star's chest rose and fell as she desperately sought for breath. Fatigue that had nothing to do with her recent spilling of blood overtook her body. Even if she was barely touched by any of her enemies, the words of desperation and hopelessness cut deeper than any blade.

"Dad!" She suddenly remembered. Quickly picking herself back up, Star continued pursuing her father, who was still in the process of chasing down the wagons full of escapees and stolen loot.

Just when she thought the voices had ceased, they came back again. Though it belonged to none of the victims, but one that Star loathed to have grate her hearing once more. And it repeated a short mantra ad nauseum. She could feel her resolve and her sanity crumbling as the sonorous words of vindication slowly brought her resolve to shambles.

 **DEMEWMANIZE YOURSELF AND FACE TO BLOODSHED**

 **DEMEWMANIZE YOURSELF AND FACE TO BLOODSHED**

 **DEMEWMANIZE YOURSELF AND FACE TO BLOODSHED**

 **DEMEWMANIZE YOURSELF AND FACE TO BLOODSHED**

 **DEMEWMANIZE YOURSELF AND FACE TO BLOODSHED**

 **DEMEWMANIZE YOURSELF AND FACE TO BLOODSHED**

 **DEMEWMANIZE YOURSELF AND FACE TO BLOODSHED**

 **DEMEWMANIZE YOURSELF AND FACE TO BLOODSHED**

 **DEMEWMANIZE YOURSELF AND FACE TO BLOODSHED**

Eventually, she caught her father in the far distance. Amongst the backdrop of burning wagons and wolf bodies, River was engaging with what appeared to be the leader of the Jagged Fangs. An imposing lupine figure sporting armor with a red-painted, sharp-toothed maw emblazoned across his broad chestplate. The two engaged in a fatal dance, circling around each other, leaping past and away from one another. The sparks of two blades butting heads flew between the two in quick succession, joining the orange glow of the fires around them. The Alpha towered over River at double his size, though the Butterfly King held his own quite well against the ironclad beast. Indeed, in their heated melee, the two seemed to be neck-and-neck.

That is, until misfortune or a lapse in judgment ended up being River's undoing as razor sharp metal cut across his chest, forcing him to the ground. A red streak across his breastplate dripped profusely though River himself remained consicous.

The Alpha growled as his ears perked up, picking up the sound of a pair of frantically sprinting metal boots clanking his way. His snout darted in Star's direction and a growl leaked through his teeth as he began to dread having to fight two Butterflys.

As if a lightbulb shined above his furry noggin, the Alpha quickly scooped his downed foe off the ground, wrapping an arm around the barbarian king's thick neck and lifting him up to his chest as River was being used as a mewman shield. The deep wound and the ensuing ever-flowing stream of blood that followed, drained River of his strength scarcely providing any strength to fight back, much less free himself.

"Papa!" Star shouted as she skidded to a halt, bringing her blade front and center as she was prepared to cut down one more wolf.

"I wouldn't get any closer if I were you." The Alpha warned, bringing one of his cleaver blades closer to his hostage's neck. "One more step and he's gone. First the king. Then you. Then your mother. We'll finally be able to repay your family for generations and generations of torture."

Star stood there trembling. She grit her teeth and squeezed the sword so tightly, the leather and metal handle was starting to crumble beneath her grip. She was at a loss for what to do. Her mind drifted to her mother, who probably would've been able to fire off a spell with the Wand to end this standstill once and for all.

If only Star had just been given the Wand just for this occasion.

If only she could cast magic without it.

"Star." River called out, his voice straining beneath his deep wound and the powerful arm coiled around his neck. "Remember what I told you... after you claimed your first life..."

"D-dad?"

"Shut up!" The Alpha shouted at his hostage, bashing his skull in with the butt end of his weapon.

"Don't worry about me, my corncob." River rasped through bloody coughs. "Like many others, he is an enemy to be slain. Treat him as any other and disregard the fact that I'm standing right in front of him."

"I said SHUT UP!" The Alpha roared once again, driving the butt end of his weapon's handle down onto his hostage's skull even harder.

Star thought back to that late, fateful evening. When her father brought in a tied and gagged monster for her to kill. Her first life to claim out of many. The first body she ever dropped among countless others.

And this Alpha was no different.

Star's body stiffened. Her once racing heart slowed to more stable speeds. Her mind became clear. Free of any and all that surrounded her as she focused solely on the two directly in front of her.

 _Quick._

Star took one step, a tight and steady grip kept on her blade.

"What are you doing? Didn't you hear what I said? Stay away if you care about your dad!"

 _Precise._

The tip of her blade faced forward as Star reared both elbows back.

"Papa?" Star called out, unsure of her father's words and of the action she was about to take. "A-are you sure?"

River said nothing but gave a simple nod.

 _Decisive._

A resigned exhale left her lungs as Star gazed into the wolf with eyes that burned with dark determination and deep detachment.

And then she broke off into a savage sprint, her sword kept unwaveringly front and center.

River brought a fist to the Alpha's face, sending his captor to stumble forward and leave him reeling and stunned for a few fleeting yet pivotal moments.

 _And above all._

There was no hesitation. No barriers, whether physical or mental. Nothing whatsoever stood in her way as she did what she had to.

The blade ran straight through, showering Star with more blood to drown out the shining silver of her armor and the soft pale of her face. She could feel organs getting pierced, bones getting splintered, veins being severed.

A smile slowly sliced its way across her red-spattered face, like a bleeding scar.

 _You must be strong._


	80. Step Toward Your Roots

Star fell hard upon the crystal floor with a loud smack. She groaned as she peeled her face off the smooth, solid surface like a bandage. The grogginess quickly left her body with a quick shake of her head, though she felt a pounding on her skull that felt like no other. She felt as though she has been in stasis for a while as she only remembered arguing with herself and then suddenly she was where she was currently.

"Huh?" Star remarked as her eye darted about her. She didn't remember falling asleep nor did she remember being in the very room she was laying in.

It was a vast room filled with beings of various species, shapes, and sizes, all encased in Rhombulus's crystals.

As she looked around, she noticed a particularly large crystal standing tall behind her. A sizeable hole with dark-purplish goo lining the edges marred an otherwise flawless gem. She presumed that's what she was kept in until something inexplicably freed her.

As she journeyed along the little path made by the forest of crystals, she shuddered as she felt frozen eyes kept on her with every step. She couldn't help but shiver, partly because of how creeped out she felt and partly because of how freezing cold the room was.

Star gasped when she came across a couple crystals that held people she recognized. People she hadn't seen in what felt like ages. Relief washed over her as she discovered that they ended up somewhat safe and alive.

"Papa... Mina." Star whispered to herself as she ran a hand over both of their clear blue prisons. They both looked as though they were frozen in a state of mid-combat, their bodies reared back in such a way where they were ready to deliver a hard blow to someone.

"I'll getcha out of here. I'll get us all outta here." Star vowed to them in spite of their inability to react and respond. With a firm nod in determination and salutation towards both of them, she continued her travels through the crystal confinement area.

Eventually after going through what felt like an eternity through a maze formed by frozen bodies, Star came upon the exit.

As she pushed the knob open and passed the door, she felt cool air caressing her skin and a light drizzle showering her form.

She was in the main courtyard of the Gulag. A wide open square area made smack dab in the middle of the entire facility. Pavement paths formed a cross that connected to several exits and entrances in the midst of a field of fresh green grass with a few flowers spread throughout.

Not a single sign of life was found within the vicinity. All was quiet, save for the pitter patter of the rain and the soft roar of thunder. Save for a few periodic strikes of lightning, light barely glanced over the entire facility as it was all snuffed out by the dense void of dark clouds above. It was hard to tell what time of day it was at that point.

As she approached the center of the courtyard, her vision was momentarily filled with white, following a hard blow to the back of her skull. Her ears rung and the white in her vision slowly gave way to a blurrier version of the world around her. The ground beneath her was suddenly a hair's length away.

Star fell hard on her face yet again, this time taking a face full of water and wet grass as her head fell upon a puddle.

Spitting out a mouthful of grass and dirt as she peeled her face off the ground once more, Star was met with the sight of a pair of shoes that looked about a few hundred years out of style. As Star's vision traveled along the ground, several other pairs of boots joined the ones closest to her, four of which were reminiscent of the prison robot guards.

"Good to see you again, Star," Spoke the elder voice of Ms. Heinous, leering down upon the former princess as if she a child waiting to be chastised. She was accompanied by Undyne, Rasticore, and Rhombulus, all standing a short distance behind her.

"Heinous..." Star seethed through her teeth as memories of what the crazy old lady has done to her friends seeped into her mind. Star was on the verge of getting to her feet when Heinous responded.

"Ah, ah, ah," The old Headmistress wagged a finger at Star, keeping her down on one knee with that simple gesture. "One wrong move and I'll have you so sliced into h'or deurves.

Star could only glare menacingly at the old lady. The old enemy's expression shifted to that of condescension.

"You know, I told Moon," Heinous began pacing back and forth as she proceeded to lecture Star. "told her right from the very beginning. 'There was definitely something off with that child,' I said. 'Send her off to my school immediately,' I pleaded. But she didn't listen. Said she'll only do it as a last resort. Well look where we all are now. Look where she is now. Dead! Because of you!"

Star couldn't contain a pained wince at that last sentence.

"You just couldn't contain that bloodlust, couldn't you? A disease inherited by your father's side of the family, no doubt."

"You don't know anything," Star simply said, a tinge of hatred burrowed beneath her plain tone.

"Oh, don't I?" Heinous ceased her pacing, taking a moment to look offended at the retort. "I took quite the lengthy gander into your past, my dear. I knew Moon marrying into the Johansen line was a mistake. Even though she knew raising child soldiers was commonplace in that Kingdom! And look how you have ended up."

Star remained silent, opting to stare into the woeful visage reflected in the puddle below instead. It was then she was more acutely aware of how much she had changed over time. The shorter hair, the blackened hearts, the single eye. All within the span of several weeks.

"But, since Mother seems to think you're still worthy of redemption for some reason, who am I to debate with someone who should know best?"

"Mother?" Star whispered to herself, wondering who the crazy old bat was referring to. Though she kept on going with her little monologue.

"Yes, indeed. St. Olga can be a cruel parent, but an effective teacher. Able to carve into the core of one's psyche to herald the most drastic of changes out of the most chaotic and uncouth of beings. Even the 'Blonde Devil' herself. Do you know how she does that, dear?"

Star remained silent once more, but the expression on her face said it all.

"A concept as old as time itself. The very thing that shapes our will, culture, and philosophy. Everything we pass along throughout eons. Memes, the DNA of the soul."

There was a snicker from behind her as she uttered that last sentence, right as Heinous' annoyed gaze swiftly shifted to her entourage, the three quickly regained their military bearing before she could realize their misconduct.

The old lady turned towards Star once more, her lecture getting back on track.

"You talkin' about stuff like that dead sad frog or those cute cat pictures with captions?" Star asked.

"Wha- no, not- ugh!" Heinous' forehead took a hard slap. "Not your viral internet jokes, you fool! I'm talking about the true meaning of the word. An example would be prolonged exposure to proper discipline long enough and you will learn to behave. You become a carrier, passing these memes from one generation to the next."

"Can 'heck no' be a meme?" Star defiantly spat.

Heinous scoffed. "You can't deny what you really need, Star. All these toxic and irrelevant memes clouding your being. The idea that 'it's not criminal to be an individual'. Your enjoyment of violence and murder. All that must be wiped from your mind."

"I don't-"

"Oh don't try to pull that poppycock with me, missy!" Heinous hissed, pointing an accusatory finger at the mewman princess. "With the All-Seeing Eye, I've seen what you've done. The way you act every time. The smile you get whenever you shower the soil with the blood of your enemies. And you have the gall to tell me you didn't enjoy any of it even the slightest? Functional members of society don't make a fetish out of taking the lives of others', Star!"

Star remained silent once more, her gaze seeking refuge in the puddle below.

"Of course, for years you've hidden behind a veneer of justice and heroism. All of it deriving from the meme that 'all monsters are a plague on Mewni that needed to be purged'. It spared you from bearing such a heavy cross as you were absolved of the guilt that came from enjoying it."

Star's fingers dug into the ground below. She uprooted a handful of grass and scooping up a ball of dirt in her hand.

"That is, until you realized it to be true. No need to feel ashamed. Redemption is just right around the corner, Star. It's never too late to turn a new leaf and begin again. You can at least go through the process with a clear conscience. Rhombulus?"

The gem-headed brute nodded as he stepped forward. Both of his snake arms gaped their mouths at Star, preparing a crystal blast.

"You're right," Star somberly spoke in resignation, her eye still affixed to the small patch of rainwater below. The sudden confession evoked Heinous to lower Rhombulus's arms and cancel his spell.

"About me, I mean. For the longest time, I felt a bit... off. Y'know after I started living with Marco, I thought I could just leave it all behind and just have fun with my bestie. So I didn't have to deal with all that horrible stuff again. Then Eclipsa happened and... it just came flooding back again. And now I'm here, getting lectured by villains."

"Eclipsa happened?" Heinous raised an eyebrow. "You mean when you went out of control in the first place?"

Star chuckled. "If only you knew the full story. Why don't you come over here and open up my eyepatch? And see what really happened that day."

"I don't think so." The Head Warden strongly refused. "I wouldn't even dream of going anywhere near someone as unstable as you. But at the very least, you admit it."

Rhombulus couldn't help but rub his snake hands together nervously for some reason. Undyne and Rasticore looked on with intrigue, the latter with a pair of arms crossed and the former keeping a cursory grip on the long red trident strapped to her back.

"I learned pretty young that killing people felt good. _Really_ good. I kept telling myself that it was fine since they were the bad guys. That it was okay as long as you did it to save others. But who am I kidding? The devil horns I wear aren't a fashion statement. They're a constant reminder."

Star punched a crater in the ground to punctuate her words.

"That I was _born_ to kill!"

Heinous said nothing more, allowing her prisoner to speak freely as she looked on with caution and intrigue.

"I guess I just needed to lie to myself to feel better about all those graves I dug. Distract myself with adventures and dumb teenage stuff to keep from being that way again. Run away from it all. It's how I deal with all my problems. All my insecurities. It's what I'm best at. But you. All of this. The monster inside... all signs pointing me to what I really have to do. What I need to be."

"What do you mean?" Heinous asked, puzzled.

Star took one last look at the now resigned visage into the puddle. Green gleamed from her remaining eye for a split second.

"I'm saying... I'm not running anymore."

Menacingly slow, Star ascended to her full height, in spite of Heinous's warnings earlier. Her shoulders slumped and her arm hung as she took on the stance of an imposing beast ready to rip and tear.

"Freeze her, now!" The Headmistress uproariously barked, evoking Rhombulus to action as took aim and immediately fired.

Much to everyone's astonishment, Star swiftly slapped the projectile out of its flight, sending it towards an empty spot on the grass as it exploded into a small patch of crystal.

Panicking, Rhombulus began rapidly firing in Star's direction, shooting several upon several beams in the former princess's direction.

However, as if she was granted god-like speed and reflexes out of nowhere, Star somehow single-handedly deflected every single one of them all while remaining rooted to the same spot.

"K-kill her!" Heinous desperately commanded, sending one of her robot guards charging forward with a sword pointed Star's way.

Rhombulus began to protest. "B-but Eclipsa-"

"Forget what she says!" Heinous pointed a finger Star's way. "That _thing_ cannot continue to live!"

Star stayed where she was even as one of the robot guards barreled towards her with weapon in hand. He ran the slender longsword straight through Star's torso, a torrent of blood gushing forth from the ensuing wound. Even as her stomach was punctured, her rib cage segmented, and her flesh torn, Star merely reacted by giggling with masochistic glee.

The robot guard took his now trembling hands off the sword, slowly backing away as the attack did nothing but amuse the target.

Star mentally reached deep inside her. Calling out to something she never thought she'd be glad to hear from.

 _Hey, Serpent._

 _Ah, I see you've finally embraced who you really are. I knew it was only a matter of time._

 _Cut the crap. You said you were keeping me from feeling pain, right?_

 _Yeah, why?_

 _Make me feel pain again._

There was a slight pause.

… _What?_

 _You heard me._

Another pause. Star could sense the dissonant shock.

 _You're serious._

 _Hell yes._

 _You do realize what this is going to do to you, right?_

 _Don't care. Just do it._

Star began to hear a light chuckle from within, which gradually grew into gleeful, roaring laughter. Like a hyena with its voice overly distorted and warped.

 _You've truly lost it, haven't you?Alright then! This is the moment I've been waiting for!_

As quick as a flip of a switch, Star felt every single one of her nerves screaming to life as though a million lightning strikes surged across every fiber of her being, twisting, bending, and stretching every cell in her body. It felt as though every pore in her skin was erupting lava and every part of her flesh boiled and melted all at once. She felt like a mass of bare nerves as her body reacted intensely and violently to everything in the world from the rain gently falling upon her to the air that surrounded her. that Her heart rate was reaching speeds that was never thought possible as all five senses were drowned out by a singular sensation. One that her body immediately had to reacquaint itself with after being without it for so long.

As the intense flood came pouring down on her, Star felt her soul blurring between two planes of existence and mortality. The immeasurable pain her body was undergoing was such that her systems worked to their very peaks in order to balance out the sensation. As such, the extreme physiological conflict had gotten to the point where Star felt herself reaching a state of zero, for lack of a better term.

A state of nothingness.

A shrill, indescribable noise exploded out of Star's lungs, reaching the greatest of volumes and the highest of pitches mewmans wouldn't normally be capable of. It went on for as long as Star's body was assailed with the utmost of agony and though it was only for but a few moments, it felt like several eternities.

The reattachment to the feeling and concept of pain was so overwhelming, Star felt herself slowly slipping into unconscious. A ringing whine was all she heard before everything began fading to black. She could feel life slipping from her grasp as vast throngs of emptiness made themselves known to her.

It was then that Star fell silent and limp as she fell to the moist grass below like a sack of hammers. Blood began to pool around her, staining the grass as it still leaked between the wound and the sword still embedded in her torso.

Her fingers twitched before freezing up completely.

A long, yet relieving silence washed over the entire area following Star's death. Tension eroded, breaths that were withheld were let go, and sweat was wiped from various brows.

Heinous stepped forward towards the former princess's body, who was lying on her side, blood splattered all over her clothes and onto the grass beneath her. Not the softest of sounds nor the slightest of budges stirred from her.

To make doubly sure, the Head Warden knelt down and drew her hand closer to the body. She stopped halfway, looking closely for signs of any breathing. None were found.

She took a couple fingers to Star's neck. Once her suspicions were confirmed, Heinous rose to her full height and turned to her entourage.

"Hmph." Heinous scoffed, somewhat relieved that Star ended up putting herself out of her misery. "Unfortunate, but at least we'll all sleep easier knowing she'll no longer be an issue."

"Queen Eclipsa's gonna get maaaad." Rhombulus stated worriedly.

"Well that sucks." Undyne remarked rather woefully. "Was hoping to at least get one good fight with her."

"In any case, carry her off to be disposed of." The Head Warden commanded her robots, who commenced marching towards Star's body. Meanwhile, the rest proceeded to exit the scene, returning to their usual business.

"W-what are we gonna tell Eclipsa?" Rhombulus asked, his wavering voice conveying his fear for the wrath of his Queen.

"You let me handle all the explanations. I'm sure whatever happens Mother won't hold to big of a gru-"

 _SSHHKKRRRIIING_

A sharp, singular sound shattered the solidified silence and stopped everyone dead in their tracks. Heinous was unable to suppress a nervous gulp before slowly turning around. Jaws dropped, sweat flowed down faces along with the rain, and pupils became pinpricks as all eyes met with a shocking sight.

Star was suddenly standing on her two feet. The robots that were meant to take her away were all cleanly bisected. All of their upper halves were lopped off their waists as they dropped to the wet grass in an inoperable mass of wires, metal, and cloth. The sword that once turned her into a mewman shishkebab was now held in her hand and raised diagonally to the air as it dripped with a combination of her blood and a sparkling golden fluid.

The entirety of Star's body was instantly consumed in the Berserker Carapace, save for her head, which still kept a gaze to the ground even after she cut down a group of automatons like they were parchment paper in one fell swoop

Heinous's heart skipped a beat the moment her eyes met with Star's, which twinkled a piercing green.

That same piercing green formed a flame-like aura that wrapped around the now-armored Star like a cloak.

"Pain..." Star's voice was low and raspy as she spoke. "I'm beyond pain."

She began to walk forward, taking on a fear-striking stride that conveyed her peerless scorn. One would shudder to imagine what thoughts churned behind such a wide smile.

Both Heinous and Rhoumbulus proceeded to back away as Star drew closer.

"So. Who's next?" Star stopped just a few meters away as she leveled a sword towards each person in front of her, attempting to goad foolishness or bravery out of one of them.

Heinous and Rhombulus felt a pair of metal hands push them apart as Undyne walked past them to stand between the monster walking towards her colleagues. She brandished that long red trident towards Star, showing no fear in the face of potential destruction.

"Captain, what are you-"

"Evacuate the prison." The piscine knight tersely spoke, her low, stoic tone laced with urgency.

"Evacuate?" Heinous was baffled at the request.

"Yeah. I don't know why, but I feel like I know a genocidal maniac when I see one. And I say you gotta get everyone as far away from here as you can."

"Well now that's just uncalled for." Star cackled at the remark, further making light of it by facetiously taking offense.

Not wanting to debate any further, the old lady nodded. She turned to her most trusted confidant. "Rasticore, we have to contact Doctor Alphys. Tell her to prepare Project Anicetus for deployment."

"What?" Rasticore's jaw fell as the command sounded like the ravings of a lunatic. "But Doctor Alphys said it was still in the experimental stages. It isn't ready for deployment so soon!"

"If what Undyne said was true, then now would be a good time as any to experiment, wouldn't it?"

Rasticore flashed a face of worry for a moment before straightening up and nodding.

"When you see Alph," Undyne turned her head towards her fleeing comrades. "tell her we might hafta cancel that Anime night."

"Your sacrifice will not be forgotten, Captain." Heinous solemnly said before running out of the courtyard flanked by Rhombulus and Rasticore.

"Heh... 'Sacrifice', she says." A snaggle-toothed smile graced Undyne's face as she met one eye with Star's. " I'll give the Blonde Devil her due. You really know how to put on a show. But can you back that edgy act up?"

Star chuckled manically as the word seemed to tickle her tongue. "You guys sure love to call me that."

"Wanna show me why?" All three prongs of the Captain's trident pointed forward.

"Heh." Star took a stance, holding her new weapon close to the ground as her body bent low. "You wanna dance with the Devil?"

Rather than give a response, Undyne grabbed the helm that hung from her hip and crowned herself with it, concealing her entire head beneath a metallic pirahna visage.

"Let's dance."

The Serpentine maw swallowed Star's face.


	81. Not I

Power.

This was power. Full, plain, and simple. Marco could more than feel it.

The blood of these fallen, destined warriors flows ever-fluidly through his veins, while their strength bolstered his body. Their souls pulsed and shined within as their hearts beat in tune with his. Their power, all of their power, surged through his nerves as he felt them burning upon the tips of his fingers, ready to be unleashed upon his enemy.

Decades worth of lightning and solar based spells. Centuries of Hamon techniques and training he has yet to delve into. Two millenia's worth of Hokuto Shinken knowledge. Sword techniques that were never learned. Pain and power working in tandem to lay the foundation for a sect of Karate that he had never known. The vivid, hyperactive imagination of the one he loved.

All settling comfortably within Marco's mind as he carried the wisdom of those whose hearts he had touched, who had long left the world of the living. Everything that he had never known was now kept within as if he had spent all of his years studying and mastering them himself.

Yes, so many abilities to choose from. So many winding paths to victory to take.

Such a drastic shift in Marco's power was made evident by another change to his God Hand. What once held spiraling lines, then repeating Big Dippers were now replaced with winding flames that rose to his wrist. What was once a singular circle that was then surrounded by five triangles in a star formation was then joined by a pair of crescent moons standing outside of the ring of triangles with their inward curves facing one another. The metal brace that once wrapped around his bicep was no longer in sight, much like the forearm brace from a time long past.

Tom was propped up on one knee, just a short distance away from Marco. His grimacing mouth gave way to his bare, sharp teeth as he growled softly in frustration. The translucent image of his coveted ex-girlfriend standing side by side with his rival in love and war gnawed at his ego and his composure to no end.

"How!?" Tom spat, all three eyes scrunched in scorn. "I've broken you. So many times! And yet you're still standing like I haven't done a thing to you!"

Marco said nothing, instead staring upon Tom with stoic eyes that shewed a combination of contempt and pity.

Tom thought back to what one of those spirits that stood by Marco said. That he could possibly be the strongest. Between both of them? Of all? However one would put it, the very thought vexed the demon prince to his core. His already boiling blood reached a tipping point and he was driven to spring back to his feet.

"No!" Tom shouted defiantly. "I refuse to believe a little Earth punk like you could ever surpass a Prince of the Underworld. A Prince of Demons!"

Even as he stood to his full height, his body stiffened and his fists clenched, his body betrayed his words and his mind, his body shivered ever so slightly. Barely enough for the naked eye to see, yet Marco managed to catch it as clear as day.

"W-what the Home!?" Tom began to notice his body going against his wishes, through the most subtle, yet telling of gestures. "Am I? Shaking? Is there a draft in here or something?"

"That's called 'fear', Tom!" Marco stated rather bluntly. The very word that Tom thought he would never express to anyone except his father was like a bolt of lightning.

Impossible. He shouldn't stricken with this at all. Not at all. If anything it should be the other way around. His very presence had shaken even the biggest, most vile demons to their core. His influence was massive enough to sway even the most stoic of minds and overturn numerous decisions regarding matters of the Kingdom. His power was unmatched, surpassed only by the elders of his family and the ancestors that have long passed whose ancient demonic blood still flowed through his veins, serving as the source for his unprecedented magical prowess.

So why couldn't Tom take even one step forward?

"Because deep in your heart, you know you've already lost," Marco said, his voice firm, yet tranquil. "because you know that continuing this fight is useless."

Tom's scowl twisted ever deeper as his foe's words felt like a knife plunging deeper into his gut.

" **NO!** " Tom boomed once more, his voice echoing across the Underworld, evoking the sea of magma below to jump towards the air for a moment.

"So what if you can summon the dead and make use of their powers? So what if you've got some fancy new moves? That doesn't mean anything!" Tom's voice normalized, his arm slicing across the air to emphasize his words. "Even if all of Mewni sees that you're the strongest, I definitely don't! They're all wrong!"

Marco could only shake his head, feeling nothing but pity for the foolish, young demon. The simple gesture only served to bring Tom even closer to the edge than he already was.

Without any further ado, Tom raised a pair of clawed hands in the air, the details of all three eyes lost beneath a blinding red. The entire Underworld shook violently once more as Tom's deep, distorted incantations carried ominously across the winds. A series of sounds of the earth shattering joined Tom's one-man demonic choir. Towering waves of magma rose and fell, ebbed and flowed as it crashed against the arena.

Meteors engulfed in flames began materializing throughout the underground sky. As they appeared one by one, they were clustered so tightly that they nearly eclipsed the rocky sky. Their numbers were so great that they had stretched to the horizon along with the seemingly endless sea of magma.

"Try to dodge this," Tom seethed, his distorted voice straining as the conjuring of the spell seemed to be taking a toll on him. "My ultimate spell. Meteor Storm."

And with one throw of his hands, every single meteor that was summoned immediately zeroed in on Marco's position. The spot was peppered with a seemingly never-ending onslaught of meteors. Explosions of smoke, flame, and rock filled Marco's half of the arena, following a ceaseless discharge of deafening booms.

Tom could only look on without emotion as masses of burning rock rained down upon his foe. More of them were being summoned as more blew up upon the arena. The rate at which they were fired was like that of a machine gun, providing absolutely no time to move nor even breathe. the sheer velocity of each meteor was enough to rend armies and fortresses asunder, leaving very little left once the barrage had ceased.

Yet that moment didn't seem anywhere in sight. The meteors continued to pound the arena in blindingly quick succession as Tom allowed it to. Though Marco was just a mere human, seeing what he was capable of left the young demon with no interest to let up even the slightest.

A smile crept up on Tom's face as he gravitated towards the notion that there was no way that Marco could survive this. It was a good sign that he had no idea how much time had passed and he couldn't even hear a peep rise out of his foe nor could he see him phasing through the attack like a ghost just as he had done before.

Maybe he should've stopped after the first several volleys, but Tom had to adopt his foe's tendencies for a moment and found it better to be safe than sorry.

A slight flick of Tom's head immediately halted the barrage of meteors. Crackling, lashing flames filled the other half of the circular arena, along with a dense cloud of smoke that shared air space with the palpable silence that followed.

Tom couldn't help but allow ragged, shortened breaths leave his throat. He felt his legs wobble beneath him, threatening to let the rest of his body collapse. But through pride and willpower, he stood as tall and as firm as he had been since the attack had started.

It was over. It was finally over. Tom had finally won. It took a lot more effort and a lot more time than it should have, but he did it.

Though, Tom couldn't help but feel a tinge of regret. Marco had been the only real friend he'd ever had in a while and it pained him that it all had to come to this.

But then, his demonic heart was put at ease when he then realized that his sacrifice would definitely not be in vain. Immeasurable power would finally find worthy hands and utilized to its fullest. For the sake of the Underworld. For the sake of Mewni.

Thankfully, as Tom had learned, both Hands were practically indestructible, so an attack like that, as powerful and as continuous as it was, wouldn't nick the skin off the arm. Though, he bore no doubt that he couldn't say the same for its former host.

Tom was about to walk forward to collect the fruits of his labor. A dropped jaw gave way to a soundless gasp as the smoke receded. All three pupils have shrunk barely noticeable dots.

Marco stood in the midst of the flames as the smoke gave way to his pristine form. He stood there in the same exact position as he had since the barrage had commenced, unmoving and unyielding. A faint ghost of a smile could be seen stretching across Marco's face as he seemed to be drinking in Tom's subdued, yet clear confusion.

"No..." Tom's disbelief was expressed just short of a whisper. "There's no way..."

"Now it's our turn," Marco stretched his Right Hand forward, his palm wide open. Star, still standing shoulder-to-shoulder, committed the same action.

A shining white star appeared before their palms as an extended version of the whimsical chime that normally accompanied the casting of Star's spells rung out in the air.

And directly in front of the glowing star, a shape began to manifest. It started out as a simple sphere that slowly stretched and molded into something that was slightly less simple, yet distinct. Something that was signature as it was dear to Star. The white silhouette of an uncommon aquatic animal taking shape and gradually growing to a massive size.

" _Kisatsu_!" Marco and Star shouted in unison as the full form of the gigantic Narwhal revealed itself, in all of its one-horned, cyan glory. It floated there, smiling a joyful smile as its massive horn was leveled in Tom's direction.

"Starco Special!" The two cried out. A pink glow surrounding the Narwhal as it was preparing to propel itself.

Tom merely stood there, the fear that had taken a hold of him earlier tightening its grip, leaving him completely rooted to his spot. Never had Tom ever felt a great desire to soil himself as he stared down the horn of a giant, cuddly sea creature that was more than ready to impale him.

"Giga Narwhal B-"

The spell incantation was cut abruptly short as Marco suddenly disappeared, falling through a portal that had opened up beneath him. The fully manifested Narwhal vanished instantly in a puff of pink smoke.

Before Tom could react with even more confusion another portal gaped beneath him as well, sending him facefirst upon foreign soil.

Tom groaned, rubbing his throbbing head as he slowly stumbled to his feet. As his eyes took in his surroundings, he soon recognized exactly where he had ended up. Though the why still remained a mystery.

It was the arid, barren wasteland that was Dimension X-103. Hekapoo's home dimension.

…

The rain was pouring.

Before Star could even take one step forward, her foe blasted a white wave of magic that passed through her faster than she could react. Star didn't feel anything being done to her.

Except that she was now rooted to her spot, unable to move forward in any direction. She could turn, she could move her limbs, her body, and her head as normal, but she couldn't advance an inch. It was like she was trapped in an invisible box. A green ethereal heart appeared at the core of her armored body.

Undyne raised a free hand as it glowed blue. Magical blue spears materialized some distance around Star, their tips leveled in her direction as they hovered in the air, ready to turn her into a pincushion.

With her glowing hand tossed forward, every spear sprung to action and darted across the air towards their target. With so many spears being shot forward at once and Star stuck to her spot, there was seemingly no way to evade any one of them.

That is, until Star held her blade lengthwise and channeled the elegant, precise style that Marco felt more at home with. Star may have been no stranger with the blade herself, but she never knew proper swordplay beyond swinging as hard as she could and knowing where to direct it to get the best results. Marco, on the other hand, knew that and then some, able to utilize a blade to its full capabilities. To wield it in such a way that was almost like an art form.

Unconsciously, Star proceeded to deflect every single spear that came her way. Though the pattern of approach the barrage took was nothing short of quick and erratic, the way Star's body moved, how fluid each individual slash was in spite of her armored state, it almost seemed as though she was following a majestically executed dance routine that was rehearsed until perfection was achieved. Her body acted outside of her own accord, operating completely on raw instinct.

Marco's instinct.

As Undyne watched as every single spear she summoned was being slashed to nothing, she couldn't keep her jaw shut when she saw that the aforementioned boy seemed to be standing right next to her. Performing the same exact motions as she was, keeping in pace and in tune, as if they moved as one entity.

Frustrated, Undyne raised her hand once more as it glowed yellow that time. With one more forward motion of her hand, yellow spears started to join the ranks of the ones that were blue. Though they flew towards Star rear-end first as opposed to spearhead first, which the Berserker paid no mind.

Once one of the yellow projectiles went well within Star's swinging range, it instantly curved around her, sending her blade swinging for air as Star was punctured in the back, stunning her for long enough to leave her susceptible to the following spears. As more reversed yellow spears drew near, they all did the same thing. Curving around Star and hitting her from the opposite direction they approached from.

"Heh, neat trick," Star flippantly remarked as she was getting struck. Her voice was slightly echoed and distorted as it leaked through the beastly helm, but it was still recognizable. Evidence that she exerted more dominance over the Carapace, and by extension her inner beast, than before.

As Star was getting pelted by more and more spears, her body folded forward and she fell on one onslaught of magical spears seemingly too much for her to handle.

A snaggle-toothed smile shined beneath Undyne's helmet as she saw that she had the fight in the bag. In spite of that, she did not allow the barrage of spears to let up. She followed her gut, knowing that the enemy was beyond dangerous. Beyond any threat anyone in Mewni has ever faced and she would not let the spears stop until that little girl was nothing more than an inanimate pile of flesh and blonde hair.

Undyne's smile quickly shifted into a line when she noticed a dark purple mist gathering around Star. It slowly rose from the ground, spiraling around her and gradually picking up in speed.

The mini-twister of darkness spun faster as its width grew more narrow. Undyne was at a loss for what to do, other than continue her ranged onslaught and hoped she could reign victorious on this one-sided damage-per-second race.

Right as the twister wrapped itself tightly around Star, a broad, black explosion burst forth from Star's very core. All the spears that were lodged in her body and all incoming spears disintegrated beneath the sheer power of her area-of-effect blast. The green heart that shined from Star's core vanished and she felt herself free to advance as she saw fit.

The moment the opportunity presented itself, in the blink of an eye, Star was hovering above her foe, with her blade raised to the sky as she prepared to split the aquatic knight down the middle.

Though she wasn't quick enough to jump out of the way, she was at least quick enough to hold her Red Trident horizontally above her head. Star's sword met with long, slender steel with a resounding clang, sparks leaping from the point of impact.

The slight pause that followed their singular clash gave Undyne enough time and space to send a foot rising from below to strike Star smack dab in the middle of her torso, sending her flying back a few meters. During her brief air time, Star managed to recover and back-flip onto her feet.

To widen the distance even more, Undyne leapt back a few meters herself, taking the opportunity to quickly ignite the prongs of her Trident with a flick of her elbow, the magical flames unhindered by the rain. She took one wide swing of her now flaming weapon, conjuring a broad horizontal arc of fire balls that were propelled forward at alarming speeds. She took another swing, then followed with several more as the newly made fireballs were arranged in such a way that closed whatever gaps were made by the prior arc as its fireballs spread further apart the greater the distance they traveled.

Rather than run forward once more, Star instead stood her ground and waved her free hand in front of her as a nearly whispered incantation escaped the tightly shut maw of her reptilian helm.

"Black Burning Bat Blast. '"

As the final word slipped out of Star's concealed tongue, dozens of baseball-sized, bat-winged black orbs with gaping maws that split their spherical bodies materalized around her.

And with a flick of an arm of her own, Star sent the sinister little creatures shooting outwards, separating in a chaotic formation where each sentient projectile went their own path towards their target. They dipped and dodged every fire ball that came their way, spinning and cackling squeakily as they did so.

Meanwhile, Star followed closely behind her own attacks, evading every orange ball that floated in her path with great swiftness and dexterity. Though a few of them managed to graze the metallic surface of her armor, the damage and effect it had on her movements were negligible at best.

Much to Undyne's shock, all the little projectiles that Star summoned have surpassed and avoided every shot that was fired and managed to kamikaze their way onto the piscine knight. One struck her right in her abdomen, spawning a small explosion that forced her to withdraw her spell and halt the barrage of fire. Stunned and dazed, she stumbled backward, almost failing to catch herself and nearly dropping her weapon.

Soon, the rest of the projectiles followed, pounding against Undyne's sturdy metal armor as it was continually getting riddled with blackened smudges and deep dents. Despite the heavy onslaught, she stood her ground, refusing to back down and giving her enemy an inch.

The very last projectile struck Undyne right in the face, knocking her helmet off as the rest of her body was nearly knocked off its feet. For a fleeting moment, Undyne stood on one foot as the rest of her body threatened to keel over.

Once again, Star had arrived within swinging distance of her opponent, her blade and her body kept low to the ground as she wound up another blow.

Rather than land back on both feet and let her take a potentially fatal hit, Undyne used the backward momentum of her falling body to push herself on her remaining foot and backflip out of the way of Star's slash, once again leaving her with naught but the empty whistle of a glancing blow.

Undyne deftly landed back on both feet, her body bending as low to the ground as she could. Her trident arm bent back while her other arm hung sideways in front of her. All three prongs faced Star once more.

The fish woman's singular eye proceeded to twinkle in rapid succession. The continuous gleams in her eye switched between two colors, orange and blue. The pattern in which they appeared were erratic, with sometimes one flashing after the other, sometimes one flashing multiple times in row.

Once again, Star opted to exercise caution and prepared to unleash another spell of her own. Her free hand glowed black and gray as she raised it once again.

And then, her hand flew forward, ready to open fire.

"Thousand Monochrome Fist Pu-"

Before Star could even utter the very last syllable and realize what was going on, she found herself trapped in a blindingly fast, multi-hit thrust combo as Undyne suddenly appeared directly in front of her.

The color of the Guard Captain's trident shifted between orange and blue, the meaning of which was lost on Star as she was enduring an unrelenting storm of stabs that punched multiple deep dents all over her metal-coated form that slowly became holes as the seconds ticked by.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Undyne halted her seemingly ceaseless assault as she withdrew her Trident and replaced it with a powerful kick to the abdomen that sent Star flying back several meters again.

With a quick raise of her free hand, a blue mist wrapped around it as more blue spears spawned around Star, immediately shooting forward and plunging themselves into her the moment they materialized.

Undyne pointed the trio of tips towards Star one more time. A tiny flame that slowly grew larger with each second spawned at the center tip. The moment it reached the peak of its size, as large as a basketball, it shot forward, instantly engulfing Star in an all-consuming fiery explosion, causing her single pony-tail to billow in the ensuing shockwave. A vibrant orange glow was briefly cast upon all of Mewni.

As soon as the smoke cleared, Undyne was intrigued to see that the former princess had remained in one piece. Sort of. The devastating damage that was dealt was causing her to shed her black metal shell in small chips, revealing a bit of the mewman encased within. The one part of her that was the worse for wear was the helm, as half of it seemed to be blown off before it fell apart altogether, revealing the scowling, bloodied face of Star Butterfly. She was brought to one knee once again, her body heaving as she chased her fleeing breaths. Though the Armor's barbs worked their way into her flesh, mending as many wounds as they could and pumping her full of adrenaline, she brushed them off as if they were mere mosquito bites.

"Man, what are you made of?" Undyne asked, more puzzled than she was shocked. "Any normal person woulda been blown to pieces, no matter how tough their armor was."

Rather than say anything more, Star rose to her feet, the green gleam in her eye shewing a determination that refused to be extinguished. She brandished her blade, ready to resume their fight.

"Is that all ya got?" Star asked between shortened breaths. It was clear to both of them that her condition was waning, but Star was never one to let a little fatigue and a few festering wounds to get in the way of defeating her enemy.

"Hmph. Naw, but I don't think you wanna see what else I've got." Undyne stated, seeming as though she was giving a grim warning. She too was beginning to show signs of exhaustion.

"Well that sucks. Was hoping to see all you had to offer before I kick your butt."

"Trust me, little girl. You don't."

Without further ado, Star ran forward, her speed unaffected by the toll that was clearly taken on her body. Her foe stood her ground, the tips of her weapon held forward defensively.

Star was in mid run when Undyne witnessed that she was about to strike as her sword was slowly about to surpass her. As a knee-jerk reaction to an oncoming strike, Undyne utilized her Trident the way it was meant to by thrusting it in the path of her enemy's weapon with the intent to catch it between the prongs.

However, Star proved to be a lot more clever than the fish woman had realized and she managed to cancel her attack in mid-swing and let Undyne's weapon thrust forward, hitting nothing but empty air as the mewman, in a show of nimbleness and precision that surprised the both of them leapt into the air and landed right along the length of the pole-arm.

As quickly as she landed, Star delivered a hard kick to her foe's face, shattering and knocking off several teeth in the process as droplets of blood spurt forth. The knight was knocked onto her back as Star used her head like a springboard to send herself rocketing towards the sky.

With the winding back of her free arm, her hand glowed and shot forward a split-second afterward as Star unleashed one more spell. A finishing move that was also her signature move.

"Mega Narwhal Blast!" Star shouted to the heavens as a powerful barrage of the horned aquatic creatures burst forth from her palm. They swim along a stream of burning green energy, joining the falling rain as they descended upon the unfortunate knight while keeping her hovering several meters above the ground.

Undyne couldn't get up fast enough to react. Instead, she was pelted by a concentrated blast of darkness-enhanced animal magic that looked less cute and more sinister than they usually were. Her entire form lost beneath the endless discharge while whatever groans of pain she emitted were drowned out by the deep, resounding whine that accompanied the spell.

Star eventually halted her attack as her once-spellcasting hand joined the other in firmly grasping her sword as she held it towards her downed opponent, who ended up looking just as worn and battered as her opponent.

Crushed by the heavy damage weighing on every fiber of her being, Undyne wasn't able to react quickly enough to dodge the sword that dove right into her abdomen. Star plunged it deep enough to feel it strike dirt.

Star stared deeply into Undyne's yellow eye as it dangled on the cusp of becoming glassy as life slowly seeped out of the young Captain's being.

"We're done here," Star sighed as she stated solemnly, with a bit of respect for a worthy opponent laced in her tone. She jerked the sword out of her defeated foe's body, a splash of blood rose in its wake. Star's first and only hit with her blade and it turned out to be the last.

She proceeded to walk away, leaving Undyne to her fate and resuming her mission. She couldn't help but feel a bit of grief for the woman. She didn't have anything to do with what she was going through and was simply doing her job. But war is war and Star couldn't fret over every casualty that happened to get in the way of achieving her goals. If they wanted to work with her enemies? Try to stop her from taking them down? So be it.

"No," The single word brought Star to a screeching halt and her blood froze at the mere mention.

When she turned around, she nearly jumped at the sight of Undyne standing back on her two feet, holding the wound that was meant to be fatal. As she stood there, her body heaving beneath the accumulated damage, her form warped and distorted, as if threatening to dissolve into nothingness.

"I'm not... letting you..." Undyne spoke weakly. Blood and shorted breaths dripping off the edges of her lips. "... go any further."

"Look, you're already done, alright?" Star said, the grip on her sword tightening. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be. Just go home. None of this concerns you."

"Oh... You bet it does," Undyne spat in defiance. The distortion on her body intensified, her shape stretching and shaking more and more as she looked almost unrecognizable at certain intervals.

"You don't know what you're doing..." Star's fists clenched and her chest tightened. "You don't know who you're working with..."

"You're... after Queen Eclipsa right?" Undyne guessed accurately, which evoked an involuntary clenching of teeth and a wince from Star. "After all she's done for us... you're just gonna ruin everything... just like that?"

Star said nothing. Undyne looked like she was on the verge of splitting in two. Rather than continue listening to the delirious words of a dying soldier, she turned back once more to continue walking out of the courtyard.

"No!" The word rung true and much louder, its powerful delivery bringing Star to another screeching halt.

"Look, I don't know what your beef is with her, but I know that I can't let you out of this courtyard." She was now speaking in full, uninterrupted sentences, as if she wasn't just dealt a killing blow just mere moments ago. Her form was no longer as distorted as it once was, though it still wavered slightly as if she was undergoing a metamorphosis.

"I should be dying right now. Dead even. And yet... just the very thought of something like you walking away freely... putting so many lives in danger for the sake of revenge... is enough to bring me back from the brink. To give me the strength I need for one last stand. I can hear it. Justice. Calling out to me. Telling me that I need to stop at nothing to beat you. For the sake of everyone I love. For everyone on Mewni."

And then a blinding flash of white occluded Star's vision for a few moments, forcing her to bring an arm to her face despite her eye already clenching shut.

Once all had cleared and the environment looked as normal again, Star's jaw fell as she beheld a sight that froze her in awe. She felt a dense, oppressive pressure in the air that pushed against every fiber of her being.

The Knight that stood before her had assumed an altered form. Presumably, a more powerful form. Her armor narrowed as it descended, making the chest piece more defined. The pauldrons that were once small and flat now widened and curved upwards and ended in three prongs, just like her Trident. A heart was plastered on each of her gauntlets along with a couple spikes that rose from them. Her eye-patch was no where in sight as a spear-shaped beam of light shot out of the hollow emptiness. Indeed, it would seem as though Star wouldn't be the only one to rise from the brink of death and come back ever stronger that day.

"You're gonna have to try harder than _that!_ " She taunted in utter defiance, her voice deepened and distorted to reflect her altered state. "Toldya you wouldn't wanna see what else I got!"

Star, once more, took another stance as her blade was kept forward. Her armor regenerated just enough to bring the helm back, though it left out the teeth and the glowing green eye sockets. Though she couldn't help but feel a wave of dread wash over her, her heart and her blade felt more than ready for another round. No doubt one that would bring her limits to a breaking point.

The wind was howling.

* * *

 **Author's First Birthday:**

 **A little late, but I can't believe it's been one year already. Close to a hundred chapters and a few hundred thousand words later.**

 **And we're still not done.**

 **I dunno who's crazier. Me for going on for this long or you for reading this whole thing, whether binging it or following it since last year.**

 **But I wouldn't want it any other way.**

 **Thanks for sticking with me on this ride for this long.**


	82. Party Up

The copious flourescent lights looming over the Laboratory buzzed incessantly and culminated in a brightness that challenged the sun itself. Chemicals of varying colors and textures flowed through glass tubes that looped in complicated directions, ending up in bigger flasks that hung over lit bunsen burners. The smell of formaldahyde, gasoline, ramen noodles, soda, and a blend of other powerful odors warred against one another where no one scent prevaled over the other.

Jackie's nose twitched and scrunched beneath the odorous chaos, though she tried with all her might to ignore it as she listened intently to her friend's lecture.

"... made of CNT muscle fiber!" Nasally spoke the portly, hunched over reptilian professor known as Dr. Alphys. She stood before an operating table, a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other, pointing out the various ins and outs of a disassembled robot guard that was splayed across an operating table. Gray, plastic looking muscle peeked through torn brown cloth. "A lot stronger than the standard metal joints these guys used to be made of. Provides plenty of flexibility so their movements aren't as stiff and slow as they used to be."

"Awful lotta state-of-the-art equipment just for a buncha prison guard robots." Jackie remarked.

"Well, after a few talks with Heinous and Rasticore, we were thinking of implementing them into the army proper. It'll cut down on casualties to our fellow mewmans in the event of any war or what have you. But that won't be for another while."

She pointed towards a clear tube snaking out of the robot's severed torso. A small puddle of sparkling yellow fluid laid beneath one end of it.

"We also decided to replace the standard oil that used to fuel them. With it, I also implemented a self repair unit in their lower abdomen, so when the cyborgs take a certain amount of damage, their programming allows them to activate the function and their bodies are pumped with more of their fuel as they are healed in near instants."

"Wait, so you mean," Jackie tapped her chin as she tried to interpret her friend's explanation. "They can like, fix themselves? Even loose wires and broken parts?"

The lizard professor nodded proudly. Her crossed arms wrinkled her white lab coat. "Yup. Though it would only repair damage that doesn't go beyond severed limbs. It mostly works better for internal damage as well as dented and perforated parts."

"And it pulls all that off... how?"

"With a combination of electrolytes and-" Alphys cut herself off as her face drastically deflated from scholarly wonder to subtle dread. As if she was pondering consquences that have yet to be. "Er, n-never mind. P-point is, the other components have exceptional repair and healing properties not f-found anywhere else. I'm thinking of making some more exosuits with a similar foundation in mind to replace the standard plate metal our soldiers use, but I haven't finished experimenting with the only one I've made thus far."

"So uh," Jackie's curiosity was aroused by how hard Alphys abruptly stopped herself and how her speech pattern altered drastically. "What exactly _is_ that stuff anyways?"

Alphys didn't answer right away, instead letting her eyes glid across the operating table and letting the following silence awkwardly linger.

The gold scaled scientist looked all around, as if checking for any witnesses to a crime she was about to commit.

She then gestured for Jackie to come closer, to which the girl obliged without question.

"Resources from the Realm of Magic." Alphys whispered furtively before withdrawing at the speed of light and going back to her examinations on the disassembled robot.

"The what now?"

"I can't say any more!" Alphys nearly shouted as she jerked her head back. "That's like, extremely classified information reserved for top level staff!"

"I mean," Jackie cracked a smile in an attempt to calm the anxious lizard. "I know I'm not anymore, but I _was_ top level staff, y'know. Shouldn't be any harm telling me all that stuff. 'Specially since a lot of it goes over my head. Plus I'd never snitch on ya, Alph. 'Dyne'd probably get on my case if I did anything bad to ya."

Alphys couldn't contain a nervous chuckle. "Heh heh... I guess."

With her mood improved slightly, Alphys continued jotting down notes on the robot on the table. The two stood in silence, with nothing but the beeps and boops of various computers, the bubbling of chemicals, and Alphys's pen scraping across paper being heard for a few moments.

"Not very fond of your replacement, to be honest." The professor said out of the blue.

"Replacement?" The word lifted Jackie's eyebrow. "'Clipsa already got someone else to take my job?"

Alphys nodded. "Not very long after you left, too. Kinda wish she hadn't."

"What's wrong with 'em?"

Alphys let her pen dance across her clipboard for a few more notes. She sighed. "He's... kind of a huge jerk, for lack of a better term. Undyne isn't too keen on him either. She almost got into a fist fight with him."

"Sheesh, what'd he do?"

"He said I had 'pleb taste' in anime. And he called me the 'L' word once. Maybe twice in the few interactions we had."

"What, 'lesbo'?"

"Ligger." Alphys spat the word out of her mouth as quickly as she could like it was poison.

"Man, what a dick!" Jackie remarked, feeling angry for her friend.

"And if that's not bad enough," Alphys raised her gaze from her clipboard to look back at Jackie. "His skill with that magic saxophone of his leaves a lot to be desired. Like, a _lot_. And he plays it, all. The time."

"Did Eclipsa hire a jazz musician or something?" The skater girl chuckled at the thought. "What's the deal with that sax?"

"He claims that it's his 'wand'. He calls it Butter Johnson."

Jackie snorted. "Okay? This guy sounds like a complete idiot.",

"Biggest understatement of all time." Alphys snidely said. "But there is something rather... peculiar about him, though."

"Besides the hard racism and general douchebaggery?"

"Well, from what I heard, he was somehow already familiar with Toffee, Tom, the MHC, as well as Mewni. You as well."

"Me?" Jackie asked as she pointed a finger to herself.

Alphys nodded. "Mm-hm. Apparently, he asked about you specifically by name. From what I've been told, he spoke reeeallly fondly of you. Like he was one of your ex-boyfriends or something."

"Okay, now I'm reeeally weirded out." Jackie rubbed at her arm as though she felt a crawling beneath her skin.

"That's not all," The professor continued. "He knows about Star, the Wand, and even Marco. He was especially bitter about those two and treated them both like they were life-long enemies."

"So like..." Jackie scratched her head as the information settled uncomfortably in her mind. "Is he from some kinda alternate universe or somethin'?"

The stocky reptile shrugged. "That's the conclusion I came to. I wouldn't be surprised, considering Omnitraxus exists."

"But why would Eclipsa hire someone from like waaaayyy out there, though?"

Alphys shrugged once more. "Beats me. Either way, I don't like him and neither does Undyne. He isn't around to stay for good, thankfully. The moment he gets what he wants he'll, 'fuck off' for good."

"And what would that be?"

Before Alphys could even begin to answer, the sound of a running chainsaw sliced apart the peaceful atmosphere. Said chainsaw tore a long, lengthy gash in the fabric of space as it gave way to none other than the Prison Warden Miss Heinous. She practically barreled out of the portal as if she was being pursured.

"D-Doctor... Alphys!" The old lady called out as her words came out between ragged breaths.

"Y-yes, ma'am?" Alphys ran up to her superior and immediately stood as straight as she could, just one salute short of acting in a militarized fashion.

"We... we need," Heinous heaved as she propped herself on her knees. "deploy... Project Anicetus..."

"W-what!?" Alphys backed away a couple steps as if Heinous was exuding complete insanity. "B-b-but it's not ready for activation! W-we haven't even run a single t-test on it yet!?"

"Well. Consider this the very first one." Heinous stood straight and adjusted her dress as she regained her composure. She noticed the other girl standing nearby and flashed a small smile.

"Nice to see you again, Jackie."

"Sup, Chief?" The young Hunter greeted with a brief lifting of her head.

"Oh, nothing much. Just encountering a major crisis at the prison. Rioting all over the facility. Power being shut down. The usual."

"Wait what?" Jackie was baffled by how quickly things had escalated since she left the prison earlier that day.

"Yes, which is why I'm here to stomp out the chaos before it spreads." Heinous turned to Alphys. "Lead the way Doctor.

"Um. May I ask why you want to activate Anicetus on something like that? I mean, the guards I made should-"

"This is no time for debate, doctor." Heinous firmly grasped the young professor by the shoulders, her nails digging into her sleeves. "We need to get it over there, posthaste!"

"Wha-wha-why would you want to use a p-powerful wa-ar machine to quell a prison riot?" Alphys stammered out as sweat fell down her scaly face.

The Headmistress noticed the fear written all over the doctor's face and promptly released her from her skin-tearing grip. Heinous cleared her throat and regained her composure once more. With a deep sigh, she shot Alphys a calm, yet bone-chilling gaze.

"Because I'm not using it to quell a prison riot. I'm using it to slay a Devil that was let loose upon this world. Now be quiet and follow your orders."

* * *

Marco's prolonged screams trailing down the sky were cut short when he ate the dirt hard. A dull pain surged throughout his body. His head throbbed as muffled, pained groans slipped through the narrow gap between his face and ground. Though it felt as though he merely fell a few feet, in actuality, the errant portal that plopped him into the place spawned from about several meters high.

As Marco peeled himself from the ground, he spat out whatever dirt he might've accidentally scooped into his mouth. The hot, earthy taste stung his tongue even after he managed to forcefully expel it from his mouth.

The moment he began to push himself back to his feet, the boy noticed something rather peculiar.

In that he no longer was a boy at all.

His arms were a lot beefier than usual. As he thought about it some more, his groans from moments before were a lot deeper than he remembered.

And as he stood to his full height, the ground felt almost a mile away from his view compared to before.

As he surveyed his surroundings, it quickly clicked in Marco's head exactly where he was. The nasty green tint. The searing air that bit at his skin. The noxious looking clouds that concealed the sky above and gave way to no sun. Though his altered state already told him all he needed to know, the place he found himself in quashed what little doubt he had on where he was.

Dimension X-103.

But before Marco could celebrate his beloved physique any further, his highly trained senses caught the distinct undulation in the air, followed by the telltale sound of a portal opening. As a result, Marco managed to sidestep a sneak attack from behind. The attacker immediately disappeared into a portal in front of him. Though they were fast, they weren't fast enough to escape Marco's eyes and allowed him to immediately identify them.

"Hekap-"

The man's eureka moment was abruptly cut short when the almost-named attacker popped out from above and attempted to plunge into Marco with a pair of large scissor blades. He was fortunately quick enough to sidestep a few feet to evade the attack.

Preventing Marco from thinking anymore thoughts was a flurry of attacks spawning out of millions of portals in every angle. Some appearing one after another. Some appearing right at the same time. With Hekapoo popping out of every single one, a pair of scissor blades held forward. In the back of his mind, was a nagging need to gamble which Hekapoo was the real one and attempt to grab one of them. However, self-preservation quashed the need to retaliate and Hekapoo wasn't giving enough quarter for Marco to do anything but dodge.

Despite getting assaulted by a barrage that would rend a normal person asunder, Marco managed to avoid getting shredded or impaled. At worst, a blade's edge might've grazed a piece of his skin or torn through his already torn clothes.

Other than his hot, captivating bod, the main reason why Marco wanted to celebrate the regaining of his thirty-year-old body was his astronomically heightened physical capabilities. His tremendous strength. Elevated perception. Nigh-untouchable reflexes. He missed it all. Though he was already pretty strong as a fourteen-year-old, his doubled age and fully grown physique brought him back to levels barely any human of his dimension has reached. And he was grateful for it as it was currently saving his life.

After a while, the barrage finally stopped. No more Hekapoos flew about the place as no more rifts were torn in the fabric of space. It allowed a palpable, silent tension to linger as Marco could hear nothing but the low howl of the arid wind and his own ragged breathing.

Despite his somewhat fatigued state, Marco stood as firm as he could, his body stiffened in a fighting stance. Though he couldn't guess where Hekapoo would come from next, he was nonetheless prepared for whatever she'd dish out.

Marco sensed the peculiar vibration in the air once again only to see that it came from a few feet in front of him.

Lo and behold, the Smith of Scissors herself presented herself before him, strutting out of the portal like she owned the place. And she pretty much did.

"Fast. Feisty. Hard to get." The fiery woman teased as she held a finger below her chin. "Remind you of anyone, Muscles?"

"I could think of a few." Marco sternly said, keeping his responses terse as to not engage in lengthy banter like old times.. He eyed the green flame hanging above her head. Seeing where her allegiance lied, it sickened him to his stomach. Just like old times, he was messing with him. Her and her clones. And just like old times, he wanted nothing more than to put out that flame. Not out of nostalgia or a formidable challenge to overcome. But because it reminded Marco of him. Of her.

You seem tense big. Guy. What's-a matter? Don't ya miss lil' ol' me? Didn't you wanna meet again, Diaz?"

"Not like this, H-Poo." Marco said rather sorrowfully. "Not like this."

"Don't call me-" For a moment, she was near to blowing up on him for calling her by that accursed name, but she quickly composed herself. She cleared her throat as she returned to her calm, in-control demeanor.

"But anyways," She continued. "I finally got you right where I want ya. Glad I got to ya before you could get burned to a crisp by Tom."

"Well, congrats." Marco spoke as he gestured in a facetiously congratulatory manner. "Ya got me caught. Now what's the next step of your master plan?"

A smirk painted itself across Hekapoo's pale face, her sharpened teeth gleaming through.

"Ravaging that bod..."

Hekapoo commenced spawning clones upon clones hundreds at a time in every cardinal direction, including behind Marco. There seemed to be no limit in how much she could create them as her ranks eventually stretched across the horizon. The number of Hekapoos were so dense, Marco could barely see anything beyond them.

Did she stop making any more clones? Marco couldn't tell. Though Hekapoo brandished a pair of her Scissor blades, standing about a few feet tall, considerably lengthier than the usual dimensional scissors. Enough to slice a man's head off.

"...with no survivors!"

With the lead Hekapoo's blade held forward followed by a resounding collective battle cry, a wave of surrounding clones ran forward, their clawed hands hanging at the forefront with the intention of tearing Marco limb from limb.

Marco wasted no time pulling his arm back, his thoughts racing with what move would best be appropriate for crowd control.

Only to look like a fool as he realized his menu wasn't popping up like it should nor has time slowed in the slightest. The Hekapoos running at him were unfortunately running towards him in real time and they were fast approaching.

Marco could only punch or kick a few away before he was immediately swarmed and gripped tightly by every one of his limbs as his back to the ground, his body laid spread eagle across the soil. Tried as he might to shake and struggle free, the sheer amount of arms holding him down far surpassed his strength and he was in no position to slip out of their grip nor throw them off of him.

"Now then," Hekapoo strut forward once more, making sure to sway her hips as much as she could in a vain attempt to captivate her prey. After planting her paired blades tip-first into the ground, she placed a heeled boot atop Marco's bared, chiseled stomach. Drinking in the sight of a grown, muscular man being held down into submission. Her devilish smile deepened. "where were we?"

As she eyed every inch of him, a faint look of dissatisfaction plagued her face for a moment. Then one of curiosity as she hummed ponderously.

"I think we're... missing a lil' somethin'." She remarked as she rubbed her chin.

As Marco was beginning to face a rather similar harrowing scenario once more, he felt not fear nor sadness. He ceased his fruitless struggling, his furious auburn eyes attempting scorch holes into Hekapoo's face as she seemed to be prepared to subject him to another violation of his body.

"Ah, I got it!" Hekapoo snapped her fingers and immediately unsheathed her blades from the ground.

With a prolonged series of swift and precise slashes upon Marco. She managed to slash his outgrown shirt and jacket away, leaving not a single piece of fabric left on his torso. His bulky, well-defined pecs and abdomen were bared to the elements, a layer of sweat gleaming off of them, making them look as pristine and as pure as if they had never been touched for eons. Indeed, the sight was enough to make many a pair of panties drowned in arousal as every Hekapoo in the vicinity basked in his Herculean physique.

"Now that's more like it," Hekapoo beamed, her voice lowered to sultry volumes.

"Do your worst." Burning venom laced Marco's words, his tone stoic, yet calm. Seeing as how escape seemed to be impossible, he felt resigned to his fate. He's been through plenty, though. Some just as bad. Others worse. He was no stranger to torture, mental or physical. Though he never accounted for how much he could take before he would break. In what sense, even he had no idea.

"Aw, don't feel so bad, Muscles." Hekapoo remarked as she put away her blades once more. "I'll make the next hour or so something you'll never regret."

"Heh. _Just_ an hour?" Marco snidely commented. "Thought you'd be more potent than that, H-Poo."

"Don't-" Hekapoo stopped herself from reacting once more. "If I didn't have a job to do, I'd go on for a while longer. A _lot_ while longer."

"Tch, please. Like you'd even last at all. I bet I'd go through everyone around here so fast, I'd leave this place faster than anyone would realize I was go-ahh-ayyyai-yaaii!"

Marco's cajones was just a hair's length away from getting split in half as Hekapoo plunged her blade between his legs, her one exposed eye glaring daggers at the man belittling her from below.

"I'm about _this_ close to trying Necrophilia for the first time." Hekapoo spoke coldly, the rather morbid threat sounding far too genuine for Marco's liking. "Don't test me, boy."

It was then that one of the clones slapped a hand over Marco's mouth, reducing any more snide remarks to incoherent muffles. Rather than continue teasing his captor, Marco began to struggle and squirm even harder. Seeing as he had lost what little control he had over the situation, he was more determined than ever to find freedom from his bounds. And yet he could find none despite how hard he fought.

"Now then. Shall we?" The smile returned to Hekapoo's face as Marco was once again right where she wanted him. Dominated and ready to be taken.

But before Hekapoo could bend down and savor her prize, several swift, soft sounds came about in quick succession. Far before anyone realized what was going on, the dozen Hekapoos that held down Marco were all snuffed out in the blink of an eye, forever ignorant to how they met their untimely fate.

"What the-" Hekapoo was about to remark in surprise when Marco, immediately realizing his sudden freedom, drove two feet to the MHC member's face, sending her flying a few meters away from him.

After rolling across the ground for several feet, she propped herself up on her arms, a couple shoe prints etched onto her face and her scarlet hair a mess. Rather than try to parse what the heck just happened she floated back to her feet, warped her blades to her hands and pointed on forward once more.

"Get 'im'!" She shouted at the top of her lungs in shear fury as her clones complied to her command without question. A much larger wave than before ran at Marco, the lead Hekapoo being certain that whatever had just happened that led to this point would definitely not happen again.

Again, Marco stiffened into a fighting stance. Well aware that he couldn't take the even greater numbers, but was determined to try anyways as his mind had yet to catch on that he had been released from his bounds out of nowhere.

And before any of the clones could get within grabbing range, all of them disappeared in the blink of an eye while still in mid-run. Marco could only marvel at how quickly the dense ring of Hekapoos that were close to engulfing him had poofed into nothingness.

It took longer than it should have for everyone to realize that someone else was standing within the meager vicinity not covered by Hekapoos. A woman to be exact. Bearing an outfit composed of mostly leather with trimmings of metal. Flintlock pistol and other handy combat tools at her hip. Short, platinum hair. Her body was bent low and her back turned to Marco as both arms were raised diagonally to the sky. A blade was held in each hand, one about double the length of the other. Another blade was laid flat across her back, kept in a sheathe. One that Marco recognized as the beloved katana that kept him alive during the latter part of his last adventure in this dimension.

"Y-you..." Hekapoo uttered dreadfully beneath her breath as she saw who stood between her and Marco.

"Wh-who?" Was all Marco could spit out after being amazed by such a display.

Before he could say anything else, the stranger straightened herself and shifted her gaze towards the one she saved. It was at that moment that Marco instantly knew who she was. Glimmering, tranquil aquamarine eyes that could melt the coldest of hearts. That tan, freckled face with its only blemishes being the few scars that streaked across it. That aqua colored streak, like a slender island in a sea of shining blonde.

"Sup, dudes?" Jackie casually remarked. "You guys weren't gonna start this party without me, were ya?"


	83. The Private Pain of Star Butterfly

St Olga's Gulag screamed alive with chaos.

Electricity has gone and died all over the facility. Auxiliary power was all that remained to maintain the blaring alarms, the emergency lights, and most importantly, the anti magic field.

Rioting had broken out in every place one could think of. Prisoners brawling with the staff. Shots were fired. Bodies fell. Automatons were broken into pieces.

Kelly and Ponyhead were surrounded, fighting off waves of St. Olga's robots in one of the halls. They were split off from rest, buying them time while they were doing what needed to be done.

The two were combating the guards with makeshift weapons they had sneakily fashioned in the metalwork factory over the course of their imprisonment. Kelly had made herself a crude replica of her usual broadsword. Ponyhead made herself a metal horn to put over her real one.

Both Kelly and Ponyhead sighed in relief and the former freed her brow of sweat as they finished the last of their wave of robots.

"Hope everyone else is alright." Kelly remarked.

"Yeeeah, I'm sure they're fine, girl. We still got mo' butt to kick, though."

"Sho nuff."

"HEY!" Screamed a distorted, robotic voice from behind. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

Kelly and Ponyhead instantly spun around and prepared to slay the last of their opposition as they came face to face with one more robot guard.

That is, until he removed his head and his jacket, revealing Janna's smug mug.

"Some cool-ass shit, that's what you're doing."

Ponyhead and Kelly's ready-to-fight grimaces eroded to relief and joy upon seeing one of their friends in one piece.

"Where's Ludo and Buff Fro-"

"Takin' care of business." Janna cut Kelly short. "But forget about 'em for now. Look what I got!"

Janna dug into her hat, pulling out a couple of shiny, kite-shaped badge. They pulsed rhythmically, glowing in a soft amber hue. Pony Head took one in her mouth and at that instant, her horn glowed with magic.

"Heck yeah, we ready to rock, now!" Ponyhead shouted as she twirled triumphantly.

A percussive wave of heavy footsteps suddenly grew louder. Next thing everyone knew, another platoon of Robot guards were heading their way. Kelly and Ponyhead readied themselves for another skirmish.

"Hold up." Janna raised a deterring arm in front of her friend. She pulled out her Magical Skull candle, the flame at the tip and its hollow eyes growing in size and brightness simultaneously with the flame her soul.

"You guys go on ahead. Don't wait for me, I'll catch up."

"You sure about this?" Kelly asked, eyeing the numerous amounts of guards heading their way. She worried about Janna, knowing she hadn't the strength to take on that much opposition at once.

"Yeah girl, thas a lotta dudes there."

"Trust me." Janna looked back at her concerned comrades with an assuring smile, raising her Skull at them. "I got this."

"Uhh, if you say so."

With that, the two made their exit, quickly rounding a corner and leaving Janna to face these buckets of bolts alone. They were closing in, shock batons and guns at the ready.

"Stand down! We have you surrounded!" One of them shouted out, leveling a rifle Janna's way. "Surrender and your punishment will be quick and painless, yet permanent."

Rather than comply, the young Occultist extended her magical Skull Candle towards them, the flame growing more vibrant with each passing second.

Baaa! Baaa!

"Yes Lekmet, I know. But c'mon, I ain't gonna pass up summoning a guy like this if I can help it. 'Sides, look at how many there are!"

A circle of ash began forming right between Janna and her opposition, gradually growing into a taller, thicker cloud that formed into a tornado. Embers began dancing along the spiraling mass, growing in size and flashing like sparks as the seconds ticked by.

The twister soon grew half the size of the walls. What sounded like a shrieking choir of tortured souls began echoing throughout the jail, the air wavering beneath their shattering volume.

The tornado instantly exploded in an all consuming cloud of dust that momentarily covered the entire hall and clouded everyone's vision. The moment it cleared, all the robots' attention was turned upwards.

A sentient mass of skulls and tattered black cloth towered over them, though that mass turned out to be a body while one stood above the rest. The thing carried a curved greatsword in one of its skeletal arms. It gazed into the soulless metal husks before it, exuding power and reverence few would dream of standing in the vicinity of.

"Fire!" One robot cried out, heralding a rainstorm of bullets that ceaselessly flew the hulking skeleton's way. However, every single shot was like mere mosquito bites to this undead monstrosity. It stood as tall and as stoic as it was since it first materialized, unaffected by the rain of lead hitting every part of its body.

Several robots were even foolish enough to run up to the titanic skeleton, futilely thrusting their electric batons into it, foolishly thinking it would have any effect.

Janna stood still as she witnessed what equated to ants trying to take down a giant. With her arms crossed and her smile wide, she couldn't contain her sinister chuckles.

"Okay, that's enough laughing at retards." Janna unfolded her arms and raised one of them. Seconds after, it dropped in a wide chopping motion. "Give 'em hell, Nito."

Seconds after, the skeletal giant swung its gargantuan sword in the same motion, taking out at least a couple dozen robots and rendering them more broken. He follows up with another swing, this time horizontally, taking out a few dozen more and clearing the area in front of him. The rest that remained feebly shot their guns at him, ignorant to their doom, clouded by their programmed confidence that the they could deal damage to the literal god that loomed over them.

"Over there!" Janna turned around to hear another large set of robots coming her way. Despite how many were pouring in, she stood her ground, her expression unchanging and unflinching in the face of seemingly unbalanced odds.

"Hmmph. Guess we should stop playin' around. Wrap it up, skelebro."

The titan nodded in response. He raised his sword arm to the sky with unyielding obedience. Following a shriek that would shake the heavens, countless ethereal red blades erupted in numerous places in the ground, practically destroying everything within sight. All the robots in the vicinity were powerless to stop such an overwhelming attack nor were they quick enough to escape it. The platoon that were just coming up from behind fell to this brutal assault like lemmings, several after another meeting their untimely end.

Pretty soon, all was quiet and nothing but ripped cloth and spare parts remained. Janna surveyed the destruction she had wrought, smiling to herself in pride of her great power as well as that of her new friend.

Sensing that the time for battle has ended, the one called Nito de-materialized from this realm of existence, turning into the same ashy tornado he appeared from and getting sucked right into Janna's skull.

However, at that moment, Janna collapsed to the ground on all fours. She began violently coughing and wheezing, spurts of blood soon pouring out of her mouth as she retched and gasped for breath.

Baaa! Baa-baaaa-baaaa!"

"I- agh! I know, goat dude. You told me so. But what else was I supposed to do?"

Baaa...

"Yeah, I get it. I'll be more careful next time, alright?"

Regaining her composure and wiping the blood off her mouth, Janna got up and starting making her way to her friends. Thankfully, her walk was relatively without resistance as it looked as though Kelly and Ponyhead had already cleared the path for her.

"Whoa!" Janna was nearly knocked off her feet once more when it felt like another earthquake was assailing Mewni. But she knew that wasn't the case. Whatever was shaking up the entire prison had to have been nearby. Curiosity and duty were at war with each other as Janna struggled to decide her next plan of action.

Having already decided, she continued onward.

…

The altered Captain Undyne and Star stood yards apart from one another. Their laser-focused gazes scanned each other, looking for the slightest movement of the body, the smallest of openings. Really, anything they could take advantage of.

Most likely tired of the waiting, Undyne commenced walking to one side, prompting Star to walk the other. The latter kept her sword standing strong before her while Undyne didn't even so much as lift her trident a single inch.

Out of nowhere, the sound of countless distorted guitars reverberated in the air, a few notes playing one after another rippled throughout.

"Fool!" Undyne began, her distorted, low pitched voice blasted forth. Suddenly, heavy drums began beating a hard, steady rhythm. "How dare you try to make a dust pile out of me! Undyne the Undying! Captain of the Royal Guard!"

"Where the heck-" Star looked all around for the source of the accompanying music that came out of the blue. Much to her confusion, she could not find the source.

"It only allowed me to tap into my true power. How easy it was for me to gain control of the determination within me. And use it against you!"

"Uh, am I in a rock concert or something? The heck's going on?"

More guitars joined in, less distorted and much clearer. Every note and every shred increased in tempo and flowed into a distinct rhythm that well complimented the howling wind and the quickening drums.

"Well this now marks the start of a new chapter! For today, all shall witness an end to Star!"

With an invisibly fast flick of her trident, Undyne once again locked Star in place, that same vibrant green heart shining from her chest. Spears of blue energy flew towards her in the same pace as every successive guitar riff. Naturally, Star blocked them no problem.

A few heavier, slower tempo guitar riffs sounded and rather than being struck with more Spears, several rings of them started appearing. One ring appeared outside of another, one by one per guitar riff. They all floated ominously in the air pointing directly at Star.

Meanwhile, Undyne had one hand raised and looking as though she was clutching an invisible ball.

The moment her hand crushed into a fist, every waiting spear darted towards Star at blinding speeds, the order in which they flew being all over the place but the pace of which followed the music, which kicked its tempo up several notches.

"I've got determination flowing through my veins, I've got anime titties in my brain, I'm Undyne the Undying! Undyne the Undying!" The knight vocalized harmoniously, in time with the accompanying music. "Unbreakable will, you ain't got no chance, Spears of Justice are gonna make you dance!"

A sick series of licks raged on as countless spears refused to let up. Despite Star's incredible speed and reflexes, she couldn't manage to block every one that came her way. A good fraction of those spears managed to hit her, yet her armor stayed as solid as her resolve.

"Star. Must die! Star. Must die! Star. Must die! Star must DIIIEE!"

Little did Undyne know, as Star swung at every spear that flew her way, she gathered power. Past all the projectiles, there was a dark mist kicking up all around her, growing in size and density as the assault went on, converging at Star's core. Once the berserker felt as though her soul tightened to its very limits, both arms quickly spread apart, unleashing a massive explosion that not only dispatched every spear that surrounded her, but also broke the spell that kept her in place.

Star wasted no time after her freedom to come charging after her adversary, her sword kept slightly distant to prepare a swing.

The escape wasn't completely unexpected however, as Undyne stood her ground. She raised her free hand once more, conjuring more spears that jut out of the ground wherever Star stepped and erupted. The running mewman was deft enough to leap and sidestep every single one, however.

With a horizontal wave of her hand, Undyne summoned another ring of spears that orbit around Star and followed her every move. While that was going on, the fish knight shot forth another barrage of spears that darted their way towards her foe.

What Star couldn't deflect with her sword, she dodged by jumping over or leaping to the side. Meanwhile, the ring of spears still spun around her, before pulling back for a few seconds and flying right into Star, breaking into her armor and her body. Despite being turned into a pincushion, Star's steps never slowed as she remained on the offense.

As a last resort, Undyne summoned another ring of Spears, this time around herself. They spun around like usual except their tips were pointed outwards, as if forming a phalanx minus the shields.

She hated to admit it, but Star wasn't ready for that one. She was struck with every single spear that her enemy summoned, forcing her to stagger back a few steps and leave herself vulnerable. Undyne took the opportunity to go in for a strike with her Trident.

Luckily for Star, she was more than prepared for such a thing and quickly blocked the oncoming strike. What ensued was yet another clash of weapons. Sparks flew between them as their duel raged on, neither leaving the other any room to think. They were both running purely on adrenaline and instinct. Despite this, Undyne continued singing.

"We were put under this world to suffer! We each have our own private paaain! We must keep this pain away from others! Or the neverending cycle starts again!"

Unexpectedly, the entirety of Undyne's trident had combusted into flames, throwing Star momentarily off guard and causing her to hesitate for the briefest of moments. However miniscule, Undyne still saw it as an open window to jump through and go on the offensive.

The fish woman began swinging her polearm harder, throwing Star off balance and nearly making her releasing her grip on her sword with each strike. And with each strike, a line.

"You can't. Kill me!"

*Clang*

"You won't. Break me!"

*Clang*

"You can't. Kill me!"

*Clang*

"You won't. Break me!"

The last swing struck Star right in her helmet. The strike was great enough to shatter the reptilian helm into pieces, bits of metal scattering everywhere with a good amount burrowing right into Star's face. It left her reeling, allowing Undyne another strike that sent her falling to the ground.

The moment the mewman's back hit the grass, Undyne flipped her trident over, all three prongs pointing down at her fallen foe. In a snap, she ignited her polearm, cloaking its entirety in vibrant red flames before plunging it into her enemy's body repeatedly. Several more lines followed each stab.

"Touch me!"

Stab!

"Trap me!"

Stab!

"Skin me!"

Stab!

"Slash me!"

Stab!

"Blast me!"

Stab!

"Last me!"

Stab!

"Hit me!"

Stab!

"Get me!"

Undyne refused to let up. Over and over, Star felt all three burning prongs break into her armor and pierce her flesh. Organs were skewered and bones were shattering. Silent cries leaked from a bleeding mouth. The pain was excruciating, but her anger proved greater.

The transformed fish woman lifted her arms to the heavens. The flames shrouding her weapon grew in intensity as she readied her finishing blow. The final hit that would end things once and for all. Undyne sang to the heavens, as a dirge to Star Butterfly's end.

"Youuu'll juuust maaake meeee-"

And thus the trident took its dive once last time. It hit dead center on her target. Silence had cast over the entire battlefield. The heavy metal stopped. The howling wind ceased. And Undyne's jaw dropped. For the first time since she first transformed, her smug attitude had eroded into shock.

Not only did the trident hit its target, but said target had managed to catch the middle prong of the trident between her teeth while the prongs on the side stabbed right through her cheeks.

It took longer than it should have for Undyne to realize that Star was back on her feet, the prongs still caught in her mouth. The guitars and drums returned, slower and deeper than before, playing a completely different song from before.

The sound of metal grinding and shattering rung out in the air when Star chomped down on the middle prong and broke it into several bite sized shards. She grabbed the still burning prongs that stabbed her face and pushed them out. With one single squeeze of both hands, the remaining prongs were crushed to tiny scraps.

A flaming green aura wrapped Star from head to toe. Her once blue eye had shifted to the same color.

Her entire head was then consumed by that serpentine helmet.

Before Undyne knew it, she was lifted off her feet while a pair of black metal claws wound around her neck. They squeezed and squeezed, slowly but surely draining all the air out of the knight. Undyne clenched her teeth as her hands futilely tried to pull Star's wrists away.

Desperation took hold and Undyne lifted a hand upwards, summoning another countless set of spears around them both. Seconds after they appeared, they all zeroed in on Star and darted their way towards her.

However, a murky purple bubble trapped the two. Every spear that drew near immediately shattered to pieces upon touching it.

Star began speaking, no, screaming as she held Undyne in her mercy. Her guttural utterances, in harmony with the Serpent like a death metal duet, went in time with the heavy metal instrumental that resounded throughout the battlefield.

"YOU CANNOT KIIILLL MEEE! I AM OMEEEGAAAA!"

Star let one hand off of Undyne's neck, pulling it back as far as she could. It balled into a fist and spontaneously combusted into thick green flames.

YOU CANNOT KIIILLL MEEE! I AM SUBMEEEWMAAAN!"

Undyne felt her eye socket cave in when that same fist buried itself into her skull. She growled loudly out as the sensation of someone sticking the business end of a flamethower and shooting fire into her skull filled her.

Star pulled her arm back for another punch. However, the moment she did, four more arms sprouted from her side as well as a set of massive butterfly wings from her back. The gossamer surface of her new wings reflected the cosmos themselves.

"I CANNOT ERUUUPT! I MUST CONTROOLLL!"

Star's other hand released her prey. However, Undyne still felt the same suffocating sensation as a ring of green energy wrapped her neck. All six of Star's arms pulled back, and coated themselves in green flame. Undyne tried once again to free herself from her binds by kicking the air and tugging at her magical restraints. Alas, no progress was made.

She knew it was coming but she was far from prepared for the thousands of blazing knuckles being pelted all over her body. She can feel the immeasurable rage behind every punch that burned with the heat of several bombs. She can feel herself coming undone with each punch. Her resolve as well as her armor began to crack.

"I CANNOT ERUUUPT! I MUST EXPLOOOODE!"

With that last line, Undyne suddenly found herself about a football field's length away from her enemy and embedded into a crystalline wall. All six of Star's fists, now extinguished and blowing smoke, stretched forward.

To say she was in the greatest pain of her life was a huge understatement. Undyne's vision blurred, color melting into one another and multiplying all at once. She can barely feel her extremities and every organ in her body were ruptured to the point of uselessness

Her injuries reached a point where her body began to melt beneath the Determination that kept her alive. She forced herself to get up. Her battered body refused, but her unbending willpower allowed it.

She tried to conjure up a single spear, it couldn't maintain form for long. It flickered in and out of existence before disappearing altogether. Finding the attempts useless, she just broke into a weakened sprint.

Star simply stood there, her expression hidden beneath her snarling helm. All she could feel was pity for her dying foe and admiration of her spirit.

A melting fist gently punched Star in the breastplate. Followed by another about a minute after. And then another. Undyne's melted armor started to rub off on Star the more useless punches she threw.

"Stop." Star softly said, her normal voice returned as her helmet eroded back into her armor.

"No..." Undyne wheezed, her breath shortened and ragged. Her movements were gradually slowing to a crawl with every stretch of her arm. "I'm not... lettting you...agh! Dammit!"

Finally, her knees gave out and all she could see was the grass and Star's metallic feet. Gradually, everything in view was dissolving into blackness. Her hearing was also fading, everything sounding more muffled and distant. She could barely make out a few words that her foe was uttering. Probably gloating about her victory.

"Justice... good... new... unbreakable."

Undyne could feel her body steadily coming back together. Every drop of her that melted off were being magnetized to her molded into as smooth as she was before. Her vision and hearing cleared up. The armor that changed was shifting back to its original design. Her heart pumped at a normal rate and her lungs drank in as much air as they were meant to. She could see and feel herself being embraced in a blue energy that felt as warm and relaxing as a mother's embrace.

"... let the voice of love take us higher." Star ended off, her arm withdrawing back to her side and she immediately walked away from Undyne without another word.

The fish night stared deeply into her palms, in utter disbelief at what had just happened. She was one hundred percent certain she was a goner there. And yet she was brought from the brink at such unfathomable ease.

Her fingers closed to form a shaky, apprehensive fist. Her eye clenched as a mix of conflicting emotions stirred within. Confusion ruled over them all.

"Why?" Undyne said almost too quietly for anyone to hear, yet Star halted because she did.

"Why what?"

"Why didn't you let me die?"

Star chuckled. "That's a weird way to say 'thanks for saving my life'."

"No seriously." Undyne got up, her fist clenching even harder in the air. "Why'd you save me? I felt it. You had more power in one of your many pinkies than I did in my whole body. I felt it! And yet..."

There was a pregnant pause that hung in the air. Star turned her head to the side, her neutral single eye meeting with Undyne's confused eye.

"... you held back. And then you saved me." She finally let out, somewhat embarrased to admit that even at her most powerful, she still couldn't reach whatever heights Star was in. "Why?"

Star released a breath she didn't realize she was holding, then turned forward once more.

"Didn't you hear me when I went all death metal on you? Control." Star spoke solemnly. "Despite what you just saw me turn into, I'm not a... devil. I mean, I got demons. Like, loads of 'em. But I ain't one."

Undyne looked as though she was unsure how to feel about that. "You sure I'm gonna let you walk away just because you fixed me?"

"You sure you wanna another round with someone who just beat you almost to death and brought you back?"

She hated to admit it, but Star had a point. It was then that Undyne had this strong sense of deja vu. She began remembering someone else in her life. Another weird, yet super nice kid who saved her life even when they had no rhyme nor reason to do so. As much as she wanted to, she could no longer find it in her to fight again.

Undyne found herself at a loss on what to do, except stare at the grass beneath her feet. She started to think that everything she knew was a lie and that Star might have been on to something when she spoke about Eclipsa. Someone who showed her such kindness wouldn't dare make an attempt on the Queen's life for no reason.

Undyne flinched when she felt a hand tenderly rest itself on her shoulder. Her former adversary stared at her with a much welcoming and friendly visage compared to just minutes ago.

"Do me a favor." Star requested, sounding rather grave.

"Uh... huh?" Undyne responded, uncertainty washing over her.

"Just..." Star paused, uncertain herself whether she should do this or not. "... a bit of a warning. I hope you know a good therapist, because after this, you might wanna see them for a short time of like ten years."

"What are you..."

"You want answers, I'm givin' 'em to ya. So just stand still and stare into my non-eye."

Undyne gulped. Seldom did she ever feel nervous, and yet she couldn't stop shaking. With a deep exhale, the determination returned to her eye and she nodded without further debate.

Star grabbed onto her eyepatch, and without hesitation she lifted it up. Immediately, Undyne's face froze into that of peerless horror. Her jaw repeatedly rose and fell, yet remained open. Star could barely see the pupils in her yellow eyes.

After several minutes, the enlightened fish knight fell on her rear and frantically crawled back away from Star. Her eye remained glued to her as she struggled to figure out what she had just witness. To her, it was like a slideshow that went at unseeable speeds, yet the memories were burned deep into her mind.

For once in her life Undyne felt fear creeping up her body as she gazed up at Star with a beyond incredulous look.

"I-I-I. I don't even. How do you- Why- Y-" Far too many jumbled thoughts tried to squeeze their way out of her babbling mouth, yet they just came out in a disorderly, fragmented mess. It was like how Jackie reacted when she did the same to her.

"It's best you stay out of this." Star's tone was deathly serious. "I don't wanna drag any more people into this mess."

"But I wanna help!" Undyne shouted out her first loud and clear sentence since Star gave her the answers she needed. "I wanna deal justice to everyone and anyone who did this to you. To your friends! Your people! Your... mom!"

"This is my fight. You shouldn't-"

"To hell with that! You can't do it alone! I know you're like, freakin' godly and stuff, but even I don't think that's enough to oppose her!"

"Then it's a good thing I'm not alone, is it?" Star responded rather snidely. "And even then, I still feel like crap for dragging them along. I don't wanna 'nother death on my shoulders. My back's already breakin' from all this burden I'm carrying."

"Well, I ain't gonna just sit idly by while people like Eclipsa and Toffee are still around. I can't forgive them! I won't! I don't care if they helped my people in ways that haven't been seen for centuries! I don't care if I'm being a traitor! They gotta go!"

"Undyne, you realize how stupid you're sounding right now? Don't be reckless."

"Oh, that's rich. The very definition of the word calling me reckless."

"You... arrgh!" Star sounded off in frustration, her hands raised in the air. It would seem that this dumb monster isn't going to listen to reason. At that moment she started to realize how Marco felt.

Both ears and fins perked up when they heard a single footstep rustling the grass. Undyne with her Spear and Star with her palm pointed at the source.

"Whoa whoa whoa, safeties back on, ladies!" Janna cried out as she pushed a pair of palms forward.

As requested of them, Star and Undyne dropped their weapons, glaring at the teen in annoyance.

"Janna what the heck are you doing here?"

"What, can't a girl enjoy a good battle of power levels that was decided by the power of friendship? I mean, was hoping someone would kick the bucket, but I guess that's cool too."

"Janna!"

"Kidding, kidding!"

"Yo, aren't you Jackie's friend?"

"Yup. Sup?"

"So, what?" Undyne raised an eyebrow. "You're in on this rebellion thing too?"

"Uh huh."

"And I'm guessing so is Jackie."

"Bingo."

"Huh." The piscine knight rubbed her chin. "Dunno whether I should feel like she was pulling the wool over my eye this whole time or happy she isn't on Eclipsa's side anymore. How'd you get her on, blondie? Same way as me?"

"Same way as you." Star repeated.

For what felt like the hundredth time that day, all of Mewni began to quake. Everyone in the vicinity tried to maintain balance, though Janna was the only one who failed to do so.

There was a gigantic tear in the fabric of space and time as the thunderous sound of a chainsaw ripped the sound barrier apart, forcing the three girls to cover their ears and fins.

A portal of immeasurable size opened up in the sky as a humungous machine fell onto Mewni, its landing spawning another earthquake. It had the body of a UFO, a pair of arms tipped with chainsaws the size of skyscrapers and six pointy, spiderlike legs that dwarfed everything in sight. It cast a seemingly omnipresent shadow over the entire facility.

"I see." A voice sounded from a powerful speaker, its source being the giant robot that loomed over them. It sounded like Heinous. "So I was only half right in my prediction. Star is still alive, yet so is the Captain? And she's seemingly unscathed? Unprecedented."

"What the hell is that...?" Undyne whispered beneath her breath.

"That's a big bot." Janna answered.

"For you!" Heinous proudly declared.

"Ok, you wanna help, Undyne?" Star immediately turned to her and asked. "Go with Janna and join the rest and help them out with whatever. I got Miss Tight Britches over here."

Without any further arguments, Undyne nodded before she and Janna made a break for the nearest exit.

"You got this, Star!" Janna shouted in encouragement as she burst through the doors. Before Undyne could do the same, she stopped and looked back at her former foe, with worry and respect.

"Hey!" The fish woman called out, drawing Star's attention.

"Yeah?"

Undyne smiled. "I never liked that bitch anyways. Don't hold back with her like you did to me."

And with that she ran back into the building.

"Top of the line, Septarian technology." The speakers boomed once more. "Courtesy of the great Dr. Alphys! Savor this sight well, Devil. For it shall be the last thing you'll ever see."

Star simply chuckled as she practically had to break her neck to look up at the gigantic metal beast before her. Her hands glowed that familiar green as they clenched into fists and rows of teeth concealed her face once again.

"Heh. I don't intend to."


	84. Hot Wind Blowing

Star gazed upon the metal colossus towering high above her. Even if Heinous's machine was like hundreds of feet taller than her and it wielded two giant chainsaws for arms which could rip countries in twain, she did not flinch.

Though her serpentine helm is frozen in an eternal snarl, her face within bears not a scowl, nor a grimace, nor even a frown.

But a smile. Ear to ear. Like a hunter that has found its prey, vulnerable and waiting to be killed.

Star's ethereal wings and multiple arms sprouted as she took flight. Her arms glowed green with the desire to unleash magical justice upon her foe.

Heinous's war machine attempted to swing with its chainsaw arms. For being so big, they moved surprisingly fast, but Star dodged them with no issue.

A wide hatch on each side of the machine's body opened up, revealing another pair of arms that bore crab-like pincers. They swung at Star to snatch her out of the sky, but she barrel rolled out of their path.

Star reached the apex of the machine, face to face with Heinous herself. She sat behind a rather complex looking dashboard, under a protective glass dome.

"Ah, Miss Butterfly." Heinous greeted through a set of speakers. "Delighted to see you join me up here. How do you like Project Anicetus?"

"Looks like it'll be on its way to the scrap yard in a good minute. Multi Monochrome Fist Punch!" Star shouted as all six of her arms unleashed a torrent of energy fists upon the glass dome, hoping that every single one would hit Heinous. Every fist hit their mark but they didn't seem to be effective.

"Such insolence." The old woman scoffed as her glass dome shrugged off everything that hit it. She pressed a series of buttons on a nearby pad before pressing a bigger, brighter button next to them. "Behavior like that is worthy of punishment!"

Multiple hatches atop the circular body of Anicetus opened and gave way to a platoon of guns. They fired, letting loose a barrage of bullets and missiles towards Star.

The former princess sent all six arms forward, creating a shield of energy around her to deflect everything that came her way.

Star flew several laps around the machine's body, keeping her shield up and the gunfire at bay. She pushed herself to move as fast as she could, hoping to reach a point where the guns were unable to keep up. However, even at the breakneck speed she went, they stayed on her through the whole flight, refusing to let up.

Tired of staying on the defensive, Star dropped her shield in exchange for charging up her magic to go on the offensive. Even if she couldn't make a dent in the dome, she could at least try to destroy the guns that suppressed her.

"Narwhal Blast!" Star cried out as a school of narwhals blasted out of her palms.

The guns that were targeted immediately retracted back into Anicetus's body fast enough to evade the oncoming projectivles. Instead, they hit its sturdy body which, much like the glass dome, retained its shape even after that hefty barrage.

Heinous took another swing at Star with her chainsaw arms, which were once again dodged. The guns resurfaced and they continued firing. Anicetus's pincer arms soon joined the fray once more. Though their attempts to catch Star were fruitless, they got closer and closer with each swing.

Meanwhile, Star still darted through the sky like an irritating gnat, shooting every spell she could think of at her giant of a foe. No matter how much she cast and how much power she put behind each shot, the machine remained as if it was never touched.

Tired with attacking from a distance and getting nowhere, Star daringly jet towards Heinous's cockpit. She bashed herself against the glass with three of her elbows, before a storm of flaming fists repeatedly pelted its transparent surface.

But once again, the glass refused to falter. Not a dent, not a crack, nothing. Not even a single scorch mark.

"Foolishness, Star. Foolishness. " Heinous said as if she was scolding a child. "Anicetus is invincible! And you keep throwing yourself at it like an idiot! Why?"

Rather than dignify her with a response, Star just kept punching and punching and punching. She was blind to the futility of her endeavors and focused only on getting that vexing woman behind the controls. Her punches were strong enough to shake the cockpit within but did nothing more than that. She felt countless bullets and missiles hitting her in the back but she couldn't care less. She just wanted that woman.

Star suddenly felt herself yanked away from the cockpit as a pair of large metal pincers squeezed her torso. She immediately reacted by punching the pincers, but not only did they not let go, but they weren't taking any hint of damage at all.

Star was lifted high above Anicetus, much so that she was touching the clouds.

And then she plummeted. Fast. She was free falling in her armor as she made the forced journey back to Mewni.

She crashed right back into the Gulag's courtyard, the impact creating a deep ditch for her to lay in like an early grave. Her ears rung and her vision blurred seconds after the initial impact. And as if that wasn't enough, the hole was dug deeper as Anicetus's skyscraper legs stomped on Star over and over like the cockroach Heinous saw her as.

She felt many of her bones shatter with each hit. The armor did its best to put them back together. But even then, more of her blood drained from her body with every prick into her skin.

Star lost all the strength to resist or even move. Her injuries from her prior fight from Undyne hadn't completely healed and they were made worse by the new injuries she's incurring in this current fight.

Star's armor withdrew back into her body, leaving her exposed and squishy. Her extra appendages and her wings also faded out of existence. Her skin was caked in blood and puncture scars

"Well now. Let's open you up and see what's wrong with you, shall we?" Heinous said as she revved one of her massive chainsaws and slowly dropped it towards her downed foe. From where Star laid, she can tell that it aimed right for her neck. She feebly raised both arms to conjure a shield of some sort, but all she could summon were a few meaningless sparks of what should've been.

All that power and she couldn't do a thing to Heinous and her giant robot spider thing. Not even a single scratch or a dent. Like its entire body was coated in an anti-magic shield or something.

Star's arms slumped to the ground and she closed her eye as she resigned herself to her fate. As many times as she cheated death up to this point, she found futility in fighting it any longer. She at the very least found solace in the fact that Marco was still alive and was able to continue the fight against their sworn enemies. Even if she had no idea of his whereabouts, she can still feel his shining soul entwined with hers.

It felt really close.

Grinding, screeching metal filled the air, scraping at Star's eardrums and forcing her to cover her ears.

"WHAT!?" She heard Heinous scream through the robot's speakers.

Star's eyelids parted slightly to see why her death was so suddenly delayed. Then they shot open altogether, along with her jaw.

A figure wearing black armor held the blade of the chainsaw in both of their metallic hands, sparks bursting in between. The metal giant strained as it pushed down, but the immense strength of the stranger kept it in place.

The figure threw both of their hands up, sending the chainsaw arm rocketing up to the sky and Anicetus staggering a few steps back. It fell, another heavy quake ensued to ravage the entire world.

The armored figure turned towards Star, his red eyes leering at her threateningly. He extended a palm towards her as a soft golden light encased his form, accompanied by a distorted, yet familiar "kooohhhhh" sound. Star began to feel a comforting warmth inside and out. She felt all of her bones snapping into place and all the damage to her body being mended. Vigor was restored and Star regained enough strength to stand back up.

She took one thorough look at the stranger before him. His black armor was nearly identical to her Berserker Carapace, save for the helm. In fact, it didn't look like a helm at all. More like a hood that contained no face save for a pair of red eyes within.

Star didn't even need to have the stranger talk or reveal themselves to know who they were. The name left her lips before she even thought about it.

"Marco?"

…

"Jackie?!" Marco shouted out in shock. Had it not been for that iconic streak in her hair, he wouldn't have known.

"That's my name, don't wear it out." She replied cooly.

"Wha-what are you, how did- yo-" Marco babbled his brain filled with more questions than his mouth could keep up with. Though there was one thought that towered over all others.

"Man, you're hot!" He blurted without thinking.

"Shut up and take your sword back." Jackie grabbed said sword off her back and threw it at Marco.

He caught it by the sheath and immediately brought it to his hip. He brought his back to Jackie's as his fingers rested on the handle. He eyed all the Hekapoo clones around them, none of which spared any time charging the duo with their scissor daggers.

"Really, Jackie?" The main Hekapoo shook her head, ashamed at Jackie's betrayal. "Shoulda known something was up when you suddenly went and walked out on us like that. Why?"

"Let's just say I had a hunch that I was playing for the wrong team." Jackie bit back, her eyes shined with the need to enact justice.

"You couldn't be playing for an even worse team. Sucks to see you turn heel like that. Guess all that good we did for Mewni didn't get through to your thick, Cali girl head of yours."

"What it took to get there sure did." Jackie spoke curtly and harshly, her chill demeanor absent from her mannerisms. Marco was taken aback by it.

"Tch, whatever." Hekapoo opened a portal behind her. She walked backwards into it, throwing up a peace sign before she popped out of view. "Deuces, traitor."

Seeing the odds stacked against Marco and Jackie evoked no fear nor hesitation, but rather a smile from each of them. Rather than cower or run, they stood their ground. The grasps on their respective weapons remained deathly tight. Their bodies bent low in combative stances, like predators on the prowl.

Marco sped forward, his form blurring past all the clones charging him, his blade kept in its sheathe. He stopped, his back towards all the clones he passed by. His blade slid back into his sheathe as if he had taken it out.

Suddenly all of his foes had poofed out of existence before they even realized it. They simply ran as if Marco was still in front of them and suddenly they disappeared one after another.

"Heh. Still got it." Even if Marco didn't have the power of the God Hand at the moment, he still had phenomenal swordsmanship by his side.

"Hmph. Showoff." Jackie scoffed, rolling her eyes at her friend's flashy display. She turned towards her own group of foes, all of them barreling towards her swinging their scissor daggers.

The moment they all drew within stabbing distance, Jackie disappeared, leaving behind a puff of dust in her wake. The gaze of every Hekapoo darted every which way, searching.

That is, until they all poofed out of existence, the last thing each one seeing were the vanishing of their comrades before they vanished themselves.

Jackie reappeared out of thin air before the last nearest Hekapoo disappeared. Shock was the last expression she made before she bit the dust. Jackie found herself suddenly back to back with Marco. They both shot each other a confident smile before they returned to the fight at hand.

Despite how easily both Marco and Jackie dispatched their own set of enemies, it did nothing to lessen the amount of Hekapoo clones still flooding the area. The Smith of Scissors herself stood upon a rock far enough away from the field, but close enough to see them. She was making just as many, if not more clones than the two humans could eliminate. It was essentially a battle of attrition at this point. To drive them towards the brink of fatigue before she can deliver the final blow to them both.

But what Hekapoo didn't count on was their sheer determination and their love of combat and competition.

Marco unleashed a rending torrent of wind that shredded everyone in front of him.

"Pretty sure I've got a lead." Marco smugly stated with a smirk.

"Nah, bro." Jackie replied as a geyser of water erupted from her blade, clearing a path in front of her. "We're even."

"Huh."

They both spun around each other, switching sides and immediately cutting down another group.

"Y'know, I'm starting to think this is never gonna end." Marco said as he kicked a Hek Clone so hard, it flew straight into a group of ten. The sound of bowling pins falling rung out in the air.

"Maybe." Jackie threw a bunch of shuriken over several clones' heads, snuffing out their flames and forcing them to vanish. "We still got plenty of time."

Marco spun around to slash behind him, forcing Jackie to duck while his blade hit a few clones that got too close. At the same time, she pulled out her Hunter's Pistol and shot down a few clones on Marco's side.

"Getting tired?" Marco asked.

"Nope. You?"

"Not even close. Gettin' kinda bored though."

"Yeah, I see what you mean. Wanna go for her now? She's right on that rock over there."

"Yeah, I know."

Marco and Jackie locked eyes with Hekapoo, who jumped in surprise when they noticed her. Or rather, finally acknowledged her after knowing her whereabouts the entire time.

Jackie quickly pulled out her Tanto, enhanced by Hekapoo all that time ago, to cut a rift in space. Quickly, she and Marco jumped in the portal and out of anyone's sight.

In panic, Hekapoo pulled her giant scissor blades out, immediately separating them into two blades and igniting them. She withdrew all her clones from that long distance away, commanding them to surround her at all sides.

Nothingness lingered for far longer than Hekapoo would like. Sweat ran down her forehead and her fingers struggled to keep a tight grip on her weapons. She knew what they were capable of. She's seen the way they performed in each of their respective quests. She knew that she could never beat either one of them in direct combat. She had thousands of years under her belt, but none of them were spent honing her sword fighting skills. That's why she relied solely on her portals and her clones. What she lacked in skill, she made up for with trickery.

Whoosh.

It was the last thing that hit Hekapoo's ears before she felt two blades penetrate her on both sides. The flames on her weapons were snuffed out as they fell to the ground with resounding clangs. The moment all the surrounding clones turned around, they all blinked out of existence.

Marco and Jackie pulled their weapons out of her and backed away, letting her fall and feel the sharp stab of defeat.

Though no blood coated either of their swords, habit forced them to swing the air before sheathing them.

"Well, it was fun, Heks." Jackie looked down on her. "But we gotta get goin'."

"Sorry it had to come to this, H-Poo." Marco looked sorrowfully at his former friend.

Hekapoo let out a few gasps. At first the two humans thought she was crying. They listened a little closer and were somewhat weirded out that she was actually giggling. It grew louder and more boisterous the longer it went on. Her face shot up to the sky as laughter of insanity erupted out of her.

She pulled her oversized blades off the ground, immediately engulfed in flames the moment she touched them. The fire rose up her arms and spread the rest of her body. Her laughter went on unabated as if she wasn't literally on fire.

Alongside their better judgement, Marco and Jackie took several steps back. Hekapoo slowly came back to her feet, her body hunched over.

"You still haven't learned, have you?" Her voice lowered to deep, guttural growl, her gaze kept on the ground.

The humans immediately unsheathed their blades, keeping it leveled towards their foe. They stayed where they stood, not wanting to rush in to something that might end up being their downfall.

"Don't. Ever... CALL ME THAT!"

Hekapoo suddenly exploded in a dome-shaped area of effect powerful enough to send Marco and Jackie flying off their feet and rolling across the ground. The latter managed to recover by planting her hand on the ground and taking a knee. The former simply ate dirt with all the grace of a drunkard.

Marco slowly peeled his face off the ground, groaning. His jaw opened to spit the dirt that invaded his tongue then it dropped harder when he saw what was now standing between him and Jackie.

A ginormous scorpion had taken the place of the former Magic High Commission member. But it wasn't just any scorpion. It was made almost entirely of white skulls. A "Skullpion" one might even say. Three of the biggest ones form its body, with five smaller ones forming its tail. Two skulls formed part of its hands while the pincers were reminiscent of Hekapoo's horns.

Oh yeah, and the Skullpion was on fire. Red hot flames shot out of every hollow eye socket on every skull.

Like some sort of centaur abomination, Hekapoo, mainly her upper body, jut out of the "head" of the scorpion, though she looked drastically different. Her fiery orange dress, changed into a low cut tank top little flaps hanging behind her and dotted with flame patterns , accompanied by a pair of matching forearm and wrist bands. Her face altered itself as well, now simply a large reptilian eye where her nose, eyes, and forehead used to be, though her mouth as well as her hair remained unchanged. Her horns stretched outwards rather than upwards.

"Is it just me, or is it getting a little hot out here?" Hekapoo's deepened, distorted voice thundered. She rubbed her flaming scissor blades together like a chef sharpening her knives.

"Definitely not you. Ugh." Marco snarkily responded, his face scrunched in disgust.

"I'd say it fits ya, Heks." Hekapoo turned towards Jackie, flashing that usually chill smile of hers. "Better reflects what's on the inside."

Hekapoo's tail immediately lashed at the young skater girl, who deftly jumped out of the way.

"Whoa hey, watch that tail. You could really poke someone's eye out with that."

Provoked, Hekapoo thrust her tail towards Jackie over and over again. With every miss, she was insulted and it merely served to boil her blood even more.

"Hold still, you little bitch!"

While the beast was distracted, Marco went in for the kill. He darted towards his foe, his blade kept in his sheathe.

However, when he got within a certain distance, he immediately felt himself assailed with a debilitating heat that felt like the heatwaves that often occurred back in Echo Creek during the summer, only several times worse. The tip of his hair began to singe before he backed off to a safer distance.

"Aww, what's the matter, Muscles?" Hekapoo taunted as she witnessed Marco's failed attempt to close the distance. "Can't handle the heat?"

"Dammit!" He exclaimed, frustrated at his long range ineffectiveness. He shouted to his companion, who was still being forced to dance. "Jackie! I can't get any closer!"

"Don't worry bro, I got this!" Jackie shouted. She pulled forth one of her blue orbs and threw one at the Skullpion after her last evasion.

She gasped when she saw that her orb broke within a certain distance and the water within immediately turned to vapor, resulting into nothing.

Jackie tried another approach. Rather than throw it directly at her target, she tossed it high above her, then shot the marble with pinpoint precision. A large splash of water fell upon Hekapoo before it also faded into vapor once it reached a certain distance.

"Okay, what the heck?" Jackie jumped back to a distance beyond the tail's reach. She eyed the beast, her gaze running over every inch of its sturdy, massive body. She pulled out several shuriken, sending them flying Hekapoo's way before they instantly melted into nothing the moment it reached that field of intense heat.

"C'mon, what are you two waiting for?" Hekapoo flashed a smug smile at the two of them. "Why dontcha try and stab me again? I'll even leave myself wide open for ya."

She spread both of her arms wide, turning to each of her opponents to goad them into attacking her. She waited several minutes for either of them to charge them, but all they did was scowl and kept their blades pointed her way. Hekapoo couldn't resist laughing at them.

"Don't wanna come to me? Fine, lemme come to you!"

The Skullpion spread its massive pincers apart before swinging both at once, creating an X-shaped tear in the fabric of space that grew large enough for it to quickly jump into. The large portal immediately closed, leaving Marco and Jackie to themselves in the barren, open wasteland.

Another palpable silence was left in Hekapoo's wake. Scorch marks stained the ground she once stood. Both human combatants began walking about. They shut their eyes, blocking out all other senses, seeking out any changes in the air around them. Hekapoo was a giant, lumbering monster and the portal she conjured was huge. They both figured it'd be a cinch to sense where she'd strike from.

Minutes passed and there was still no sign of her. Jackie and Marco made sure they kept their distance from one another as to not get attacked simultaneaously. If Hekapoo managed to get the drop on one of them, the other would be able to rush in and assist.

"Marco!" His name blasted out of Jackie's throat while her normally calm blue eyes turned wide and frantic. The man himself was confused as to why that was. He didn't sense Hekapoo coming at all, nor did he hear the opening of a portal or the thunderous landing of her body.

But he did see the end of a flaming stinger jutting out of his stomach. His mind had finally caught up to what had just happened and the heat rushed onto and into him instantly. His bones, skin, and organs felt like they were melting and his blood boiled in his veins, scalding him from the inside.

His grip slacked and his sword slipped from his fingers when he was lifted high into the air. He grabbed the stinger in a feeble attempt to loose himself from it. The pain was so intense, his body couldn't even register it. His glassy gaze locked with Jackie's despaired visage.

Marco was brought near Hekapoo's main body. The monster placed her blades on her Skullpion body while her unoccupied hands went on to caress the dying man's cheek. She brought her face closer, sensually licking the blood that leaked from his lips while planting wet little pecks all over his face. Then their lips collided, Hekapoo's tongue oppressing his as he feebly tried to resist.

Marco felt himself jerk upwards before Hekapoo flung him across the air like she was disposing trash. Immediately she ran after Jackie, whose pistol sent bullets flying toward her relentlessly and futilely.

The man laid limp on his side. The world around him blurred as he fought to keep his heavy eyelids from falling. He felt a moist puddle beneath him, slowly shuffling into view. He didn't need to look down to know that was his own blood pooling under him. He could only lay there helplessly, watching as Jackie did all she could to keep Hekapoo at bay.

Despair and self-loathing began to creep in. Marco started to feel responsible for putting her in this position in the first place. He had left Jackie behind to go find Star and now there she was fighting for her life. And for what? A fight that was never hers to begin with. That should not have been hers to begin with. Considering that the girl the same age as him, he could only imagine all the trials and tribulations she went through. He had hoped that no one else he knew and cared about would ever have to go through all that.

His last thoughts drifted to Star. How devastated she would be to find out something happened to him. He can already see it. Face dominated with tears and sadness. Her ensuing anger getting the best of her and conquered by that vile beast that dwelled within.

No, he can't leave her. He won't leave her. He made a vow to protect her and he'd be damned if he failed in doing so.

Marco wasn't sure if the delirium of nearing death set in, but he started to hear a voice. He could barely hear it, but someone or something tried speaking to him. It was faint. Familiar.

Foul.

As if he couldn't get any crazier, Marco swore he could see a thick, ethereal tentacle wrap itself around his right arm. It wriggled weakly, but it was the only part of him that was moving. He felt his stomach drop when he recognized it. Recognized it with great hatred.

Monster Arm.

 _No time for a happy reunion._ It spoke viciously in that same ghoulish, guttural voice. Marco could see his ghostly face leering at him. _I know you hate my guts, but I need you to trust me . Otherwise, both of us are gonna go kaput in a few minutes._

Marco really didn't want to listen to it, but considering he was near death and Hekapoo still made attempts on Jackie's life, he figured he had little choice in the matter. He weakly nodded.

 _Good. Don't ask why or how I know this, but I need you to repeat after me. I close my eyes and seize it._

"I... close my eyes and seize it." Marco barely spoke above a whisper, but the word still came out in strained breaths.

 _I clench my fists and beat it._

"I clench m-my fists," Marco took in a breath of air before continuing. "And beat it..."

 _I light my torch and burn it._

"I light my torch and burn it..."

 _I am the best I worship_

"I am... the beast..." Marco could feel himself slipping off the mortal coil, the grasp of death pulling him closer to the edge. He pushed. Pushed himself back up to finish the sentence. He took in one last, long breath. "I... WORSHIP!"

The tattoos on his God Hand were alight. However, it wasn't the usual golden white light he'd come to know. Instead, they seared a sinister, dark purple color. The emblem on the back of his Hand glowed a much brighter purple. His entire body became consumed in purple flames.

And then, darkness.


	85. The Time Has Come and So Have We

Things weren't looking good. Hekapoo was seemingly untouchable. An ever present field of heat surrounded her, melting and burning anything that drew near. On top of that, the entirety of her monstrous body was on fire.

For a colossal arachnid, she moved swiftly. Throughout every swing that failed to find purchase, they gradually grew closer to hitting Jackie. The young ninja was unsure how much she could keep up. She could feel the clutches of exhaustion clawing at her, forcing her movements to become less fluid and more sluggish.

"Gettin' tired, Jacks?" The demon's sharp wit stabbed into Jackie as her pincers swung wildly her way. "Maybe you should just stand there. So you won't die tired."

"Heh, ha. You kidding?" Words squeezed b0. "I'm just- hah- getting started."

Soon, she was forced to use her blades to deflect her adversary's attacks when dodging was no longer cutting it. The woman kept her foe at bay well enough for a time, but soon she was feeling the grasp on her weapons loosen with every hit.

"Looks more like you're about to end."

Using as much stamina as she had left, Jackie leapt back, far from the reach of her enemy's claws and tail. With the space she gained for herself, Jackie pulled out her Tanto, attempting to cut herself a portal.

"What!? Shit!" The expletive burst forth when her enchanted blades refused to cut the fabric of space.

"Aww, where ya goin' Jacks?" Hekapoo taunted. Cackling as her prey failed to find escape. "Thought I could let you off the hook that easy? Think again."

The young woman turned towards her enormous enemy. From where Hekapoo stood, Jackie's slightly hunched over posture and heaving chest made it clear that she was approaching her limit. Seeing as there was no longer a way out of the dimension, the young woman resigned herself to continuing the fight. Even if it killed her.

"Maybe those knives are broken. Here, lemme lend you some working scissors."

A pair of dimensional scissors flew out of nowhere and nearly stabbed Jackie between her eyes before she proved swift enough to slash it out of its flight.

"Tsk tsk tsk. Ain't good to refuse help when it's being handed to you, lil girl." The Skullpion abomination chastised, shaking her head. "Maybe you need a little more."

Then, several by several, dimensional scissors materialized all around Jackie. There were so many, she couldn't even see the environment around her anymore. Every pair of scissor from every angle pointed directly at her. Their tips shimmered with the intent to turn her into a pincushion.

Jackie didn't even remember seeing any of those blades flying towards her. One second, they were hovering around her and in the next, both halves of her Rakuyo just blurred around her and she was deafened by countless clanging noises.

Jackie was trapped. She couldn't take a single step in any direction even if she wanted to. The barrage was so heavy, so unrelenting that she could feel her arms going numb with every second. Self preservation drove her blades more than her body and mind did. Nailed into her mind was the idea that even the slightest of slip ups would spell her own demise.

Much to Jackie's relief and confusion, the onslaught of scissors ceased. The thought of collapsing onto the ground was a tempting one but she refused to convey to her foe the idea that she was tired and weakened.

But who could she convey it to when her foe isn't even in sight?

Jackie's awareness and heart rate kicked into overdrive. Her gaze raced around the environment, seeking the slightest sign of Hekapoo.

Pain suddenly shot through her leg, forcing her on one knee. She could feel blood rushing down her leg and paired blades digging into the back of her knee. It was immediately yanked out.

Her clumsy attempts to get to her feet were met with another set of scissors hitting her in the elbow. Her entire body hit the dirt. The Rakuyo fell out of her hands.

Hekapoo popped out of a portal in front of Jackie, making the woman feel like an insignificant bug. She was close, like in her face close, yet the woman wasn't melting like she thought she would be. Then she noticed that the Skullpion wasn't on fire.

Thought the uselessness wasn't lost on her, Jackie still reached out for her blade, feeling some semblance of fight left in her. That feeling was instantly quashed when a scissor jabbed into her hand.

Hekapoo scooped Jackie up in her monster's claws. Their eyes met and the altered Scissorsmith couldn't suppress a smirk.

"End of the line, huh? Sucks it had to end his way." The monster chuckled. "Wait, no it doesn't. You're a traitor. This is exactly how it needs to be."

Hekapoo brought her larger blades together to form her oversized pair of scissors. They parted and ignited as Jackie's neck stood between them.

"Got anything to say for the last time before ya go? Maybe one last 'fuck you' to me? Hmm?"

Even though she was handed the chance, Jackie refused to give her the satisfaction of getting anything from her. Instead, she looked at the vile demon with peerless anger and determination.

Hekapoo shrugged. "Eh, your call. No one else would hear you anyways."

Without her control, tears streamed down Jackie's face. Though she was already prepared to face her end, she couldn't help but think about how much she let everyone down. All her friends. Everyone on Mewni that she grew to know and like. Her family's gonna wonder what happened to her and it breaks her heart knowing they'd never find out.

It killed her even more on the inside that she failed to save Marco. Now Star was gonna end up hating her. Jackie started to hate herself more than Star ever could.

"What the hell?" Jackie suddenly heard in front of her. She felt a subtle shift of her captor's body.

The woman's eyes opened up a crack. The execution weapons were lowered and their wielder looked behind her. Jackie's eyes opened even wider when she noticed what happened.

An ethereal purple tentacle wrapped itself around the Skullpion's tail.

And then Hekapoo was yanked backwards, releasing her grip on Jackie and letting her hit the ground.

The young warrior couldn't believe what she was seeing, and she's seen plenty. Hekapoo, who probably weighed several tons by now, was being spun around like a record, while her main body dragged along ground, scarring it with her imprint.

And then she was tossed across the air like she was a shot put, her form shrinking in the distance the farther she flew.

Though Hekapoo remained in sight, she landed pretty far. Jackie was afforded the luxury of time and space to recover and rationalize what was happening.

That is, until her so-called savior appeared before her in the blink of an eye. Before she knew it, a distinct, familiar breathing noise hit her ears and she could feel all of her wounds mending within seconds as a golden light embraced her body.

Jackie couldn't even get a good look at them or say a word before her savior blurred out of view.

The Skullpion clumsily staggered to her multiple feet, shaken greatly by the sudden interception. Distorted groans of pain and nausea gurgled from her throat.

"Who dares-" Her sentence was cut short by the sight of something she never expected nor seen before. And that's saying something because she's lived millennia.

An ominous, imposing figure casually strolled up to her. Black metal armor covered him from head to toe with what looked like coat flaps hanging from its rear. His "helm" was a hood carrying an endless pit of darkness, a pair of red glints cutting through it all.

"Anything to protect her..." It spoke in a beastly growl. The innate echo of his voice, much to Hekapoo's shame to admit, shook her to her core.

In his left arm was a katana that had fallen earlier. In his right arm spiraled a ghostly purple tendril. Hekapoo's jaw dropped when she recognized them both. The latter belonged to one of the most dangerous monsters that ever existed in the Multiverse.

Demonicus Infestica.

...

Confusing.

Different.

Numb.

Power.

Every sensation that churned within Marco's mind as the Berserker Carapace molded itself to his shape and his ideal image. In so doing, it buried countless needles into his body, forcefully snapping every broken bone and joint back into place. He can also feel them injecting something into his bloodstream that kept his adrenaline at a constant high. It felt weird. Invasive.

But most of all, it felt good.

Marco wondered if this was how Star felt when she first donned the Carapace. Despite how monstrous he knew he looked and became and despite how much power he could feel buzzing in his cells, his mind was still kept lucid and tethered by that one feeling. That one desire.

Defeat his enemies. Protect his friends. Save Mewni.

Help Star.

The moment he united with the Armor was fuzzy in his mind. He recalled that one minute he was laying on the ground and bleeding to death. And in the next he was in here, giving motion to his intentions. Enacting his will in righteous fashion.

But the strangest part of it all was Monster Arm suddenly coming back to help him.

 _But how? I thought Star got rid of you._

 _Remember what I said? You can treat the symptoms but you can never cure the disease?_

 _So, where did you even come from?_

I was here all along. Lying dormant, but passively giving you strength that surpasses your kind. Those past feats of peak physical prowess. Surviving this dimension. Using the God Hand. None of that would have been possible without me.

 _And I guess neither is this._

 _Yup._

 _So like. You're not really Monster Arm anymore then._

 _Not really, no. Just what remains. Some cells. Maybe even a soul._

 _Then what should I call you?_

…

…

...

 _You thinking what I'm thinkin', boy?_

 _Oh yeah, I think so._

 _Monster Bringer._

 _Ooh, I like that. Alright Monster Bringer. Let's give 'em Hell!_

...

"Y-you..." A mixture of confusion and anger boiled within Hekapoo. Not a hint of doubt laid in her mind who the one standing before her was. The only questions were why and how.

The tentacle dissipated as the figure sheathed his sword and bent low to the ground.

And much to Hekapoo's shock, he disappeared in a blur. Wariness joined her rapidly increasing confusion as her cyclopic gaze bounced in every direction.

Just as quickly as he vanished, Marco reappeared out of thin air, bent in the same pose. The demoness witnessed that his blade was in the midst of shooting out of its sheathe.

Hekapoo's blades crossed in front of her just in time to clash with Marco's. It afforded her just enough time to unleash another fiery explosion that sent her foe flying across the air once more.

Rather than eat dirt, the Berserker slid on his knee, recovering instantly. He was on the verge of charging back to his foe when long scissor blades appeared around him, snuffing out any chance to get closer.

As a superfluous, yet necessary precaution, Hekapoo spawned half a dozen clones of her monstrous self that circled the dome of scissor blades.

It was music to her ears hearing the insistent rhythm of clanging metal. Sure, Marco defended himself, but Hekapoo can spawn blades for an eternity if she had to. She knew a human like him would eventually crumble beneath his own limits.

But Marco was no ordinary human.

She couldn't even begin to guess how it happened but, in the blink of an eye, every blade that hovered and flew towards their target were instantly sliced apart. There came after a rain of shattered metal.

In the midst of it all, The Armored Man sheathed his katana. His chilled out, chilling stride towards his enemy continued.

Once the air was clear of raining metal, all the Skullpion clones skittered towards their prey. Their stingers thrust forward, impaling Marco one after another.

Yet he remained as tall and as threatening as he had been the whole time. He stood unfazed by the tenfold version of the attack that had nearly killed him not too long ago.

As though he handed them the chance to do it.

Ghostly purple tentacles began wrapping around every tail that burrowed itself into the Berserker's body. In a matter of minutes, every Skullpion was covered head to foot.

"Overdrive!" Marco cried out before golden energy coated every tentacle, then every clone, burning and electrifying them all at once.

And then they found themselves flying in the air as Marco leapt dozens of feet towards the sky, their stingers still deeply embedded in his body.

And then he spun and spun and spun. Every monster he grabbed became one big, abominable carousel. The momentum brought them together, forcing their bodies to bunch up on one another in one massive heap.

"Go to Hell!" Marco roared before releasing them and sending them hurdling across the air.

Though not exactly cross-country distance, they landed near where the real Hekapoo was standing. Considering their sizes, the feat was nothing to laugh at. Though Marco landed without an issue, he had to take a few moments to recover. He bled. Profusely. Yet he didn't let it stop him from continuing his menacing stride towards his adversary.

The portal goddess quickly recalled all her clones and immediately backed up into a portal, vanishing from view.

The man took a step no more. Rather, he tenderly placed his armored claws on the handle of his blade, more than ready to retaliate the millisecond he sees the slightest trace of his adversary.

Like before, there was a long stretch of silence and inactivity. Though Marco was confident in his skills, he still stood anxiously for that attack to come.

And then, he felt it. That ever so slight shift in the air. It was so faint, that not even Jackie would've been able to sense it. However, thanks to the heightened senses gifted to him by the Armor, he could.

Gotcha.

Marco's back hit the dirt hard as two pair of pincers pinned him to the ground. He peered up at Hekapoo, who leered daggers and shined a venomous smile at him. The heat surrounding them both matched her murderous intent. He could feel both intensifying with every second, the former slowly liquifying him with every passing second.

"Okay, I'm done messing around." She seethed. "You've been a pain in my... wait, I don't have one anymore, don't I? Uh tail, I guess? Yeah! Tail! You've been a pain in my tail long enough, Diaz! It was fun, but it's time to go."

Hekapoo snapped her blades together, igniting them both and aiming for Marco's neck. Their tips immediately fell down, cutting off any time for Marco to even get in a last word.

And then a quiet, yet noticable whoosh rung out in the air. Hekapoo gasped as a throwing knife jammed itself right at the center of her eye.

And a small portal in front of her closed shut.

Using her momentary confusion to his advantage, the Berserker stretched a free arm upwards. A translucent tentacle whipped towards the Skullpion's tail, wrapping itself around its pointed tip. He pulled, dragging it towards him.

And jammed it right through Hekapoo's body, the long spike jutting out of her stomach. Purple blood erupted from her new wound.

Shrill howls of great agony spewed out of the behemoth from the damage she accidentally inflicted on herself. Her grip on her weapon as well as her prey loosened. The fire that coated her had dissipated. Her multiple legs staggered shakily as she struggled to walk backwards.

Hekapoo pulled the knife from her eye and her stinger from her body. The world around her was momentarily a collection of dull colors clumsily blended into one another before it all straightened out.

Though she started to regret being able to see properly again, because Marco and Jackie were now standing shoulder to shoulder.

The latter walked forward. Her body bent low as both of her blades were held underhanded.

Then she was gone. Disappeared in a mass of black lines that instantly blinked out of sight.

In seconds, Hekapoo felt herself being cut apart as slashes ran all around her body. Though she still remained whole, she was colored in more of her blood as it leaked out of six straight lines.

"Tsubame Mai..." Marco commented as he jumped atop his enemy's monster body. "Impressive."

The moment Marco's claws clutched her by the horn, his tentacles curled throughout the rest of her body.

" _Koohhhhh..._ " The man breathed as Hamon flowed between himself and his target. Hekapoo screeched and convulsed as she was set ablaze in a shining, golden flame.

"Whatsamatter, H-Poo?" Marco's echoing, smug voice felt like daggers to her ego. No one could see it, but he was sporting the widest, shit-eating grin behind that hooded helm. "The heat getting' too much for ya?"

The demoness kept on thrashing and screaming. As the tentacles kept burning and constricting her, parts of her body were starting to peel and melt like paint. The same was happening to her Skullpion mount as well.

Marco wound his fist back as far as he could. Another purple tendril spiraled up to his knuckles. Spikes popped out of every inch of it.

"AAAADIADIADIADIADIADIADIADI!" The Warrior roared to the heavens, the cry carrying itself across the muliverse the moment his fist moved forward.

Countless, sun-infused punches rammed Hekapoo's head relentlessly, her face insistently pulled towards them. Every strike was bolstered with all the power and hatred of one who drowned in pain all their life, with an insatiable need to carry out justice to those who wronged him. She felt it with every fist that hit her face.

Soon, she was no longer feeling anything. Her mind and her body broke to the point where it accepted the onslaught with little to no resistance. There was no way to escape it. No way to fight it.

"ADIOS!" Marco shouted as he unleashed one last punch. An uppercut meant to absolutely obliterate his enemy.

With a squishing pop Hekapoo's main body brutally severed from her Skullpion body, then thrown high into the air. Blood trailed below her, like she was some bleeding demon rocket forced to make a journey high back to Hell.

Marco quickly joined her, his sheathed blade on the verge of shooting outwards.

Jackie joined the both of them, her blades already out and ready to tear someone asunder.

What ensued was a stormy blur of metal and blood. Marco and Jackie's movements were so quick and fluid, it would be nigh impossible for a bystander to even tell what was going on between the two. One could vaguely make out the image of some monster being blended between a set of blades that moved at several kilometers a second.

The two Aoikage students ended up on opposite sides as they ceased, their backs facing one another as they made their descent. There was barely anything recognizable between them. Their foe was reduced to mere chunks of what she once was. The monster body she had left behind gradually turned to dust in the wind.

Both parts of her quickly shifted into green fire that converged in the air, circling into itself like a snake devouring its own body before instantly being snuffed out of view.

Jackie's breaths came out ragged and uneven as she rested on her knee. Though her wounds were healed, her fatigue still carried over.

"Hah. Hah... Whew." Jackie wiped the sweat from her brow. "Man, that was a rough one wasn't it, Marco?"

He didn't answer. He remained hunched over in the same pose that Jackie was. His armored body rose and fell with each growling breath.

"You alright, dude?" The woman asked, sounding increasingly worried.

He stood back up to his full height, His sword still dripped with fresh demon blood, yet to return to its sheathe.

His hooded helm turned back, its red eyes gleaming brightly with murderous intent. He turned all the way around and began walking slowly towards Jackie. The exact same way he walked towards Hekapoo.

"Uhh, Marco?" Jackie proceeded to back away. She kept a tight grasp on her blades. She didn't want to, but if she had to fight Marco like she did Star previously, she wouldn't hesitate.

She just hoped he'd snap out of it faster than she did.

Jackie's grip on her weapons loosened the moment Marco's Monster Bringer lashed out, instantly trapping her. Every part of her save for her head was bound. Though she knew it was futile, she struggled and squirmed, some small part of her thinking that she could get out of this somehow.

But she knew deep in her heart of hearts that she couldn't.

She was brought to Marco, her dismal aquamarine eyes locked with deadly reds. She looked as deep as she could, hoping to find some semblance of humanity behind that beastly gaze.

"Marco!" She attempted to reach out to him. "C'mon dude, this isn't you! Marco wouldn't give himself up that easily!"

He remained silent. The only noise he idly made were guttural growls that were almost too quiet to hear.

"I know you're in there, dude! You gotta fight it! Fight that inner beast!" Though it didn't look like she was making a dent to his mental walls, she kept going. "Do it for me! For Mewni! For... For Star! Do it for her! She's your reason! Your reason for being here! Your reason to fight!"

"Hah... Hah..." Sounded like progress was seeping out of Marco. Relief encroached on Jackie as her words were gradually getting to him.

"C'mon dude, you got this. Stay with me, now. Stay with me..."

"Hah. Hah... hah hah... hahaha..."

"Huh?" Jackie was confused. If she didn't know any better, it sounded like he was laughing.

"Heh... Hah hah hah! Hahaha!" He was! His raspy, distorted breaths evolved into loud boisterous laughter. His entire body quaked beneath his mirth.

His armor started to melt and seep into his body like water going through multiple drains. Through it all, he was still busting his gut laughing. His eye squeezed shut and he looked like he was on the verge of falling.

His tentacle arm put Jackie down and unwound. It retracted and sunk back into his body.

"Screw you, man!" Jackie angrily pushed her friend in the chest. "Don't frickin' do that, I'm on edge!"

"Are you kidding me?" Marco wiped tears from his eyes as his giggles slowly died down. "You shoulda seen your face! You were all like, 'C'mon Marco, stay with me! Do it for Star!' Hahaha!"

"Dude, not cool." The woman looked less than enthused by the prank he pulled. She shook her head as she crossed her arms. "I really thought I lost you there."

"Hee heh heh. Sorry Jacks, I'm just..." The swordsman wiped a tear from his eye, laughter finally dying down. He took a seat on the ground. "Look, we've been fighting for our lives for... God knows how long. I know we're in the worst days of our lives but, I need a laugh every once in a while, ya know?"

A pair of teal eyes rolled. "I think you've lost it."

"You know what? I agree." Marco shined a genuine smile. "And I think you did, too."

"Uh, me?" Jackie pointed a thumb to herself.

"Yup. I mean, look at yourself. And look where you are."

Jackie did what was asked and merely shrugged. "Yeah, what about it?"

"Heh, I mean, anyone who went through the same thing I did for the same amount of time has to be off their rocker right?"

The Cali woman was on the verge of rebutting before her mouth shut and her finger lowered. Her gaze did laps on the ground before her as she mulled over Marco's words.

And then, snickers started sneaking out of her lips. Then some chuckles flowed out. Then erupted ful blown laughter. Jackie struggled to keep herself standing as everything that she had ever been through seemed somewhat humorous in hindsight.

Jackie walked over to where Marco was sitting. She faced away from him, sat down, and leaned against his back, her body loosened and relaxed.

"Heh heh. Man, how did I get myself into this again?"

"I dunno, how did you get yourself into all this?"

"I guess Toffee smooth talked me into thinking you were in danger."

"Pfft." Marco scoffed. "In danger of what?"

"I dunno. Star, I guess."

"What about her?"

Jackie paused for a moment. In retrospect, the way she got wrapped up into this whole thing was pretty dumb. Like she was just tossed in without much rhyme or reason behind it.

"I was convinced that, maybe she would end up hurting you somehow. I had to do something, I couldn't just sit easy with that thought on my mind."

Marco nodded, taking his fellow swordmaster's words into consideration. "Yeah, I totally get you. Every day became a struggle. Putting your whole mind and body into fighting for them. Surviving for them."

They shared several moments of silence. Memories and emotions washing over the two. Eventually it proved too much and Marco let his dam burst.

"I'm really sorry, Jackie." She heard a deep sigh behind her, feeling him fidget as it happened. "I was such a crappy boyfriend, wasn't I?"

He felt a pair of arms wrap around his neck and a chin resting on his head. Suddenly all the tension and stress he had disappeared. He brought both of his hands to Jackie's arms.

"I think you were pretty alright as far as boyfriends go. Though I'll admit, you could've been better." Jackie stated softly, the usual warmth radiating from her voice and attitude. "And you know what? You will be. For her."

"Will I? Honestly, I'm not even su-"

"Shhh..." Her hands gently rubbed his rugged face. "She's a lucky girl. I know you won't mess this one up."

He couldn't help but chuckle to himself. "I don't deserve you. Either of you."

"Aw, just shut up already and take a breather."

Marco had to admit. Despite all the crazy stuff he's been through up to this point, he was glad to have not only Star to get him through all of it, but Jackie as well. Heck, every goal he's accomplished, every obstacle he's overcome, and every struggle he's endured has always been, in some form, a team effort. Directly or indirectly, he's always had help in all of his endeavors.

"Hey, you know what we should do after all this?" Jackie perked up, slightly hopping on her knees. "We should all take a trip to France. You, me, Star, Janna. And whoever else is still cool after all this."

Marco looked at her puzzled. "Why France?"

Jackie shrugged. "I 'unno. Honestly, I just made the idea on the fly."

"I guess they have a nice culture. Fancy food. Famous landmarks. Sure, why not?"

She smiled warmly. "Sweet."

Words eventually stopped being thrown in the air. They continued leaning against one another, alone together, stewing in their thoughts.

Jackie was snapped out of hers when she heard snoring behind her Marco's body suddenly slumped over, falling to the side.

Jackie chuckled as her body leaned back and she basically used Marco's body as a pillow.

"Wonder if Tom would be up for it, too."


	86. Collective Consciousness

The strong, biting winds of the Neverzone howled in agony, echoing the despair of those whose lives were consumed in its dismal, unforgiving environment. It was unclear whether the wind carried dust and gravel or the ashes of those long fallen.

The prolonged, mournful howling played like a eulogy for what few denizens dwelled within this meager shanty town. Assuming there were any. The clumsily cobbled together shacks shook beneath the strength of the inclement weather. Loose shutters and doors clapped open and closed to an erratic beat.

Thick gravel quaked and crunched beneath heavy boots, the sound barely cutting through the din of the whooshing wind. A vaguely humanoid figure walked down this seemingly empty village. A dirty, ragged cloak lazily flapped as it shrouded their entire form. Their face was obscured beneath the shadows cast by its hood.

"Gotta be 'round here somewhere... No mistakin' that scent." The figure said to himself. His voice sounded as though he swallowed all the dust the wind was kicking up. It was deep and growly, accentuating the man's age and the extent of his hardship.

The ground erupted all around him. Dust shot towards the sky while decrepit, undead marauders followed suit.

The doors and shutters swung open as even more zombified bandits poured out of every scrap metal shelter in the area, brandishing all manner of blunt and bladed weaponry while armored in pieces of metal, leather, and cloth.

One in particular jumped behind the man with an axe over his head in the hopes to split his target down the middle.

However, with a single raised fist, the undead flew miles away from the cloaked man, swatted like a bothersome fly.

Everyone in the vicinity stopped dead in their tracks for a moment, watching as that one unfortunate undead disappear into the horizon. Then they all turned towards the shrouded man, their widened gazes affixed to his exposed arm. Tattoos snaked up to the wrist and while a mystical gauntlet wrapped around the forewarm.

After the few seconds of inactivity, the armed zombies remembered they were in the midst of battle and continued rushing towards their mutual target.

Foolishly, each and every one accelerated their doom. Whenever one reached within punching distance, they immediately either flew across the sky or popped into piles of body parts. Either way, they ended up as charred corpses

Despite how well the cloaked man held his own, more and more undead bandits emerged from the ground just as much as he was dispatching. The circle of enemies surrounding him began to close in rather quickly.

He shot into the air, leaving behind his cloak. Shining beneath the grey cloudy sky, holding the handle of a long sword strapped to his back was a young, muscular man. His skin was a dark shade of purple, his salmon-colored hair spiked up wards and his horns reached lightly above them.

His enemies soon followed him up to the sky, ready for some aerial combat. All three of the man's eyes

narrowed in focus looking at those who shared the airspace with him. Though a vast majority stayed on the ground, there was neverless enough foes in the air to obscure his view of the horizons beyond.

Despite being grossly outnumbered, there lied not a hint of doubt nor fear in those eyes of his.

Instead, a smile slashed acrossed his face.

The moment his blade left its sheathe, it spun like a top in the air, flying laps around its wielder and cutting everything and anything in its path. A storm of blood, bone, and flesh ensued.

The blade returned to the man's hand after making its round trip, painted in the blood and guts of its victims. The flat side of the blade slid across his forearm, instantly cleaning it.

Then the tip of the blade pointed downwards. The tattoos on the man's left arm glowed a vibrant, sinister orange. In seconds, the same happened with his weapon.

The man fell back to the ground like a meteor, his glowing blade plunging deep into the gravel.

And then, an explosion of nuclear proportions. Fire and smoke shot out everywhere upon impact. Everyone and everything followed, spreading body parts, metal, and wood all over the battlefield. Until the only thing left standing and untouched was the swordsman kneeling, his gaze kept to the ground.

He returned to his feet, his trio of eyes surveying the destruction he wrought. The smouldering remains of his victims and the makeshift shelters nearly buried the gravel.

"Hmph." He scoffed. To the innocent bystander it would be one of the most devastating displays of destruction they ever bore witness to. To Tom, it was Tuesday.

He twirled his blade once before returning it to the sheathe on his back. Dismembered corpses squished beneath his boots as he resumed his search.

The ground began to quake heavily. Every scrap of flesh, wood, and metal hopped in place. Tom stopped but remained calm.

Then they all started moving, sliding towards an wide open spot of empty wasteland. They converged, heaps and heaps piling on top of each other into a messy mountain.

The piles started multiplying and forming away from one another once the first tower was erected. It soon became clear that a body was forming. Limbs, body, and finally a head.

Soon, the demon stood face to face with a colossus of a size comparable to a castle in Mewni. Its actual body formed from the remains of the newly dead undead and a full set of armor was made from the metal and wood of what used to be houses.

Tom remained standing tall and unyielding in the face of a greatly larger enemy. As the saying goes. Prodigious size does not dissuade the sharpened blade.

The giant didn't hesitate to throw a punch towards its puny foe. It was fast for its size, nearly instantaneous, yet the smaller of the two managed to evade with a backwards jump no problem.

Another gigantic punch was thrown, just as fast as the last one. However rather than jump backwards again, Tom stood there.

Another smile shined from his five o clock shadow.

At the very last second, Tom raised his arm once more. It stood straight in front of him, with his wrist bent back.

The creature's fist stopped dead on the Prince's arm. Like a toothpick stopping a baseball.

It growled and roared in fury, before throwing another punch at its prey.

Unfortunately, that was stopped too. What soon followed was a flashing flurry of fists that were all surprisingly precise despite how huge and lumbering the creature was.

Regardless, Tom managed to deflect every single punch without even budging a single inch.

The giant having it up to here, it raised its right arm high above his head before it dropped fast like a giant hammer.

Tom's palm shot upwards, a burst of red light gleaming forth at the moment of collision. The giant's arm completely fell apart to the point of nothingness. It staggered backwards, taken aback by the sudden amputation.

Enraged, the monster immediately followed up with another punch from its remaining arm.

Little did it know that Tom was charging one of his own while it was dazed and reeling.

It felt as if time stopped for a split second when their fists connected. The next split second, the giant's fist flew out of its socket, spinning as it joined the clouds above.

Then its fist smashed onto his head, bringing the abomination to its knees.

Tom leapt upon his head, his sword released from its protective home.

There was a slash in the air, and his blade instantly returned to its resting place.

He leapt off the head and back to the ground, and he proceeded to walk past his enemy.

With each step, it fell completely apart. Piece after piece hit the ground in deafening thud until the entire being became dust that scattered to the winds.

Then a series of small, sarcastic claps from a short distance ahead. There stood a man around a similar age. Short brown hair, pale skin. Magenta on one eye and a piercing green in the other.

And a monstrous right arm.

"Tommy baby." The man spoke snidely, with a shit eating grin on his face. Tom felt his ears poisoned by his voice. "How's it been, fam?"

"Anon..."

Tom immediately brandished his blade. All three eyes focused intensely on the figure before him.

"What? No chit-chat or smarmy insult?" Anon shrugged, his smirk remained unabated. "Just gettin' right to the point this time, huh?"

Surges of red energy began converging on the Demon Prince's heart. Veins of deep, bright scarlet began spreading throughout his body as quick as wildfire, until it reached every end. Hs entire form became a burning red silhouette, before exploding in a mass of hellfire and demonic energy.

As if it wasn't possible, the man's smile grew even wider, marveling at this unseen form standing before him. There was an immense pressure in the air, a tremble of the ground, and a reddening of the sky above. As if Tom's very presence bent the laws of nature to his whim, without him having to so much as lift a finger.

Anon beamed with pride."I'm a damn good personal trainer, aren't I?"

...

"Marco?" Star called out in shock.

The "hood" retracted into the armor, revealing the familiar face of its wearer.

"Star!" He exclaimed as he brought the girl off the ground and into his arms. "I'm so glad you're still o-"

And then his sentence was cut off by a pair of lips assaulting his own. Marco briefly melted into the moment before having to regretfully part.

"Me too." Star rubbed her partner's cheek as she spoke.

"But uh." Marco rubbed the back of his head, his face flushed. "As much as I'd like to keep going, we're kinda in the middle of a fight here."

"Oh, right! Almost forgot."

"As soon as I get back upright, you and your mysterious savior are history! Do you hear me!?" Heinous shouted out over her loudspeaker.

"Anyways." He rolled his eyes. "Heinous isn't gonna stay down forever. Gotta take the chance while we got it."She

She nodded in agreement. "Got any ideas, Marco?"

He nodded back. Then simply raised his arm. An ethereal purple tentacle spiraled up his forearm to the wrist. Star's blue eyes became plates when she recognized it immediately.

"Ohmygosh, Marco. Is that..."

"Relax, he's not gonna hurt me." Marco assured. "Actually, he kinda saved my life earlier."

"Did he now?" Star glared at the tendril. She relaxed but was still a bit skeptical.

Anicetus managed to get a couple of its legs planted on the ground, lifting its body slightly higher.

"Better start praying to whatever you believe in now. Make your peace before your well-deserved end!"

Marco and Star turned behind them, drawn by the sound of a portal ripping into the air.

Jackie's head popped out, surprising them both.

"Yo, get in here!" She shouted, gesturing to them urgently. The couple wasted no time jumping into the vortex.

They suddenly ended up in some laboratory joined by Jackie, Undyne, and some hunched over, portly dinosaur monster in a labcoat.

"Jackie! Bitchy fish lady!" Star turned to each of them. "What's going on?"

"Figured ya might need a little help taking that thing down. And who better to do that than the genius who made it?" Jackie said. Undyne shuffled up to the scientist, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and causing her to blush.

"I-I-I'm really sorry!" She sputtered in desperation and remorse. "I didn't mean to m-make a nigh indestructible war machine for the bad guys. I just th-th-thought-"

"Shh shh shh..." Undyne rubbed the scientist's cheeks. "Chill Alphys, it's okay... you didn't know. None of us did."

"I guess... "Alphys calmed down. "I guess I'll never be capable of doing as h-ho-horrible as Toffee and Eclipsa did."

"So uh," Marco spoke up, hoping to move things along. "Any good tips on how to take that thing down?"

"Any weak spots or whatever that we can take advantage of?" Star added. "I mean, my magic can't even make a dent on that thing."

"Every part of Anicetus is heavily reinforced except for the legs and the weapons." Alphys answered. "Cutting the legs would only inhibit its mobility. The guns and the chainsaw blades are extremely durable but not indestructible. But the arsenal is vast and it would take a lot of firepower to destroy them."

"Any way we could shut all of that down?" Star asked.

The scientist woefully shook her head. "Not unless you can get inside. But once someone's in there, it's sealed tight. Unless... no, that's dumb."

"What?" Star and Marco asked in unison, their bodies leaning forward in intrigue.

"I was about to say. Maybe you can somehow get Heinous to cut herself with her High-frequency chainsaws."

"Marco, that's it!" Star exclaimed. "Solaria's High-frequency spell!"

"Nope." Alphys shook her head as she rebutted. "If it has to be cast, it can't cut it. Her chainsaw blades are legitimately High-frequency. They're capable of cutting anything and everything. Even itself"

"Hmm." Marco rubbed his chin ponderously. "You don't happen to have another Anicetus lying around, do you?"

"I'm afraid not. That one is the only one I've built thus far and it hasn't even left the experimental stage yet."

"Isn't there anything you got that could help us level the playing field?" Star asked.

The scientist shook her head again. "Everything I just explained is your best bet in besting that war machine. And from what Undyne and Jackie told me, you two are pretty powerful in your own right."

The attention of all three were yanked by a resounding thud in front of them. Solaria's Greatsword lied on the ground, cracks formed on the smooth floor.

"Thought you might need that back." Undyne said. "There was another sword I wanted to give to you, boy. But it went missing while the riots are happening."

"Oh, I got it right here." Marco lifted his sword.

"Oh no, I meant another one."

"Another one?"

"Yup." Undyne nodded. "It was really weird but really cool. It was in this high tech sheathe. I couldn't get the sword out for some reason but I knew it was a katana. Was thinkin' of bringing it to Alph to study it."

"Wait..." Marco pondered for a moment. He thought hard about why such a thing felt so familiar to him. Distant, yet strange feelings slowly creep up on him and his chest grew a little heavy.

Then his head shot up suddenly. "That's Yang's sword!"

"Dunno who that is." The fish knight shrugged. "Confiscated it from that one bald dude after arresting him for grave robbing. Patches, I think's his name."

"That guy!?" Marco recognized the name and description from someone he briefly brushed shoulders with in Ludo's lair. He punched his palm in anger. "Man, he better not let me see his ugly mug again..."

"One target at a time, babe." Star rubbed his shoulder to chill him out.

"Anyways." Marco breathed deeply. "We should probably get out there and take care of Heinous. She could be getting up any minute now."

"Right behind ya." Star lugged the massive hunk of metal over her shoulder with ease.

Jackie cut another portal for the two. "After you."

With their weapons brandished, the two conjured their respective Berserker armors and jumped right in, returning to the fight.

"Ah, there you are!" Heinous looked down on them, beaming with superiority. "The flies to be crushed beneath my foot!"

Anicetus did just that, its foot lifted and immediately dropped down on the two.

Star held her Greatsword above herself, stopping the giant metal foot instantly in its tracks. Heinous tried to apply more pressure, but Star not only held her in place, but began to push back as well.

"Arrrgh!" Star loudly grunted, using as much force as her strength provided to toss Anicetus's leg into the air, leaving the underside of its knee exposed.

Then Marco swiftly leapt the greatest of heights, reaching said underside. Black dragon-like wings stretched from his body, keeping him afloat.

"You can fly, too!?" Heinous shouted at Marco.

"No, I just jump good." Marco replied smugly.

"But you have wings!"

"Shut up!"

Marco began concentrating. Placing all of his focus into his blade and his target. He extinguished every superficial thought in his mind and drowned out all the unnecessary stimulus from every one of his senses. Every part of him poured into the graceful gliding of his sword.

And then, the joints of the machine gradually fragmented into chunks which broke off into even smaller pieces as the blade glided here and there. The metal felt like butter, easily severing to the sword's will with every stroke.

With one last slash, the leg cleanly popped of its joint and shook the ground after it landed.

Anicetus staggered once more, but was no where near out of commission. Every type of gun it had sprung forth and immediately aimed for Marco.

With swift and deft maneuvering, he managed to fly past and dodge every shot and every swing that came his way. When they got too close, he managed to hit back and slash them away.

"You think this is all, Princess Turdina!?" Heinous yelled. "Think again!"

As if it were possible, even more guns emerged from hatches that Marco didn't even know were hatches from Anicetus's massive frame. All manner of anti-air armaments popped out and spared not a second opening fire on their target.

"Summon Scissors." Marco spoke beneath his breath. In rapid succession, orange ethereal scissor blades as long as his sword appeared around their summoner and shot forth. They deflected every missile, every bullet, and every laser beam that came his way.

Meanwhile, Star flew up to Anicetus's other front leg, reaching the joint. With as much concentration as Marco had, she commenced cutting apart the clamps that tied the limb together. The slices were much bigger and the pieces were much thinner, but despite the bulkier size of Solaria's Greatsword, it ran its frantic course through the air just as quickly.

With one final slash, another one of the walking fortress's legs was cut clean off, landing right atop one section of the Gulag.

"Aaahhh!" Heinous screamed as her war machine lost another limb and struggled to regain its balance.

Enraged, the old crone set her sights back on Star. She directed half of her guns on her and opened fire. Like her partner, the blonde Mewman dodged and deflected as she flew gracefully about like a free bird. While her two main arms held her sword, the other four shot as many spells as she held in memory to shoot down the heavier ordnances.

"Agh!" Marco cried out. Heinous somehow managed to catch up to Marco and her pincers grabbed him by both of his limbs. She clamped down hard to restrain him and crush his bones. Then he was brought to the sky, flaunted like a trophy.

"Marco!" Star cried out, witnessing her best friend captured in Anicetus's cold, metal cluches.

"Star Butterfly!" Heinous called out. "I've captured your so called 'lover'. Surrender now and I'll release him with only minor severe injuries."

Star floated before the lifeless killing machine before her, her massive blade held stoically in front. Her gaze shifted worriedly between both Marco and his captor.

"Clock is ticking 'princess'!" Heinous's shrill voice blasted through the machine's speakers. Star's heart dropped when she saw that the pincers were starting to pull Marco apart.

"Stop! Stoooop!" Star shrieked at the top of her lungs. She didn't hesitate dropping her sword and slowly grounding herself, landing on her knees. Her head hung and her eyes shut with resignation. Her armor retreated into her body.

"Now if you know what's good for you, hold still." Heinous warned coldly. Anicetus raised both of its saws high into the air.

Star couldn't count how many times she's been in this kind of situation. Always having to sacrifice herself in some capacity to save the one she loved. But even so, she's always been ready to do so without a moment's hesitation or a second thought. And this time would be no different. That's what Marco meant to her.

"Don't give up." A voice echoed within her mind. It definitely wasn't her voice. No, it a voice that comforted and assured her with every syllable.

"M-Marco?" Star's heart skipped a beat and her eyes burst open hearing him in her head.

"Look up." He requested, to which she obliged. He saw the skyscraper-sized saws standing straight in the sky. The arms that had the pincers were just directly behind them, just short of touching.

"Just a little push is all it takes." Marco vaguely said. Though, Star understood him loud and clear. She nodded, then smiled.

"Prepare. To die!" Heinous shouted to the heavens as her chainsaws fell to the earth, taking with them her murderous intent.

Star's armor returned instantly and so did her four other arms. Each set of three caught each chainsaw, and held them strongly in place, sparks erupting from their contact. She groaned hard as her feet broke earth and sunk gradually into the ground below.

"You dare resi-"

"AAAGH!" Star roared as she pushed Anicetus's chainsaws away, with enough force to send the blades flying towards its other set of arms and slicing them clean off.

Marco was liberated as the pincers that once held him captive joined the other severed limbs. He wasted no time flying to Star's side.

"Aww, how sweet. You both fight as a couple." Heinous snidely spoke. She raised both of her saws in the air and dropped them towards her targets a second after. "Now DIE as a couple!"

Though they could have easily dodged them, the couple opted to instead stand their ground. Their hearts and souls were in sync, their intentions clear to each of them without a single word shared between.

Both of them caught their respective chainsaws, much to Heinous's shock even though it wasn't the first time.

A massive ghostly tentacle wrapped itself around Marco's saw. While purplish black energy surrounded Star's.

And then, in a beyond godly feat that would drop everyone's jaws, the tens of thousand ton machine, that was as tall as a castle and as wide as an entire kingdom, got judo flipped right onto its head from one side of the Gulag to the other.

While the colossal metal beast was stunned, Marco lifted his chainsaw with his Monster Bringer, bringing it further away from him and forcing its blade to face Anicetus's other arm.

Then it dropped, instantly severing Star's respective chainsaw from its arm. She then threw it so hard and so high into the air that it flipped a few times before the safe end landed on her arms.

She stumbled a bit as she struggled to keep a firm grip on the gigantic chainsaw before Marco came up from behind. His arms wrapped around her, his hands grabbed hers. Blackish purple energy shrouded their shared weapon as purple translucent tendrils spiraled around it.

Heinous shouted as her last remaining chainsaw arm took one downward swing. Her determination surpassed Anicetus's heavy damages, using everything she had left to defy her foes.

Star and Marco took the deepest breaths they could, their feet deeply rooted to the ground. They concentrated to the best of their abilities Every part of them, body, mind, and soul, were still and as solid as a pair of statues.

They swung their chainsaw with shocking ease, colliding with their enemy's. The remaining arm was pushed back before it flew forward for another slash, which also got denied purchase.

They kept at it for a few minutes. No matter how many different angles Heinous's swings came from, she was always clashing towering steel with towering steel.

Eventually they kept their blades grinding against one another in a push-of-war. Huge sparks fell like a rainstorm in their screeching collision.

Unfortunately for Heinous, the strength of Star and Marco's love proved greater than the largest of titans and the most advanced of war machines. With one push, her blade flew back and the couple immediately followed up with a slash that severed the other arm.

And then another that cut across Anicetus's frame. And another, and another, then another. It didn't matter how large or heavy their chainsaw was. As long as they were together, the chainsaw was essentially just another weapon to use with ease. There was no recovery, no windup. Every slash flowed smoothly onto one another, making pieces of Anicetus pile up.

Star and Marco let their giant weapon fly and twirl in the air like a baton. The two rocketed after it, meeting it halfway as it fell back down.

Time slowed to a crawl when a familiar menu popped up in both of their visions. In seconds, both made the choice their souls synced with right as the back end of their gigantic chainsaw flew in front of them. Of course, they felt a strange sense of nostalgia as they saw the name of that move that got them both out of a similar jam. Who could forget it, anyways.

 **Dragon Kick**

Simultaneously, Star and Marco lifted both legs immediately and sent a powerful boot into their weapon.

The cataclysmic collision between what remained of Anicetus and its former weapon left behind a quake that caused the entire multiverse to shudder and groan. The severed chainsaw blade shattered into countless metal slabs as an explosion ensued from the war machine that took it back.

The couple went up to the blazing mountain of scrap metal they had just created.

"We..." Star began. Exhaustion forced a deep exhale out of her. "...we did it."

"Yeah." Marco said, somewhat melancholic. "She's gone..."

As if fate immediately decided to prove Marco wrong, the mountain of metal that would be Heinous' grave groaned and shook. Embers rose and burning metal rolled down like a landslide.

Star and Marco leveled both their weapons towards the moving scrap heap. One slab of Anicetus fell to the ground in a fiery mass. Flames shout forth, coating the ground.

Heavy footsteps rung out in the air. A hulking figure walked among the flames, untouched and unfazed.

Star and Marco shared a gasp. They tightened their grips on their weapons and took one step back. They felt as though all of Mewni turned upside down.

"H-Heinous!?" Marco confusedly called out, unsure whether he should believe what he was seeing.

The colossal purple beast beamed a wide, predatory smile at the two teens before it. It stretched between the clovers on each cheek.

"Actually," The ogre spoke in a deep distorted voice. She adjusted her gray curly hair that was reminiscent of the old hag she supposed to be. "It's Meteora."


End file.
